Belen was a great host, and we loved her home! The location was great - 15 minute walk from the train station or Cibeles Fountain, 10 minutes to the Prado or Reina Sofia, and 25 to the Palace. Close to her home are many great cafes and bars - we LOVED La Sanabresa. She keeps her home very clean, and was incredibly welcoming. Her English is very good, and she loved to practice talking with us!

The bedroom itself is right off of the main living room/kitchen area, so it is private in the sense that the door closes and it's a great sized space that she didn't disturb during our stay, but you can definitely hear conversations/tv from the main room (and probably vice versa). It was not a problem at all for us, but could be for someone who wanted more privacy! Also for Americans who are not used to European clothes washing - she has a washer but uses a clothesline to dry, so make sure to plan for the dry time if you want to do laundry.