Our group of 4 traveled in September for a five-day stay in Barcelona and we LOVED staying in this apartment. I would not hesitate recommending it. As others have noted, Julia is a fantastic host. You are greeted with champagne and a homemade breakfast. The kitchen is stocked with espresso (which we made full use of and then restocked). The local cell phones she provides came in handy more than once - we called Julia a couple times and she answered or returned the call promptly. The accommodations are lovely. I've read from some that the beds are hard, but for me the bed and the pillows were fantastic, and I am picky. Having the kitchen was very convenient. We stocked up with breakfast items, cheeses, breads and wine. This not only saved money and time, but was a nice change from restaurants. There is a market right across the street for basics, and a shop on the same corner where you can pick up single servings of pasta dishes, nice meats and cheeses. The back patio was lovely. After a long day of day tours or walking the city, we kicked back with a glass of wine and charted out the next day's plan, and even had an al fresco supper a couple of times. Those staying in the bedrooms facing the street did experience a little noise, but not enough that they complained. My room was in the back, facing the patio. It was very quiet. The middle rooms were fine as well, though one of group did complain of noise coming from the other apartments. Her room was adjacent to the laundry which is actually located just outside the half bath, and if you look up you can see windows of other apartments. I think this open area amplified the noise a bit. Regardless, having the laundry was another great thing. Barcelona was only the first part of our trip, so being able to do a few loads before we headed out to the next city was fantastic. The bathrooms were great, and once again, Julia has stocked them with some essentials. The flat irons and the hair dryers were definitely used and are good ones. The bath with the shower/tub combo is the one we all ended up using for showers, while the other full bath and 1/2 bath allowed us all to have a our own "get ready to go" and "get ready for bed" station. The apartment is also stocked with Fodor's and other guidebooks on Barcelona, so you can leave yours at home. The location is ideal. In Eixample, you are away from all the noise and the crush of humanity of Las Ramblas/ Gothic quarter and is the district to see all the famous modernist architecture. Metros are within walking distance, so getting around the city is easy. If you are planning a trip to Barcelona - stay here.