Paola is a helpful, friendly host who makes you feel welcome and comfortable. She was a help in recommending places to eat, things to see (including a once-a-month 'flea market'), advice on getting around Madrid (mostly we walked), and how best to get to/from the airport. Her English is excellent, with a sprinkling of Italian and Spanish overtones. She cares about getting to know and learn from her guests and about sharing some of her own story, without over-doing it. She also helped us do a load of laundry which we appreciated.
The description of her room is pretty accurate, and the apartment is close to everything in central Madrid. The bed is very comfortable for two people, and the room was clean. Lovely to have a small balcony with early morning sunlight. Bring earplugs as there is late night noise from the street below. Also, check your iPhone or iPad settings for wi-fi Internet connection. I had trouble connecting my iPhone6 in the apartment, but not at the Apple Store nearby. Apple 'geniuses' couldn't solve the problem. Has to do with incompatible port setting and Internet protocol. Also had trouble in several wi-fi cafes, bars and restaurants, so it wasn't just a problem with Paola's Internet wi-fi setup. Finally, there is a 50 euro key deposit which you get back when leaving. If it is your last day before flying back to the USA, better figure what to do with this euro cash...spend it at the Duty Free in the airport?
Thank you Paola for making our stay enjoyable and memorable.