I am almost afraid to say how much we enjoyed staying at Gorete’s apartment. We spent over two weeks here at the end of November / beginning of December.
To start, the location is great. Chueca is one of the most central neighborhoods of Madrid. Although it is busy and lively, the street of the apartment is quiet. It is also only steps away from Gran Vía, the Plaza de Chueca (with metro station) and the Mercado de San Antón.
The apartment is on the second floor and faces the street with huge windows and a small terrace. The amount of light that comes in is wonderful and the bright interior of the apartment makes it feel very spacious. The central heating works very well although we didn’t even need it most of the time with all the light. It was winter so we did not try the air conditioner. EVERYTHING has been redone and renovated within the last year.
The bed is very comfortable, the sheets and towels are top quality. The pillows are also great. We didn’t use the sofa bed but it is comfortable as a couch. The kitchen has everything including a microwave, dishwasher and washer-dryer, and a full set of plates, cooking utensils, everything... I think even more than in my own house. The bathroom is large and modern with both hand-held and overhead showers. There is more than enough storage space and closets.
The apartment is spotlessly clean - and Gorete and Alicia will even arrange to come in and clean during your stay. That was a great treat! Alicia even left a poinsettia / flor de Pascua plant as a surprise. It was beautiful, cheery and very thoughtful.
I’ve saved the best for last, which is Gorete herself. We were able to meet in person and I have to say that she is one of the sweetest and most genuine people I have ever met. Even from her first conversations before booking the apartment, I felt like we already knew each other. She is extremely responsive and between her and Alicia there is absolutely nothing that is lacking in the AirBNB. After just a short time, I felt like I was staying in the apartment of a friend, and not in an anonymous lodging. She truly cares about her apartments and her guests and has gone to great lengths to take care of the properties as if she were living in them herself. I left Madrid this time knowing that I have gained a new friend.
Like I said at the beginning, I am hesitant to describe how good the experience was - on the one hand I want Gorete to have all the success in the world... on the other, I want to be able to come back and not have the apartment already booked!
If you are looking to stay in Chueca, don’t look any farther. Contact Gorete and try to stay here. It’s the best AirBNB I have ever stayed in.