We had the best time staying at Gabriela's place in Ipanema. The apartment was beautiful, clean, and very close to the beach with many great restaurants and shops nearby. It was such a nice place to come home to and relax after a day of sightseeing. With all of the media surrounding the Olympics concerning violence and theft, I can honestly say that never did I feel unsafe in and around the apartment and neighborhood. By far the best part of our trip though was Gabriela herself and her very welcoming family. She went out of her way helping us find a driver and accommodated our early arrival into Rio by letting us freshen up and drop off our bags at her parents' place nearby. Her communication was clear and quick and had great recommendations for restaurants and how to get around the city. It was such a pleasure to finally meet her when we arrived! I would highly recommend this place to stay and hope we can make it back down there and stay at Gabriela's place again!