What a great apartment this was! Located right in-between the neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema in Arpoador, extremely easy to walk to the beaches (3-4 minutes to either beach), restaurants, shopping, etc. In particular there is a supermarket two blocks away which is very convenient and a small bar directly across the street. The area is reasonably quiet and in contrast to the many reports I read online, I felt safe at all hours of the day. The apartment was very clean, spacious, and bright - the posted pictures of the apartment are completely accurate! The bed was not the most comfortable if you like to lie on your side (the mattress is a only a few inches thick over a wooden platform) but the couch folds out for a much thicker mattress so you have your choice! The 6th floor penthouse has a large deck (the view is of surrounding buildings) but the excellent elevator stops on floor five so be aware of this if stairs are an issue. WiFi, cable TV, washer and hot water all worked very well! Jose Carlos and his son Gabriel were excellent hosts, in particular Jose Carlos was very helpful to me in arranging for a middle-of-the-night taxi for my departing flight from GIG. I am very grateful to them for helping to make my stay in Rio de Janeiro so wonderful, and would absolutely stay in this apartment again!