I didn’t get to meet Marcio, but one of my companions thought he was “cute”. His wife is charming, and so honest and helpful that when we left, she raced out to give us something we had left behind. The apartment is clean and comfortable. The in the height of summer, the 2 showers and the washing machine were an advantage over a hotel. Both bedsroom are proper doubles.
The location is the best part. The metro entrance is opposite the front door. If you are too late for the metro (11:00), The simple phase “Botafogo Metro” takes you right to it for about R$25 from the city centre. Surrounded by local food shops bars and restaurants, without being a tourist bazaar. It’s not a dangerous area, despite what you might have read about Rio. The local people seem harmless enough. I don’t think they even acknowledged us strangers. The entrance apartment itself is controlled by doormen 24hrs.
The only thing that detracts from the apartment is the street noise after 6 in the morning. In summer you have to choose between an open window, or the slightly noisy air-conditioning. It’s no one’s fault. It probably only matters if you have late nights and need to cram sleep.
I recommend it and wish we could visit again.