I couldn't have felt more at home or comfortable with Antonio and his lovely Mum. They made me feel very welcome, and free to come and go with no fuss at all. The flat is spacious, with everything you might need, and the room was simple but comfortable, with great pillows. The hanging garden is a nice feature. My only comment would be that I could have done with a comfy chair in the room - the one there was a bit fragile, and since the bed is set away from the wall, there was nowhere to sit and lean back.

Antonio has a real gift for hospitality, and has thought of everything, including lots of nice touches, like a carafe of ice cold water on arrival. He was a fantastic host, one of the best I've come across.

There is a building site next door, but it wasn't a problem while I was there, and there are earplugs in the room just in case.

The flat is in a great street in Botafogo, a couple of blocks from the metro and from the beach. Antonio recommended breakfast at the Zona Sul supermarket just round the corner, and he was right - it's fantastic.