I didn't meet Mariana, but check in was easy. The location of this apartment is excellent, very central to everything, and it was a very good home base for me for a few days. There are a few places in Porto where you might think you could easily be in any European tourist mecca, but this street and this neighborhood feels so authentically like what I imagine 'old" Portugal was like that it almost breaks my heart. I loved it. The apartment is safe and newly remodeled, although it has a few annoying quirks, which I suspect have much more to do with the age of the building than anything else. Definitely worth a stay.