The only thing better then Sergio's penthouse was Sergio himself!
My girlfriend and I stayed at the penthouse, located on the second floor of his home, when we came to Rio to celebrate New Years.
Our flight arrived early in the morning on our check-in day (New Years Eve), but Sergio did not mind having us check-in first thing. When we arrived, we were greeted with drinks and homemade snacks! He then offered to give us all of the pro-tips about making the most of our time in Rio, and we were glad to accept.
Because the penthouse is located on top of the apartment where he lives, you pass through his living room toward some stairs in a patio area. Despite this, we still felt like we had all the privacy we needed. Sergio is very kind and welcoming and always greeted us with a smile and warm conversation, while at the same time he consciously makes an effort to preserve his guests' privacy.
The space is lovely, the views of the surrounding mountains are superb (you can see the famous Redeemer statue from the bed!), and pool was refreshing.
If you plan on spending time in Rio, and happen to come across Sergio's place on airbnb, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
One last thing...leading up to our check-out day, Sergio offered to see us off by teaching us how to make caipirinhas. However, that night/morning I became quite sick (after getting caught in the rain in a tank top). The next day, Sergio instead provided me with some medicine he had purchased, and I was back in good health the day after that!
Thank you again Sergio!!!