My girlfriend and I had a great long weekend at Madrid, also thanks to our stay at Mariano's place. His apartment looks like it does in the pictures (very cosy and arty), so there were no unpleasant surprises. The only little criticism we could have is that the bed was on the small side for two people (a little bit smaller than Queen size). The room did have rolling shutters, which I think is a big plus for those who need complete darkness to sleep.

The apartment is situated in the nice neighborhood of La Latina, with a lot of art and antiques dealers nearby. I would recommend the El Rastro market, which is held every Sunday from 9am to 3pm and starts at 50m from Mariano's place. A metro stop at 100m from his door makes for an easy way to travel throughout the city, although it's also feasible on foot.

We didn't see a lot of Mariano as he was away for the weekend and working during the day, but the one time we did have time to talk with him he made a great recommendation for a delicious restaurant 3 minutes away (el Bus).

Overall a very positive experience!