Hi Petra,

We had a wonderful time,and loved the apartment Paiva 3. It is tastefully furnished in a modern style which suited us, and the complex is very secure and a great location for the beach, for Ipanema etc. The day trip with the taxi which you organised was brilliant. He is quite a character and very informative.

We really had no complaints. We had a lovely time in Leblon, and by coincidence, met a girl in a Manhattan restaurant the following week, whose father lives near your aprtment in Leblon! Small world.

We would not hesitate to recommend the apartment to any of our friends

Very best wishes,

Hi Petra, had a great time in Rio! Oddly, a business/conference trip, but inevitable holiday atmosphere.
Loft Queen Silva lived up to expectations and beyond! It is fabulously beautiful and has all conveniences, even a washing machine. Petra and staff provided impeccable and totally reliable service, and are very patient with jet-lagged arrivals. The building was very secure and friendly, and the neighborhood is lively and has all services. There is even a cell phone to use. Very, very highly recommended!

I recently spent six weeks at the apartment Torre in Ipanema and only have good things to say about my stay there. The apartment is perfectly located close to many restaurants, the beach, and other attractions. It is very clean, well decorated, and in a well managed building. Looked at a few other places before renting this one and the other places definitely did not compare to this well-kept unit. I would definitely stay there again and recommend it to anyone else.

Dear Petra,

Just a short note to thank you once again, and Nick for making Vinicius
available for our stay whilst in Rio. We all had a most enjoyable time
and cherished memories.

Cheers,

I can only recommend this place warmly. The photos don't lie; everything is in top condition (loved the fluffy towels). I loved going to the beach in the morning and evening after my business meetings. Very good value for money.

I stayed at the Amazon Suite in November 2009 and was really pleased with the suite. When I first made my reservation I was a little skeptical and was hoping I would not get ripped off. Before I left I made arrangements with Rio Bay Housing to have a bilingual taxi driver meet me at the airport. The taxi driver that met me at the airport is a nice guy. The Suite is as pictured and is located in the perfect location at one end of the street is the beach and the other is Cocobana Ave. Cocobana Ave reminds me of being on a New York City street. I would definitely stay at the Amazon suite again and you should too you won t be disappointed. 11/13/09 Mark Coles

Hello Petra, I am now back in Sicily and I already have saudade! I’m writing just to thank you once again and to let you know that everything were perfect in the apartment! First of all, Agnes was great with assistance, information and really professional.She was very quick also when I asked to have replaced the toaster  that didn’t work. In the building people were nice and we haven’t had any problem. All the infos provided and found in the apartment was very helpful. Well I hope I’ll be back next year, maybe for a longer time, and surely I’ll recommend Riobayhousing to whoever wish to come to Rio.

Thank you again,

Hello Petra

It's nearly a month ago (dec 2009) that we stayed at your Paiva 3 appartment at the hot spot between Leblon & Ipanema. We loved the location, the style and design of the place - it's hardly to find this kind of a quality place in Rio, especially for this price! I'll certainly get back to you guys when returning to Rio and will recommed it to my friends!

If you have the opportunity to stay in the Amazon Suite, do it, you won't be dissapointed. Many of the properties listed as "Luxury" in Rio do not live up to expectations. Amazon Suite does. Design and decoration are excellent, as is the location. Petra is the perfect manager. If you need anything she takes care of it. If you don't she doesn't bother you. This place is the real deal.

We rented apartment Paiva 1 in Leblon back in June 2009. It was a fantastic bargain and we loved it. The apartment was just as advertised -- cute, comfy, and really quiet. Next time I'm in Rio I will definitely rent from Riobayhousing again. Thanks for everything!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Rio, not least because of the apartment. As you know, we stayed in Leme for a couple of days before moving into Loft Queen Silva and, over the period of our stay, explored the full length of, Leme, Copacabana, Arpoador, Ipanema and Leblon. However, we particularly liked the relaxed neighbourhood where the apartment was in Ipanema. Before going to Rio, we thought that the best kind of place to stay would be on the beach front, but having experienced the place, we now know that both the beach front and the next street back are very busy. The best places to stay are definitely further back again, where there are more bars and restaurants, and the traffic is quieter. As such, the Loft Queen Silva was situated very nicely.

As for the apartment itself, the pictures don’t lie! It was excellent, and the view each morning, across to the ‘Dos Irmaos’ mountain peaks at the end of Ipanema beach and the lake was fantastic.

We loved everything about Rio; the sights, the beaches, the culture and the people, and the reasonably inexpensive cost of living. We’d love to go back and would probably want the same apartment!

All the best,

The Amazon suite has everything you could possibly want for a perfect stay in Rio. The location is perfect! As the description says, not only are you "steps from the beach", but also steps from the market, shopping, bars/ restaurants, subways, taxis, etc. The interior is incredibly clean, safe and secure, and the owner has gone to great lengths to make the suite very contemporary and comfortable with all the amenities a "gringo" could want while travelling abroad. Best of all, Petra and Jeff are fantastic hosts. Both were INCREDIBLY helpful and accommodating from the moment we arrived until we left for the airport to return home. Who needs a concierge?! Considering the location and the amenities included, this has to be one of the best valued suites in the entire city!

I would like to highly recommend Rio Bay Housing. Having stayed in Paiva 2 for almost 1 year now, i can give a fair assessment of the high level of service and professionalism of this company. My husband and I never encountered a problem dealing with this business and any issue we had with maintenance (internet, cable outages, appliances, A/C) were resovled swiftly and easily. the landlord is also very flexible and is not brazilian so there is not as much of that unwavering bureaucratic mentality that can stall even the most simple tasks. she deals with all those nightmarish phone calls to local services so the tenant does not have to do so. she is also willing to make recommendations about travel, local services, tourist activities, etc. we met many of the short-term tenants in the building and they expressed their satisfaction with the service as well. there are no scams, no lies, no excuses with this business. wish there were landlords/rental opportunities like this back home!

Een warm onthaal in dit kleine appartement met wijn en een rustig muziekje op de achtergrond in Rio de Janeiro na een lange reis vanuit Nederland was bijzonder fijn. Nog mooier dan op de foto's en met alle gemakken voorzien om je hier thuis te voelen, maakt het gestijlde appartement in Copabacana een goed uitgangspunt om Copacabana en de rest van Rio de Janeiro te ontdekken. Het appartement ligt enorm dichtbij het strand van Copacabana, het pand wordt bewaakt en het gebouw is gesitueerd in een rustige straat. Een straat verder is een druk verkeerspunt met alle mogelijke (internationale) winkels denkbaar en volop leven dat constant lijkt door te gaan. Zowel de eigenaar (Jeff) als de verhuurder (Rio Bay Housing) waren bijzonder flexibel en in staat om ons verblijf nog aangenamer te maken dan het al was.

I am writing this message right now in an apartment I am renting from Rio Bay Housing. Not only is it legitimate, it is one of the best and efficient services I've received in Rio, and I've been coming here for years.

This is the first time I've rented from Rio Bay Housing, but after arriving here I realized I had met the lady who runs it several years ago through other contacts. (In fact, it turns out that some of her friends are friends of some of my friends.) The world of classy temporary rentals is pretty small in Rio.

I highly recommend Rio Bay Housing!

Dear Petra & Inge,

We would like to thank you for excellent service in organising a short rental for us. The apartment (Paiva 1 in Leblon) was very clean: sincere thanks to the cleaning lady. We would very happily recommend Rio Bay Housing to other clients and would also happily be return clients ourselves some day. Thank you and good luck for the future! 

I stayed in Apartment Torre in Ipanema for the month of May 2011 while working in Rio and couldn’t have chosen a better place to live! The best part about the apartment was its central location and easy access to everything Rio has to offer. It’s a five minute walk to the metro that takes you to Botafogo, Centro, etc., five minutes to the grocery store and shopping along the main strip in Ipanema, five minutes to the beach, and five to Lagoa. The staff are charming and helpful and ensured I had everything I needed during my stay. The apartment itself was beautiful and comfortable. All of my guests would walk in and say “WOW!” They were so impressed with how great my place was. It was clean, everything felt like new, and the kitchen had all the essentials I needed. The rooftop pool was an awesome bonus! Petra and her team at Rio Bay Housing were so friendly, generous, and helpful and made my stay in Rio so easy and straightforward. I will absolutely stay in this apartment again the next time I am back in Rio. I must have looked at 45 places and emailed 25 people and I feel so lucky that I found Apartment Torre. It was one of the best parts about my trip to Rio! 

I cannot thank Rio Bay Housing enough for the wonderful experience I had in Rio (July 2011) and in particular my accommodation in the Amazon Suite. My visit didn't start off great as the airline cancelled my flight and I arrived a day later. I quickly emailed Malou, and it was no problem she arranged for a taxi to pick me up the next day - wonderful service. The suite is exactly like the pictures. Comfortable bed, excellent wifi and 2 blocks from the beach. I felt very safe in the location, which is superb. I will go back to Rio one day, and I will definately use the services of Rio Bay Housing.

I really liked the apartment Copa Princess. It had everything I needed for my stay. Besides, it has a great location: near the beach, supermarkets, and a major shopping mall. I could walk to the post office, to good restaurants, and to the subway station. The building's doormen were extremely nice and helpful. I used the transportation service offered by Rio Bay Housing and it was very good. The driver was waiting for me at the airport; he was very nice and knowledgeable about the city.

Next time I visit Rio, I will definitively rent an apartment through Rio Bay Housing!

Good luck,

Een riant appartement in Leblon, de must-have-been-there wijk van Rio de Janeiro, op twee blokken afstand van het strand van Leblon (dichtbij Ipanema) maakt dit appartement een fijne plek. Voorzien van alle electronica en benodigdheden die mogelijk zijn terwijl je op vakantie bent, maakt dit appartement naast een fijne plek ook een goede uitvalsbasis. Dichtbij het centrum van Leblon, de shoppingcenters, de winkelstraten en restaurants waar je je geen minuut hoeft te vervelen. De service van de verhuurder (Rio Bay Housing) was bijzonder goed en flexibel.

Petra, 
I just wanted to write a quick letter thanking you.  Juliana and I had an amazing time in Rio and a great deal of it had to do with the great apartment we rented from you.  Everything was exactly as we wanted it to be...it couldn't have been more perfect.  The doorman, Sr. Antonio, was so helpful.  When Juliana left, he made sure he found me a cab driver that wasn't going to rip me off...he was even able to find a driver that spoke a little English.  Great guy!!
Next time I am in Rio, I will certainly give you a buzz. 

Hi Petra,

A bit overdue but a note to say thanks for the accommodation. It was great...To lie in bed and look out over that view was tremendous and so close to the lake and the beach!

The Pousada Naturalia in Ille Grande was lovely ...again...thanks so you so much for the recommendation. We had a truly great holiday and it’s so sad to read about the terrible floods out there at the moment.

I would happily recommend your place to anyone staying at Ipanema. Mt short time on the beach there was still the highlight of my trip!

Cheers

We do not usually write holiday reviews but we wanted share the secret of this great holiday apartment in Rio. Location - was really very good. At end of a quiet and safe street in Ipanema. 5 mins to beach (posto 8-9) as well as to plenty of restaurants and bars. Safety - was a concern for us on our first trip to Brazil but area and building felt very safe and friendly. A doorman is on duty 24 hours a day. Apartment itself - probably the best holiday rental we have stayed in. Views are every bit as good as the photos suggest. Apartment is bigger than it looks in the photos. High standard with all that you need for a comfortable stay (including laundry, good wireless internet connection, mobile/cell phone) Service. The owner (Petra) met us at the apartment with genuine warmth and a desire to make our stay in Rio a good one. She listened and offered good advice on restaurants, bars, massages, tours etc. She responded quickly to any queries we had and even booked some tours on our behalf which was much appreciated. Overall a great stay - thank you!! Paul and Chris

I stayed here for my birthday for a few days (11/05-11/08). This apartment was wonderful. It was very cozy and away from the buzz. I enjoyed the beautiful Copacabana beach within a few 100 yards, Mamboed the night away and escaped to this quiet cove to be rejuvinated. There is a 24 hour grocery store very close and an American CitiBank ATM within walking distance. If you are in Rio this is a very convenient and secure location.

Hi Inge, 

We had a great time in Rio! We are already planning to come back soon :) The apartment was great, just what we imagined and just as described in the pictures online. From the booking process, easy payment to the key handover everything went smooth. The apartment is located in a convenient spot in the city near busstation and metro. (You actually really wake up with the view of the Pao de Azucar). Taking the usual precautions when travelling we felt save at all times despite the bad reputation Rio seems to get abroad. Thanks to Riobayhousing for the great vacation, we will definitly recommend you to friends & family members travelling to Rio De Janeiro.

Queen Silva Loft is ideally located just off of the Farme de Amoedo, on the 10^th floor of a secure apartment block. We stayed in the apartment in late November 2009 and had a fantastic time. The apartment is finished to a high standard with fantastic views across Ipanema and is very relaxing to come back from the beach and relax with a cool drink from the kitchen and admire the views. Based on location, security and quality, I would happily recommend the apartment for anyone looking for a place to stay in Rio. 

Many thanks,

Hi Petra,

It's taken me a while to come down from my Rio high, I'm now in the depression stage of my recovery and heading for acceptance. We all had a fantastic time in Rio and this was helped by our stay at Torre 5. Please pass on our thanks to Inge for her help and recommendations. Of all the places that we ate in during our trip to South America, be it Buenos Aires, Iguazu and Rio, Aprazivel restaurant was the most memorable (believe me, we did a lot of eating). We have already begun tentative plans to return for either New Year or Carnival. We will be in touch! Thanks once again for your hospitality.

I stayed in two different Rio Bay Housing apartments in August 2009. Petra and her staff were very helpful and everything was delivered as promised. The Amazon Suite was very nice and close to the beach at Copacobana. Paiva 1 was in Leblon and had many restaurants, stores and a shopping mall nearby. I would not hesitate to use Rio Bay Housing again.

For the price you pay for the apartment, the location, the view (impressive), and comfort of having your own space, there is no comparison between staying at this studio vs. a hotel or hostel. My husband and I stayed at the apartment for New Years 2010 and had the most amazing experience. First of all, we arranged the rental last minute (literally the night before new years eve....crazy) and were able to check-in the next day! Shalev, Melissa, and Petra were all so helpful with suggestions and information about getting around. The apartment is great, better than we expected. It is air-conditioned, fully furnished (towels, linens, microwave, tv, internet and more!) and perfectly designed (loft style bed) so that the small size of the apartment seems much larger than it really is. For two people it is perfect. And for 4 people looking to save a few pennies, not a bad option for short stays. the neighborhood is excellent. There is a juice spot right downstairs that is open 24 hours and always has lots of customers (a good sign), great for a quick breakfast smoothie or a late night snack. There is a shopping mall one block away. A grocery store a few minutes away. And a great independent theater, bookstore, and great cafes minutes from the building. The metro is located just a few blocks away. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are just a few stops away. You can actually walk to Copacabana if you like. We did for New Years and it was great. The apartment is centrally located so everything is within a few stops away on the metro, which runs frequently. What else can I say except...we had a wonderful time in Rio and staying at this apartment made the trip even better! It's nice to be able to feel "at home" while on holiday.