Hello everyone,
I highly recommend Roberto's place. It has an exceptional view and is central to all the sights in Rio. You are at most 45min from everything. Do note that the one thing it is far from is the international airport. Simply take the 2016 or 2017 coach bus from the international airport and it will drop you off one Street over from his place.(blue bus second floor)
Make sure to keep a little change extra to head back to the airport by Uber. It's a much simpler option then using the public transit network.
Also note that you must be very fond of cats as he has about 6 of them that live in the kitchen.
For Canadians: as of writing this it is not possible to get Brazilian currency. Note that debit card does not work in Brazil and only 80% of shops take credit. If you take a cash advance from one of the red 24h ATM's you will be charged about 35%. Do not take out 100 notes they are not accepted. Smaller denominations are needed. Or an exchange bureau to convert it to smaller denominations.
Also note that bus stops are not labeled you simply hop on or off based on the direction of travel of the bus unless you do some research prior to. The bus stops is marked with a blue sign if it's not a booth. Internet is not common so be warned.
The best part of Rio is the warmth of the character of its people so being able to communicate in Portuguese is a huge asset and will make the trip much more gratifying.