My colleague and I used Hilda's apartment for 9 days while we were attending a conference, and also took a few days to explore the main attractions of Rio.

The apartment was very nice and very clean. As with most of these apartment complexes, this one also has a fence around it with security personnel, so there are no unwanted persons on the property. As soon as the personnel get to know you, they are very friendly.

The people we met in the reception were not very good at speaking English, but that has nothing to do with the apartment; and as we found out, it is like this in most of Rio. If you need a taxi, just walk out to the road and hail a taxi, there are plenty of them all the time (and it is a good idea to have the destination address written down because taxi drivers usually don't understand English either).

The beach is just across the apartment complex (be careful when you cross the road, though) and it is big, beautiful and clean, and probably perfect for sunbathing and fun (I did not really have time for that, unfortunately). Along the coast, there is a beach bar with refreshments every 100 meters or so.

A small mini-market with limited selection is nearby. There is also an enormous, modern shopping complex not too far away (20 minutes walking distance, or about 5 minutes in taxi I think).

The wireless internet worked without problems, but was not the fastest in the world. But it is good enough for casual use.

Hilda wanted to greet us on arrival but could not make it, since we arrived late in the evening. But she called in to hear if everything was fine (which it was). Also, we were encouraged to call her if any problem should arise. Hilda speaks a good English and was also very responsive on e-mail.

Just one thing to keep in mind. The apartment is in the Rio suburb Barra da Tijuca (which is nice in itself), but you must expect some transport time when you want to go to the center of Rio. You can either take a taxi (which will take maybe 30-40 minutes to Rio center if it is not rush hour) or you can take an inexpensive bus a couple of minutes walk from the apartment (that can take 1-1½ hours to get to Rio center, but also gives you a chance to see much of Rio from the bus).

All in all, we were very satisfied with our stay, and both with regards to the space and price, I think it was a good bargain compared to staying at a hotel (that would have been at least twice as expensive and no better).

Thanks for a pleasant stay!