Our stay with Maria was unforgettable. Within a few-minute-walk to the Prado, Thyssen, Botanical Garden, El Retiro Park, Circulo de Bellas Artes and more, Maria's delightful home is a prelude to the best that Madrid has to offer culturally, artistically and leisurely. More important, however, is the innate generosity and warmth with which our host received & took care of us all throughout our stay: with clean towels every day, fresh fruit, biscuits, tea and coffee, tailored recommendations, free use of the well-equipped kitchen, a wake-up knock on the door to make sure we wouldn't miss an early morning meeting and a clean & tidy room with natural materials and some engrossing books to go back to every day -- we felt welcome and very much at home. For us, Maria's hospitality was unsurpassed; it was a garden unto itself.