Marcia's apartment is located in Lapa which is famous for its architecture and its night life and near the city center of Rio de Janeiro. It is a small, bright, clean and very nice apartment that is perfectly suited for a single person or a couple.

Marcia is the perfect host. She really knows how to make her guests feel welcome. She positively surprised my be providing extras and little somethings like a personal welcome message, Lapa slippers, maps of Rio, additional tourist information, cold water and soda in the fridge and much more. She even offered me a 3G internet stick so I could use mobile internet for my work although the Wi-Fi worked perfectly fine. In the bathroom (which is quite small and offers space for one person only) I found among others soap, shampoo, 3 different fresh towels and a disposable razor and comb.

I did feel very comfortable and safe in Marcia's apartment (almost like in a hotel) that is situated in the 8th floor of a 24 hour secured building with cctv and a doorman. There is also a safe where you can store your money, passport and valuables in the apartment.

There is also a TV with many channels (portuguese and english) and a kitchen where you can prepare your food on hot plates or in a microwave. If you wanna wash you clothes there is a washing machine + dryer for you.

When you are looking out of the window you have a nice view to the famous "Arcos da Lapa" which is a 5 minutes walk away. The buses are only 2 minutes away and to the metro and the busy city center you walk about 10-15 minutes. Beautiful Santa Teresa is also nearby. Next to the building you can find a small supermarket and other shops.

As the apartment is located in the heart of Lapa which is one of the most famous and hip nightlife spots in Rio, it can get quite loud at night and especially during week ends (I was there for the world cup so there was all hell let loose). So if you are looking for tranquility and isolation this is not the right place for you. But for me it was just perfect because I stayed in the middle of one of the most exiting cities of the world and could immerse in the city's night life without having to spend money for cabs when returning at night.

I can definitely recommend Marcia as a host and her apartment! I will surely come back when I have the chance.