From Stephen:

Great place overall! Hosts speak perfect English and scored high on communication. Keys were with the doorman when we arrived so it was easy to access the place. Some bottled water and a map were available when we arrived. Listing was accurate overall, although the kitchen and bedroom were a bit small compared to the photos. Shower water was not as hot as I would like, but it was manageable. Paulo and Wagner even paid for our taxi to the airport to make up for the hot water issue. That was a classy move. Neighborhood is amazing and safe! The beach is beautiful. Thanks guys!

From Alice:

this was our first successful airbnb experience. reasons to book flats bb when visiting rio:

1) great hosts: paulo and wagner were awesome hosts. not only are they responsive but they really go out of their way to try to resolve issues and mediate any problems during your stay. we had issues with the shower head and water temperature not getting hot enough, but they were effective communicators via text (whatsapp) and came by the flat to inspect and try to resolve the issue while we were out and about exploring town. they also give great recommendations for things to do around town and can even assist with booking transfer to the airport.
2) prime location: it's really a sanctuary within the hustle and bustle of busy street rua cisconde de piraja. 2 blocks from the beach and plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops seriously just an elevator ride away! it's also a 10 minute walk to the nearest metro stop, which takes you straight to copacabana! taxi ride from leblon, but after visiting both copacabana AND leblon, ipanema is really the place to be, upscale enough, busy enough, and extremely convenient compared to copa and leblon.
3) clean and spacious: extremely large living room (though wished the bedroom and kitchen were larger), but it accommodated the 2 of us nicely and we had plenty of space to share for our 1 week stay.
4) modern yet simple: minimalistic decoration
5) amenities: washing machine, dish washer, stove, large fridge, ironing board, trash bags, cleaning supplies, dishware, utensils, you name it. you only have to bring yourself and clothes! toiletries are not included besides a hand soap, so make sure you bring your own.
6) safe: there's a 24hr doorman that watches the entrance to the building (though most of the time the door is unlocked) but our personal belongings and ourselves arrived and left safe and sound :)

we really only have some minor complaints for the shower pressure and water not being hot enough. and the towel quality could be improved because there are always lint falling off of it, but other than that, we really hit the jackpot with finding the perfect apartment to stay during the world cup when almost every hotel room was booked and sold out!