Silvia is a very nice and friendly host; she gave us excellent tips about places to eat and how to make the most of our stay in Rio despite the "moody weather" on our first days. Leblon is a pleasant area for first time visitors in Rio, well connected by public buses if you don't want to take taxis all the time. For those concerned about safety, there were no problems for us, the area is lively also at night. The flat was clean and looks like on the pictures. We personally had no problems with it, but for those sensitive to noise, there is currently a traffic diversion because of road works, so bring earplugs. All in all, we recommend this apartment and Rio of course!