I loved the apartment's layout -- a one bedroom apartment with a kitchen, a livingroom, a dining area, a bathroom, and a balcony with a view of the Jesus statue AND the beach. The location is great, too, one block from Leblon's beach and near a bus transfer point. The staff is friendly, multi-lingual (it helps to know some spanish), and willing to help (they called different pharmacies for me when I was ill to find the right medication). But... the apartment was very dated. The furnishings need some love and attention, as they haven't been touched in years and years. The maid service was always friendly (fresh towels daily, apt picked up/beds made, kitchen wiped down, trash taken out), but the carpet in our unit was so filthy that the bottoms of our feet turned black after (literally) 15 minutes of walking on it. We wore shoes anytime we weren't in the shower. The breakfast buffet is a great spread. No one goes to the pool since the beach is so close, and the exercise room is a joke. The price is better than many of the boutique hotels though, and the same as many run-of-the-mill ones. We did save a bunch of money by eating breakfasts and lunches in.