In this review I’m going to try to be as objective as possible, although my experience here was not very good. I was scheduled to live at Max’s place for 2 months but I left after only about a week because for me it was unlivable. I suggest reading this whole thing, even if it’s long, to get a real understanding of the good and the bad of this place.
I will start with the good. Max lives in my favourite neighbourhood of Barcelona so far, El Born. The location is amazing. The apartment is in a very old building at the top floor (get ready for lots of stairs), but the apartment in itself is renovated and trendy. The kitchen is a good size to make a good meal and the living space is open concept. The room has tons of natural light, the bed is comfortable, there’s a small desk for working and lots of storage space. The room was clean. No complaints about the quality of the room, quite honestly! Especially for the location and price, thumbs up.
The problems start with the rest of the apartment and Max’s general behaviour. First, the apartment is not as spotless as in the photos. Upon arrival, the bathroom was dirty and grimy, the kitchen wasn’t super clean, and the living room blinds are closed at all times so there’s no natural light. The top terrace is just a junkyard, there is no hammock. It is not inviting at all. For now, Max is not working because of an injury so he spends the vast majority of his time in the dark living room, playing video games, watching really loud TV, smoking marijuana, or listening to loud music. So unless that is your vibe, it’s not really a space you can have access to. I personally did not feel at home anywhere in the apartment but my own room.
Max is nice enough and tried to make conversation. He got me a space heater as the nights were a little chilly, and shared some food with me at times. However, this didn’t make up for the overall noise that he made during my stay, which is the reason that I left. It was never peaceful in the apartment, except when Max was sleeping. Loud music at all times of the day, so loud I had to put earplugs on in my room in the daytime. Loud video games, even at night. The gunshots of the video games woke me up several nights. And lots of marijuana smoking, which I'm honestly usually quite okay with every now and then, but It did get to me that the place smelled like weed all day every day.
If you’re coming to Barcelona for just a few days to party, I would say this place is an awesome fit. Although I considered him inconsiderate , Max is an easygoing guy who knows Barcelona well, and he’ll probably be happy to suggest some cool spots. If staying up late is your thing, you’ll like it here. As I said, the room is awesome. However, I would urge anyone with a quieter lifestyle wanting to stay for an extended period of time to find a quieter place.