I was ready to give up on Airbnb after my first and rather unpleasant stay in the Hague. Then a friend who is a frequent airbnb user shared an insight with me. He told me that there are general two types of airbnb hosts - the professionals and the amateurs. The professionals are the hosts who run their properties like a business. The amateurs are the hosts who happen to have a spare room available and are happy to make some extra cash on the side. My friend's advice was to seek out the airbnb professionals and avoid the amateurs.

Mariano is a professional airbnb host. His super-host designation is well deserved. When I checked in, I complemented Mariano on how his place was exactly like the photos on his listing. He thanked me and quickly pointed out that the photos made his place look bigger than it appeared in the photos. He then lamented that the photos were taken by airbnb with wide-angle lens, but he would rather have more realistic photos instead. To me, this speaks volume about Mariano's characters and professionalism.

Needless to say, my stay with Mariano was fantastic. Whenever I visit Madrid again, I will stay with Mariano without any hesitations.

Thanks again, Mariano, for sharing your lovely apartment with us.