I will start from the end... On our last day, we were informed that our flight was delayed by 2 hours. Even though the apartment was booked for new people, Maria made every effort to help us out so that we didn't have to spend 2 extra hours at the airport. I don't take it for granted. She ordered and reordered the driver for us, and had so much patience with our requests. I do recommend that if you are 4 or more people, take Maria up on her offer to get the driver to pick you up from the airport. It's not more than public transport would cost and it's so convenient.
The apartment itself is a gem. The location is absolutely fantastic! It's a 2 minute walk from Placa Catalunya and the Ramblas, and you can easily walk to the Gothic Quarter from there. There is great shopping on the same street too. The area borders the Ciutat Vella and Eixample district, which have wonderful restaurants and a much more local feel than the Gothic Quarter and Ramblas. We discovered a small area in the Eixample about a 5 minute walk away, on the junction of the Carrer d'Enric Granados and Carrer del Consel de Cent with the most wonderful restaurants, and great gelato and brunch places. Check it out! Closer by in the Cuitat Vella we stumbled on the El Club de la Hamburguesa on Calle de Valldonzella, which serves the best burgers you can find, at excellent prices - it's perfect for those evenings when your feet hurt so much after walking around this fantastic city all day, and you don't want to walk to far to eat.
The actual apartment is spotlessly clean, generous is size with three big and comfortable double bedrooms and three bathrooms, a generous living area with everything you need for a very comfortable stay. The beds were very comfortable. In spite of being on a relatively busy street, the apartment is quiet at night - we slept very well. It was well equipped with washer and dryer and additional linens.
We have often rented in city centers and usually we compromise to get a good location. In this case, there was no compromise - we had the perfect combination of outstanding location and a wonderful apartment.
I cannot recommend this apartment enough!!