That balcony!! Anytime I was home, I would sit out on the balcony. It's incredible. But even in the bedrooms, you can hear the waves crashing at night. It was some of the best sleep ever for me. I was able to figure out the hot water while I was there. Just turn it on, when it gets hot, lower it, and then turn on the cold. That always worked for me. The location is great. I love Ipanema. I was walking to places mostly. But uber is cheap in Brazil, so I did use it as well.