Perfect apartment in a perfect location for a solo traveler, couple or small family (4 or less). Me and my girlfriend stayed at Sam’s apartment for about 7 weeks in the summer. We absolutely loved it. The location in El Born is close to the beach; around the corner from great restaurants and bars like Cal Pep, Paradiso, Bormuth, Dr. Stravinsky; near metro stops and a major train station; and you can walk to pretty much anything from here.
The wifi is super fast (100-300 mbps) and reliable. I worked remotely the entire time and had no issues. Air conditioning is excellent. The beds are comfortable and the apartment is set up in a modern and thoughtful manner. I would stay here again without hesitation or question.
Sam is a great host too. She communicates well, responds quickly and effectively, and has helpful advice when needed or requested. She greets you upon arrival and departure. I thought it was a nice touch and appreciated.
The two issues I found were: (1) the master bedroom will get some street noise from late night partying (Friday and Sat nights in particular), nothing terrible but it could be annoying for light sleepers and those who refuse to sleep with ear plugs. If bothered, I recommend sleeping in the upstairs second bedroom. It’s super quiet, comfortable, and the air conditioning works great; and (2) the 4 flights of stairs you have to walk up to get the the apartment door (i.e., there is no elevator). The first time, with luggage, leaves you a sweaty mess, but you get strong and used to it, and by the end of my stay I had no issues. I would not recommend for elderly people or the frail.
Besides these two issues, the apartment was damn near perfect. I highly, strongly, forcefully, firmly, strenuously (and whatever other adverbs and adjectives I can think of) recommend this apartment to anyone looking to stay in Barcelona.