When I go to Rio I either get an apartment from
Rio's Finest who has some great apartments. Or I stay at the Princess Copacabana or the Visconti in Ipanema. Both are girl friendly. The Marriot is too but unless you have Marriot points it is really expensive. Best place to exchange money and hang out is Blame It On Rio 4 Travel
Blame it On Rio 4 Travel Their apartments are not that great but they really shine on getting you reservations at the Princess and picking you up at the airport and exhanging money. Right in the heart of the Copa area.
As for girls I like to hit Balcony Bar at night. $200 RL seems to be the norm. As for termas I like Centaurus in Ipanema and 4 X 4 or 65 downtown. Breaks my heart that L'Uomo closed.
If you are going to us an ATM be sure to call your bank or credit card company before hand and let them know you will be in Rio. The last time I was there I tried my bank card and it did not work. Since the apartment had WiFi I used TruPhone to do a VOP call and called the Bank and I was good to go in 5 minutes.
Have a friend that owns an apartment in Rio and rents it out so if you are still looking PM me and I'll give you contact info.
Also a great place to find apartments is the web site Vacation Rental By Owners or
www.vrbo.com