Location, Location, Location! This place exceeded all expectations and I am not easily impressed! It is 3 blocks from Copacabana beach; 1 block south from Cantagalo Metro, and north of food markets, taxi line and restaurants on Rua Bolivar. You can also walk to Ipanema beach. The neighborhood is quiet and safe. Police presence was everywhere and the streets were AMAZINGLY clean immediately following the many blocos (block parties) in the area (sanitation was working 24/7 on the streets, beaches, and metro picking up trash). César welcomed us and gave us a great tutorial (in English because sadly our Portuguese was not up to par) of the must do's and must dont's in Rio. The cable tv was great especially when I hit the little green button on the remote and switched the language from Portuguese to English! The wifi signal was always strong and was our lifeline. The full kitchen was wonderful and we made use of it after a few trips to Zona Sul for essentials. Everything worked well and as described (we had to silence the ringer on the phone because it rang constantly at night) and César left helpful maps/guides. He even checked in with us midway through our trip and offered additional sightseeing recommendations. He was immediately responsive via WhatsApp when I had a question. We stayed during "Rio Carnival 2017," heeded Césars advice, got a "rechargeable" metro card (we rode the metro subway only and did not ride the bus), used common/street sense and had a safe and fun experience. If I could give César and his place 10 stars I would! I cannot wait to return to Rio and wouldn't want to stay anywhere else but Césars place. Hotel for what? Look no further and stay here, it's perfect!