Noella was easy to communicate with via text and email and very responsive, even when we changed our arrival time three times due to travel delays. The apartment was beautiful and clean and well represented by the pictures. It was very challenging to find, even thought she sent a map ahead of time. There are a lot of one way streets and even using GPS, we were directed to the wrong location. I finally called her to tell her we were lost, hoping for verbal directions, but even though her English was pretty good, she didn't understand--just kept asking when we would arrive.
It may have been helpful to let foreigners know that you were able to park on the sidewalk (with hazard lights) to drop off luggage. We did it anyway, but were concerned with what would happen.
The parking lot for the car was also difficult to find, again because of the one way streets. Walking directions are straightforward, but driving is another story. However, Noella made an effort to find us a lot that was half the price of the others in the same area even thought it was five blocks away.
The area seemed very safe. There was a grocery store across the street and several restaurants. It is within walking distance of La Ramblas and other tourist locations. Taxis are easy to flag down for longer trips from the adjacent main road.
Even taxi drivers struggled with getting to the apartment. The ones we used had driven in Barcelona from 10 to 37 years and were still pulling over and asking directions from locals. The easiest way to map directions was to search for Bar Mantra, which was next door.
In retrospect, we should have taken the rental car back and just used public transportation, taxis and walking to get around the city. It would have saved a lot of frustration.
It was nice to have a washing machine available. Noella gave clear instructions on its use and we had no challenges.
Even with the air conditioning on, the bedrooms were still stuffy at night, but we were there during a hot spell, so it may have just been extreme weather.
The wifi was easy to connect to and super fast! This was helpful for uploading pictures each night.
All in all, it was a lovely stay. The beds were comfortable, the appliances new and easy to operate and the neighborhood (while a little noisy) was safe. I would recommend staying at this location if you are coming to Barcelona for a visit in the near future. Thank you, Noella.