In general, we had a positive experience!
(We are a couple in our 30's, stayed there in November)
The amazing terrace made all the difference, especially since we were working from home and didn't go out a lot due to the pandemic. Allowed us to get lots of fresh air, sun, and an amazing view while working from home!
Pros:
- Very friendly staff
- They offer daily cleaning service (except for weekends), but we had the option of declining the service or requesting it only on specific days. We could make the arrangements directly with our floor's cleaning lady, making it a lot easier.
- The building's terrace is amazing! Definitely the best pro of this rental. A simple but very nice area with 4 spaced-out tables (sun "umbrellas" for the tables were available by just calling the reception), sun loungers (lounge chairs), and a pool, with a really nice view! There is also wi-fi in the terrace. When we went (November), the terrace was always relatively empty (the maximum number of people we ever encountered there at a time were 3 people besides us), which was excellent during the pandemic. It was excellent to go upstairs and work (home office) with an amazing view, taking a few dips in the pool during the day. The terrace theoretically closes at night (I think around 8pm), but that is not always enforced: sometimes the staff just let us stay there at night and turned on the colorful lights, making it very pretty and even quite romantic. Perfect for a warm almost-summer night! I definitely recommend frequently using the terrace (especially if going out is limited during the pandemic)!
- The apartment is cozy, even though it is relatively small
- Comfortable bed
- Spacious bathroom
- Very clean
- Excellent location
- Very good grocery store (Zona Sul) almost next door (although it is quite expensive, but any grocery store is expensive in Ipanema) - USEFUL NOTE: The grocery store allows you to take the cart home to the apartment to unload your groceries and then return it (you just leave some form of ID in the meantime), which was great since the building is only a few steps away. Just remember to use the service entry and elevator when entering/exiting the building with the cart; if you ask the lobby staff, they'll likely let you do that and show you where it is.
- Garage space included
- Water filter included in the apt
- Host responds quickly to messages
- For most things you don't even have to contact the host though, just call the lobby; the lobby staff solves the day-to-day issues (changing lights, clogged sink, etc.)
Cons:
- Very limited amount of kitchen utensils (pots, pans, dishes, silverware, cups, cooking utensils, etc.)
- No oven (it does have 4 stovetops though)
- The apartment is relatively small (although it is cozy)
- The internet is shared with the rest of the floor. In general it worked well, but this is something to consider if you need a really secure connection. - Note: There is an internet cable coming into the apartment (requested by previous guests), but we didn't use it; I don't know if it's working or not, and I don't know if it's a private connection or if it's still shared with the floor.
- The fridge is small, with a tiny freezer that doesn't work well. (The fridge works fine despite being small, but the freezer doesn't freeze enough.) Storing ice cream did not work.
- The living room doesn't have cable tv (only open access tv, with very few options). The bedroom does have cable tv though.
- The apartment was full of ants, which was annoying. I assume that was a temporary problem though, and that the host will get that resolved soon.
- Sometimes, there is some smell of fish in the hallways and in the elevator, since the building is shared with or next door to a seafood restaurant. The apartment had no fish smell at all though, so that was ok! This wasn't a problem at all, but just letting you know.
- There is almost no view from the apartment, since the windows and small balcony look towards the building next door (you can still see some sky and trees looking up and to the sides, but not that much) , but that's where the terrace comes in!
Overall, this was a good find for what we needed!