Overall great stay in this freshly renovated apartment. A few key points:
Location – this is the perfect neighborhood for a first trip or a quick trip to Madrid, and we have stayed in this area numerous times. You are within walking distance to many main sights (Plaza Mayor, Palacio Real, Reina Sofia, Prado, and Cava Baja for tapa hopping if you tire of the good options right at your doorstep) and 5 minutes to Sol which has a large department store (El Corte Ingles) with a supermarket if you don’t find what you need in the nearby shops plus access to multiple Metro lines. There are many great places to have a drink and/or a bite to eat nearby. One of our favorite places to start the evening or pass some time in the afternoon is La Fragua del Vulcano, just down the pedestrian alley across from the apartment on the way to Plaza Santa Ana. Order a small beer or a vermouth and your friendly bartender or server will bring you a small tapa to enjoy with it. Some of the friendliest staff in Madrid. Many, many choices in the neighborhood, including spots that are right in front of the apartment in the small almost-plaza created by the intersection of two streets (La Tia Cebolla, La Abuela, and Las Bravas – where you MUST order some patatas bravas). A slight downside: that same little almost-plaza can be particularly noisy at night, so note that if you are a light sleeper. It’s a lively neighborhood anyway, and this intersection seemed noisier than others.
Features – The apartment is as represented in the photos. It is very fresh and was perfectly clean on our visit (thanks to Fran who cleaned it quickly so we could get settled in as soon as possible after the previous guests departed - Gracias, Fran!) We enjoyed quite comfortable beds and very good pillows – better than many we have experienced in Europe. Windows are large and new (I loved having a bright apartment and a view) and are a great help at shutting out much of the street noise mentioned above. The bathroom is fairly small, but the shower is GLORIOUS. The water pressure is fantastic and we never had a concern about running out of hot water. We had amazing weather on our stay (mid-70s in early March) and had no need for heat or air conditioning, so I can’t comment on that.
Communication/Host – We found communication with Gius and Fran fast, friendly, and efficient. We communicated in Spanish. They were very helpful working around our arrival time. I would definitely recommend this apartment and thought it was very good value for what it offered.