My husband, our close friend, and I stayed in Valerie's apartment during the Carnaval celebration in Rio for a week. It was perfect for what we wanted of our trip. The location is hard to beat - literally 1 block from Posto 5 (beach 5) in Copacabana and about a 15 minute walk to the heart of Ipanema. The beach is spectacular with many bars and restaurants right on the water. There was a lot of activity around the apartment and it's located on a busy street (but living room and master bedroom face a quiet courtyard) and the building has a doorman, so we felt very secure the entire time.

Cabs were very easy to hail right in front of the building - and also easy for cabs to find when coming back (write the address on a piece of paper and they know exactly where to go).

Valerie was traveling while we stayed, so her friend Cesar greeted us. He was very helpful showing us everything in the apartment and recommending places to go and things to do. He is also a cab driver, so he took us to the airport when we departed which was very convenient.

The beds were extremely comfortable, I wanted to take the Master bed home with me! The air conditioners worked perfectly, it was very clean and designed nicely and the apartment is well equipped with towels, kitchen items (coffee maker, toaster, cups, dishes, etc), and wifi. The terrace was nice in the evening when it was cooler outside, and well lighted to enjoy dinner or a drink.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this home to a small family or small group of friends traveling to Rio. Valerie was a great host before and during our stay and made us feel comfortable visiting a country we'd never been to and didn't speak the language in. We can't wait to come back to Brazil!