TLDR: overall positive experience. great jumping off point for a quick Madrid trip, but would not recommend for an extended stay.
i stayed solo in josé’s apartment for three months this summer, and my feelings are mixed. i’d like to consider myself a fairly low maintenance traveler/guest, and the apartment definitely hit all the essentials for a place to stay. however, it definitely didn’t shine.
check in was easy and josé’s friend who met me to let me in was very sweet and helpful. however, the apartment was not very clean. it wasn’t necessarily dirty, but it looked like someone had cleaned it several months ago, left in a rush, and never came back. there was a thick layer of dust over almost everything, all of the cleaning rags were dirty, no all-purpose cleaner, etc.
the location is unbeatable. la latina is magical, and the entire center of the city is within walking distance. i barely took the metro, because ease of access was a 10/10. great spot for nightlife, restaurants, cafes, plaza chilling, and el rastro on sundays (it’s literally down the street)! perfect for those looking for a spot to sleep in between being out all day and night.
all of the amenities worked great, and the washer was a huuuuge help to have in unit. it’s definitely a tight space (especially for a 6’2”/1.9m guy) but that’s kinda advertised on the listing, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. the futon was a huge help to have for guests, and there were never any guesses about hot water.
the kitchen supplies were extremely limited. if you’re trying to cook, this is not the place for an even semi-elaborate meal. there is one single-burner induction hot plate, a microwave, and a small fridge (with a tiny half-functioning freezer), but no oven. the pots and pans were largely in bad shape, and a ton of essential tools for the most basic meals were not there when i arrived (cutting board, scissors, pasta strainer, etc). some of these missing things i bought myself, and some of them josé kindly sent over at a later date. he even sent some better pots and pans without me asking.
the bedroom/living room of the apartment is literally directly inside the door to the street, and the noise levels are high. coming from NYC, i’m really tolerant of street noise, but there was construction on the block *CONSTANTLY* throughout the entire summer. like almost every single day. many days, it was so glaringly loud and wall-shaking that the apartment was unusable all morning and into the evening. as someone who works remotely, this was unacceptable. and although communicative, josé was unwilling to help since the construction was outside the building.
lastly, no one could find the apartment. i only successfully received one of my several packages i tried to get delivered. food couriers couldn’t find the door. and when i suggested to josé that he add a larger street number indicator to the front gate, he shrugged it off.
overall: a great spot for a quick trip (a few days up to two weeks), but not for remote workers or people who want a comfy home in Madrid for a while. there’s no desk or designated work space, not much to cook with, and not a lot space to stretch out.