This building is in a perfect location. You can literally walk out the door, across the street to Ipanema Beach. The entire area is walkable, and there are bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and shopping all within walking distance. The subway station is also very close, if you decide to take public transportation.
This 2 bedroom apartment is a good option for an extended stay, but there are some things you should know, so I'll be very candid. The host is very responsive and accommodating, so that is definitely a plus. The unit is on a low floor, and the beach view is not the greatest. The photos make the apartment seem larger than it actually is. The building staff is very friendly, and it's wonderful to have daily cleaning service similar to a hotel. The pool in the photos is the pool for the building, and it is on the roof along with a small cafe, sauna, and steam room. The unit does not have its own private pool. The building itself is a little dated and so are the amenities, like the gym. It has a brand new treadmill and bike machine, but the weight equipment is very outdated. There are more up-to-date local gyms nearby if that is important to you. Although the apartment is well-maintained, none of the bathroom basins have hot water. The showers have excellent water pressure, and the hot water gets quite hot, so it's very enjoyable. The internet speed is questionable. Streaming movies was hit or miss (sometimes it worked seamlessly, but more times than not, we had to keep trying over and over again to get it going.) The TV in the main suite did not work, only in the living room.
If you are staying long-term, there are 2 major things that you need to be aware of.
1. Laundry Service: There is no washing machine in the apartment, nor in the building. The "laundry service" for the building is actually a dry cleaning service, so it can get extremely expensive. One full load of clothes was over $100 USD. If you need regular washing, I would suggest finding an outside service, but also, pay attention to the laundry pricing sheet which we did not find until after we sent the clothes out. The host does notify you beforehand that there is no washing machine, but it certainly was not made that clear beforehand about the pricing, how it is charged, and what the service entails. This service is not managed by the AirBnB host. This can be an inconvenience and added expense, since there is no way to wash towels and sheets.
2. Light Bill: If you stay longer than 7 days, the host will send you a bill for the electricity usage. While they maintain that this is normal, this is the first time I had ever encountered this with any AirBnB and I did not see this restriction with any other listing.
Aside from the minor inconveniences, we were pleased, and overall, our stay was delightful. You too will enjoy your time here as long as you expectations are accurately set.