I can not say enough great things about Marco or his beautiful apartment in Ipanema. First and foremost the apartment is spacious, luxurious, and in a perfect location, just two blocks from the beach and right in the heart of Ipanema near many of the best bars, restaurants, and shops. For a group of traveling friends, we were six guys, this apartment was truly perfect. The pictures don't do Marco's apartment enough justice, there is plenty of room to hang out, Wi-Fi, cable TV, AC in every room, a beautiful kitchen, and large bathrooms w/shower in each room.

Marco's housekeeper was also very helpful, and though she doesn't speak English (we had one Portuguese speaker) she helped keep things clean around the house for us and was happy to do laundry/towels/sheets in exchange for a for a small fee, $10 per person for the week.

Marco himself was an excellent host. Though he was not present at the time of our stay he was extremely responsive via email and easy to work with. He arranged for us to meet with his sister at check in, a good English speaker and Rio native, she took care of everything flawlessly. She even helped us with keys, and entrance procedures (things are very secure in Rio apartments), helped us with taxi's and local advice. All in all Marco and his constituents were a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend renting from him and his gorgeous apartment in Ipanema.