Helena's apartment is in a great location in Ipanema, but also very close to Copacabana. It is 3 blocks from Ipanema Beach and it takes 5-10 minutes to walk there. There is a supermarket around the corner and lots of other shops, stores and pharmacies nearby. There is a Starbucks 5-10 minutes walk away, if you want/need that in Brazil. The apartment is 2 blocks from Farme de Amoedo, which is full of bars and restaurants - it comes to life at night. The apartment itself is very spacious and comfortable. It has tile floors, which is good for coming from the beach with sand on your feet. It has 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, it also has 3 air conditioners - one in the living room and both bedrooms have air-conditioning too. We used the washing machine and it worked well. The kitchen has a water filter with very nice cold water. Checking in/out was super easy - we just picked up/dropped the key at the front desk. I was travelling with Brazilians so it helped a lot, but a file/manual with local suggestions and attractions would have been helpful. Overall, I can highly recommend Helena's place: very nice place, great location and good value for money.