My boyfriend and I stayed at Marlen's place while visiting Madrid for the first time and we LOVED it. The apartment is exactly like the pictures, we knew just what to expect when we got there. It was in the absolute best location - so close to restaurants, bars, the city center, museums etc. We did not have to take a cab or public transport the entire time we were there to see anything within the city center. Marlen responds within 1 minute to any emails so if you are traveling internationally and just have wifi, you can reach her easily. The check- in was seamless and Marlen was always willing to offer suggestions about what to do/what to see/ restaurants etc. We will definitely be staying there again, we truly loved the apartment and loved Madrid!
Two things worth mentioning:
1. I had read in previous reviews about the a lot of noise in the apartment because of a bar/restaurant underneath. The bedroom sits directly on top of a bar/restaurant that does get quite loud over the weekends, until about midnight/1AM. The apartment is also on the 1st floor (1 floor off the street) and with the balcony, you can hear the noise outside all the time. We did not mind this, but it is something worth mentioning.
2. When we got there, we were told that the hot water tank is very small and that the showers can only be 10 minutes long until the water tank must fill up again (1 hour until that happens). However, after a few showers, we realized that the hot water lasts about 5 minutes (at the very most). Again, not a big deal for us, we will stay there again, but just something worth thinking about it if you like long hot showers or are staying there with more than 1 other person in regards to timing.