My friend and I really enjoyed our stay in Gina's apartment during the Carnival holiday. The apartment is comfortable and the AC worked great once we closed the doors to the kitchen. The large refrigerator and the kitchen was useful for quick bites when we didn't want to venture out to get something to eat.
The best aspect of the apartment is the location. It is only blocks from both ipanema and copacabana, a metro stop, many restaurants, and the area seems pretty quiet and safe. There is a doorman during the day and multiple layers of security so there was no worries for our belongings.
In fact, both me and my friend accidentally left things in the apartment like my iPhone and his license and credit card as we hurried to get to the airport. Gina was so helpful and trustworthy that she had a family member bring the phone back to the U.S to mail to me and also was able to mail my friend his belongings in just a week.
It was very easy dealing with her because she speaks English and you can contact her in the US. She is also very good about responding quickly.
The price during carnival compared to a hotel was unbeatable. We hope to head back and rent again for carnival or New Years next year.