Where do I start with Sergio? An absolute gentleman, and the perfect host for our stay in Rio. He completely exceeded expectations by providing weekly updates for 3 months prior to our visit, letting us know things to do in the city, so we could plan our trip accordingly. He greeted us on arrival and showed us to our room within the penthouse. The penthouse is based 4 blocks from the beach, which is great as it's not too far to walk, but also not too noisy in the evenings. There are close amenities, bars, shops, restaurants and Sergio was a terrific host - showing us around all of them, and even coming to dinner with us on a couple of occasions. From the daily delivery of fruit, to the views of christ the redeemer from the terrace - the whole stay was amazing. Sergio has extensive knowledge of the city and will happily help with suggesting things to do, and will help you book things ( Cristo Redentor / Sugar Loaf etc) as it's easier to do for Portuguese speakers. We stayed 10 nights with sergio, and i can't think of a bad word to say about him - we have genuinely made a friend for life. Neither of us wanted to leave Rio or the apartment and we'll definitely be back in the future. I would strongly recommend Sergio's penthouse to all who want to visit (just make sure you vacate the place for when I want to stay again!)