We experienced the superhost status of the hosts before we even arrived. After making the reservation, I noticed that Airbnb stated that the apartment did not have a smoke alarm and recommended bringing a portable one. I spoke to Felipe over WhatsApp and he said no one had ever asked about it. He had a smoke & carbon monoxide alarm installed before we arrived.
The #1 quality of the apartment is its location. It is perfectly located on a quiet street in, what we quickly realized was, the best part of the city. There are street markets (feiras) in the square, a block away, a couple of days a week and we really enjoyed them. The beach is a 10 min walk away. There are supermarkets on 3 of the 4 corners of the square, lots of great restaurants and bars close by, and a subway station a block away.
The apartment is 100% safe. 24hr doorman. Felipe answered my questions right away. He even did a video call with me to show me how to fix the cable TV after I pressed a wrong button, lost the signal, and could not figure out what I did wrong.
The apartment looks exactly like what you see in the pictures. We spent a week in Rio and had an amazing experience. I had not been to Rio in 10 years and was blown away at how much it improved/modernized due to hosting the Olympics and World Cup. I don't think there is a more beautiful city on the planet right now. The apartment is a good value for its excellent location.