Ana was the perfect host, and her place is Rio was exactly what we needed. The pictures and schematic of the layout are spot on—and the kitchen was well stocked. Beds were incredibly comfortable, and there was plenty of hot water for great showers! The building had a 24-hour doorman, and we always felt totally safe. The location was ideal: two grocery stores were literally around the corner; we were 4 blocks from Copacabana Beach, two blocks from the Metro; and there were so many great neighborhood spots for delicious dinners as well as spots to grab fresh juices and baked good for a quick breakfast or midday snack.
Ana was an excellent communicator: her English was terrific; she responded within the hour; and she checked in via Whatsapp regularly to make sure we had everything we needed while we were there. She met me in person the morning we checked in and she accommodated our request for a late check out due to our flight times home. She left loads of documentation about the building rules, safety tips for Rio, and restaurant ideas; and my husband’s personal favorite: Ana left copies of the manuals for all the appliances (i.e., dishwasher, range, microwave and washing machine) in case any questions came up.
I could go on and on about how amazing our time in Rio was (where else can you find world class beaches alongside stunning mountains with the benefits of a large diverse city to explore!??!). And this was the first time we took advantage of the Airbnb Experiences, where you can book tours with local guides/experts that were the perfect way to learn about different aspects of life in Brazil (e.g., mountain hikes, street art, Afro-Brazilian and LGBTQ culture). But this review is all about Ana and her beautiful apartment and how central her place was to ensuring our trip was one of our family’s best vacations in a long time! If you are going to be in Rio, and her place is available, you should book it right now!