THE HOST
Elisa is lovely and we had a bit to talk about. She makes an effort to offer you a comfortable stay and I enjoyed all my interactions with her. Elisa's housemate, Carla, while doesn't speak English is also lovely and welcoming. This is a nice to know for solo female travelers.
THE ROOM & SPACE
The room is as described in the listing for the most part. There are even small amenities (toothbrush, some toiletries) for the guests in the room which is a really nice touch. Elisa does make every effort to create a nice environment for her guests, including setting up tea/coffee, fruit and biscuits for breakfast. However the walls are super thin so if anyone is in the kitchen or living space, you will hear everything - something to consider for light sleepers. It also means that you need to be conscious of your noise levels (listening to music, talking on the phone etc.) for the adjacent rooms. While this is not a make or break, it's worth setting the expectations (as it's not apparent in the photos) the apartment is not very spacious and the toilet/ shower that is available for guests is actually super small and hard to move in or get in and out of.
LOCATION
The apartment is in a great location - Gracia, an area full of local studio-boutiques and lots of designer maker spaces. It isn't full of tourist and big brand chains but is close enough to get to most of the touristy areas and sites but just far enough that it's not crowded and rowdy. Elisa's place is a 2-3min walk to Joanic (L4) metro and a 15-20min walk to Diagonal (L3) metro making it very convenient to get to most places in Barcelona.
Overall, while the place itself wouldn't be my top choice, Elisa and the location made up for it.