Diogo made us feel very welcome in Rio. First, he was very accommodating with both our check-in and check-out, which was important because our flight arrived in Rio very early and left very late.

The description of the apartment was accurate. We really enjoyed the privacy and security afforded by the penthouse room. The apartment itself is located within a hotel complex, and the penthouse is on the top floor with a view to Sugarloaf Mountain. Also, we had access to the hotel's amenities and there was a cleaning service that tidied up our room every day. In addition, Diogo's penthouse is well-appointed and homey: his kitchen had all that we needed, his bed was comfortable, and he let us use his Netflix account and nespresso machine. He even provided us with chocolates upon our arrival! We enjoyed spending our nights hanging out on the patio, plotting our next adventures, and drinking wine and eating snacks from the neighborhood supermarket. In short, this apartment provided all of the benefits of staying at a hotel, while also offering the additional space and privacy of a fully-appointed apartment.

As for the neighborhood, we highly recommend Botafogo for your stay. It is centrally located and is a short subway ride from most places in the city. It is also very residential and not filled with many tourists, which made it a nice respite in the evening. There are numerous drug stores, supermarkets, and restaurants within walking distance as well, which we greatly appreciated.

All in all, our stay at Diogo's apartment was a perfect introduction to Rio and all it had to offer. It was stress-free, comfortable, and offered great value and convenience. We highly recommend it.