I stayed with Marcelo in a separate apartment above the garage in his home in Rio recently. The apartment is accessible by an old elevator. The house has tons of colonial charm, from the gardens to the windows to the pool.
The neighborhood is equally charming....with lovely cobblestone streets and a fantastic view of the surrounding hills and bay. It is also convenient to the subway...very centrally located, and walking distance to Lapa and downtown.

But the best thing about the place is Marcelo! He picked me up from the airport against my protests and immediately gave me a tour of beautiful parts of the city, explaining and orienting me along the way. This initial tour took about 3 hours! He and his wife invited me to brunch that weekend and he remained consistently accommodating and available throughout my stay.

I doubt if you can find a better host in Rio. In fact, I hesitate to write this because it may mean that I can get a reservation when I return!

Thanks Marcelo!

James