I believe we were the first guests to stay at Al's Ipanema apartment. It was exactly as advertised and in a great location, with the beach only a 5 min walk away. The place is brand new, which was obvious by some of the plastic protective stickers still on a few of the door locks. The two outdoor terraces were perfect for enjoying the early summer Rio weather. The apartment has all the necessary kitchen utensils for making light meals and even has a Nespresso machine for making coffee. We enjoyed our stay so much we extended it by four extra days thanks to Al's flexibility. Lucien is Al's apartment manager and was extremely helpful. He was around the building all the time and available for questions. He does only speak Portuguese, but we had little problems communicating. I would definitely recommend this property.