Axel's place is a real gem
Pros:
- located in Santa Teresa, a quiet neighborhood on a hill, surrounded by the city center and the nightlife district (Lappa), and within a 30 min bus to the famous beaches. As Santa Teresa used to be a dangerous favela (but no longer is due to strict and serious gov interventions), it offers a very interesting perspective, in addition to the nice community feel. Staying here will definitively offer a more complete experience, something impossible to see I you're staying in Copacabana or Ipanema, for example.
- we were 5 on the floor we rented and we were very happy with how spacious it was, including a simple but full kitchen, a huge living room, two bedrooms and bathrooms, and of course, that magnificent balcony with a million dollar view over rio.
- the French people living on the floor below (students in rio) are young, friendly, fun, and knowledgeable about Rio customs, activities, and nightlife. Their advice made our time in rio so much better, a priceless intangible. They welcomed us very well with lots of information, as Axel had just left on vacation.
- pictures posted are perfectly accurate
Cons
- wifi is slow, unreliable, and frustrating. To be fair, I have no idea if that's a rio thing, or something pertaining to the household itself
- water in the shower is lukewarm at best