Marcio and his family were fantastic hosts and they really made us feel at home in Rio De Janeiro. The apartment is in the best location in Rio, right beside Botafogo Metro Station, 1 stop from Copacabana, nearby to Ipanema and also close to Centro and the nightlife in Lapa. Walking distance from Sugarloaf Mountain and Cristo Do Redentor is also very accessible in a short amount of time. Both of these landmarks you can view from the apartment! As for the apartment itself, very comfortable, spacious and well equipped. My girlfriend and I had a very cosy bedroom with big double bed and air conditioning as well as plenty of storage. My other friend was also very happy with his private room and we had two bathrooms to share. The kitchen was very well equipped with a big fridge, good cooker/stove and lots of cooking utensils. Marcio was very helpful throughout the trip - any questions we had about Rio or the apartment he would respond to us by e-mail straight away. Our bus from Salvador arrived a few hours late, however Marcio's mother-in-law was kind enough to wait at the apartment for us to let us in. The Concierge staff are also very friendly and we built up a good rapport with them throughout the stay. They manned the building 24 hours a day and helped us with any problems. Botafogo is a nice safe area - apartment is 5 minutes walk from the bay and also a big shopping centre with lots of stores and eateries. There is also a big supermarket 5 minutes away as well as a street lined with bars and restaurants which had a very good atmosphere when we visited. Marcio and his family were even kind enough to leave a Christmas gift upon arrival as well as recommendations for the city during our stay which was very kind of them. We would definitely contact Marcio again when we return to Rio and I highly recommend people to stay at his apartment.