This was absolutely the worst Airbnb I have ever experienced -- it was a complete horror story. As someone who has stayed at many Airbnbs, all over the world, without any issues, and as a former Airbnb Superhost, I would strongly discourage people from staying here unless significant remediations are made. Even though there are many positive reviews, it's just not worth the risk.
- Security issues. A friend, who could have been anyone, walked up to the building's front desk, said the apartment number (without providing my or his name), and was handed my apartment key, no questions asked. The front desk did not ask for ID or try to contact me. When I told the host about this incident, she responded by suggesting I was lying. It was extremely concerning and uncomfortable, especially given the crime in Rio.
- Safety issues. The elevator broke down while I was inside it (coincidentally, only hours before midnight on New Year's Eve). We called for help using the in-phone elevator only to be connected with the front desk staff that was unable to provide any comprehensible instructions for how to exit. This was not a language issue; they just couldn’t say anything other than “a call was made to the elevator company.” After several minutes, I was able to figure out, without their help, how to open a manual latch hidden above the door and jump up to safety (elevator was stuck mid-floor). Throughout my stay, one of the two elevators was often out of service. I have photos that show this. After my stay, rather than offer any refund, the host complained about needing to replace the elevator phone, which was broken out of panic, but not by me, but by someone else in the broken elevator during the incident (there is video evidence of this).
- Water issues. Only two of us were staying at the Airbnb, yet we regularly ran out of hot water when taking showers. The host responded by saying, since it's hot in Rio, people don't take showers with hot water.” This is not only false (friends staying at other Airbnbs had hot water just fine), but also totally unacceptable for an Airbnb at this price.
- AC issues. The bedroom air conditioner does not properly modulate temperature, so it is either extremely cold or extremely hot (despite changing the temperature on the remote control). When I told the host about this issue, she responded just by saying the AC was new and that couldn’t be the case.
- Linen issues. Several linens were soiled when I arrived. The mattress cover had rips and stains, the mattress was dirty, and there were no pillow protectors. I have photos that show this. When I told the host, she responded by telling me I was lying and that I caused these problems.
- Other minor nuisances (that I normally wouldn’t even bother to mention, and would still give 5 stars in spite of, but will note in the context of the other above problems): Electrical issues - multiple outlets did not work properly. The hair dryer broke after 10 seconds of use. Wi-fi went down during my stay. Given all of the other major issues and the rude and unhelpful responses from the host, I did not even bother bringing these other issues to her attention.
- Host. It should now go without saying that the host was both rude and unhelpful. Rather than offer any level of refund, apologize, or even just offer helpful solutions, the host generally responded to my concerns by claiming I was lying.
I strongly discourage you from staying here. There are other Airbnbs in the area that are safer and have significantly better value. Again, it's just not worth the risk.