Alfonso is the quintessential Airbnb host and his place as close to the original Airbnb philosophy as it gets: he hasn’t started a business on Airbnb’s back, but just rents an extra room he doesn’t use -and makes you feel right at home in the process.
His apartment is wonderfully located, near Atocha train station and some of the major museums in town, but also to some flavorful neighborhoods such as Lavapiés or “el barrio de las Letras”. Nearby you will find all kinds of bars, restaurants, supermarkets and shops -as well as the Price Theater and Circus.
The room is nice and well decorated, with plenty of space for your personal belongings. There is no air conditioning (keep that in mind should that be an issue for you) but you can sleep with the balcony open and hear not a single noise (nor fear for mosquitoes) -and the provided fan proved enough for me to sleep comfortably for two nights even in the middle of a heat wave.
Alfonso is personable and a great conversationalist. We had a couple of long conversations and I enjoyed learning from his experiences and points of view... one of them over the great breakfast he prepared for me.
I wanted to book his room again for a weekend I will be spending in Madrid in the fall, but he was already booked -so take that opportunity if you can for your stay in the city. #recommended