This was my first visit to Rio de Janeiro, and staying at Diogo's apartment was great! As a petite blonde female traveling alone, I couldn't have felt safer in the neighborhood, Leblon. I walked alone at night and felt fine. The apartment building is only a 10-minute walk or so to the beach, and there are small restaurants and shops along the way. Unfortunately it was rainy and cloudy for my entire stay, so I was not able to get out and see as much as I would have liked, and thus can't comment on public transportation to that effect. (A heads-up if you plan to take a taxi from his place to the main Rodoviaria, or bus station. A ride which is estimated to take 17 minutes--and took maybe 20 when i arrived around 8:30pm, lasted me two full hours going back. Granted it was 5pm and rainy, but still. It was truly the worst traffic jam I've ever been in, and there was no alternate route, so plan accordingly if you have a bus to catch!)
This apartment was super clean, quite spacious, and offered tons of closet space if you were to be there for a longer stay. The kitchen was nice, and seemingly well-stocked if you wanted to cook anything. (It's also a quick walk to a couple supermarkets, Pao de Acucar and Hortifruiti, which made procuring food easy).
The views from most of the rooms are nothing breathtaking, but it's fine. One bedroom has a nicer view of lush treetops, and I probably could have seen more if the fog had lifted! The beds ranged from firm to plush, so you have your choice when it comes to comfort. The wifi was strong, but best used in the living room.
Apparently there is a roof deck? I think i saw it mentioned in a review before i booked. If there is, no mention was made, which was too bad. (Since i didn't actually "live" there, I didn't want to start exploring the building looking the access point).
A couple super minor things that I would have changed--there was barely any toilet paper when I arrived, and none in the second bathroom. So...also, there weren't any instructions on how to operate the TV/cable box. I figured it out, but if you were older, it might be a little more challenging. And an umbrella for guests to use while staying there would have been a nice touch, too. I came prepared with a raincoat, but my search for an umbrella proved futile.
So those are just minor adjustments I would make, but otherwise, for the price, location, and unit itself, it cannot be beat! I never saw Diogo, but he was prompt and courteous when we communicated via WhatsApp, and I sincerely appreciated his flexibility with arrival/check-out times.