The building is clearly an old hotel, which is fine, but if you are looking for the more homey side of AirBnb with a personal touch, this isn't it. If you are just looking for a good home base for exploring Madrid and don't care that much about comfort, then this place is for you.
It's situated between two metro stops which gives you access to 3 separate lines, so it is super easy to get wherever you want to go, plus it's only a few minutes from Gran Via. As far as location, it's fantastic.
Check-in was easy, though without any kind of personal interaction or special touches that set the great hosts apart from the okay ones.
The AC was fantastic and it was able to easily get the place down to 18c, which should be cool enough for pretty much anyone. The kitchen stove worked well for making coffee and there were the bare necessities included if you want to make a meal. The washer works but is tiny and does not double as a dryer, which we weren't aware of, but that was not the host's fault as I misread the listing, though it doesn't help that AirBnb sometimes includes results that are close to your search filters instead of matching exactly and it doesn't do a job of conveying that (currently).
One thing that the listing stretches the truth about is the noise. The unit is not what I would consider quiet. Between construction noises starting at 8am, garbage trucks that sound like they are right outside the window at 2am, doors slamming, and the sound of the neighbors rifling through their closet (yes, you can hear the hangars sliding across the bar), it can get very loud. I had brought earplugs just in case, but had to step it up to a white noise generator on my phone and earphones to get to sleep, especially if I wanted an afternoon ciesta.
The bed was acceptable, but it's two smaller beds shoved together, which apparently isn't uncommon in the area. The problem is that they weren't tied together in any way and one evening they drifted apart and my leg fell through. Also, the sheets that are on the bed aren't really big enough, so you better hope that your partner isn't a sheet hog.
The last major issue was the shower. If you look at the pictures and wonder what the secret is to not getting water all over the floor, then I will tell you: the secret is that you always get water on the floor. If you don't believe me now, then you will when you see the wood rot that is creeping up the bathroom door jamb, trim, and even the door itself. While the water pressure is fantastic, you can't take advantage of it because if you turn it even a little high, the shower head moves and starts spraying the wall behind you and makes a huge mess. If you leave it low enough to not do that then the gap under the glass divider will do nothing to keep the floor dry either. Luckily, they leave you a mop because you are going to need it, but nothing has made me want to buy a shower curtain more than that shower.