What can I say? Our stay in Brazil was magical for many reasons and this apartment certainly helped facilitate that because of location, location, location. The apartment itself does look and feel much like the pictures show. It is definitely enough space for a bachelor, a couple, or a small family such as we are - two adults and a youngster. If your party is bigger than that, well more power to you, but we wouldn't recommend it. Lol.

Rafael's studio is conveniently located on a quiet street on the edge of a busy boulevard, not too far from the beach, public transportation, and plenty of awesome restaurants that are open at all hours for your convenience.

Unfortunately, the building itself is undergoing repairs so the entrance and lobby look shabby, water pressure is low at times, and the electrical grid is very, very temperamental. However, the staff in the building are really pleasant and helpful and Rafael was accommodating and supportive. We were a long term stay - over a month - so we had to suffer through various planned and unplanned power outages that we otherwise may not have endured if we were just in town for a few days. We must mention, however, Rafael did right by us in stepping up to support us in times of need, it was just frustrating to have to deal with these things over time.

If the electrical situation in the building gets fixed I would whole-heartedly recommend this place to anyone including families with small children but as a mother, as the place is now, I would say it is best for bachelors, couples, or groups of younger travelers but not for families.

The AC cuts out too often, the shower generally runs cool to warm at best, and sparks fly in the kitchen from time to time making it a little less than cozy or charming during this period of renovation. Otherwise the place is very cool, well-decorated, and owned by a well-meaning AirBnB host who I can tell is a really nice guy.