Erica is very nice, and we stayed in her house on New Years. She had three of us in our room, 2 girls in another room, and a couple in another room, as well as her in her own room. It was a bit crowded considering we were sharing 1 bathroom/1 shower (there was a powder room with another toilet). She has a beautiful kitchen which is conducive to cooking. It's a good place to stay if you don't mind the cramped quarters. In terms of location, it's a 35 minute walk to Leblon/Ipanema, and only 20 minutes to the botanic gardens. We felt safe.