I am afraid I cannot recommend a stay in Alejandro’s place for one simple reason: he’s eliminated the air conditioner. The issue in Alejandro’s place is not even one of temperature – the apartment is located below the ground floor and therefore stays relatively cool. The problem is that the lack of A/C requires you to open the windows, which exposes you to a myriad of different noises that occur in the apartment building that begin around 7am, and continue throughout the day end evening. Any noises, from opening and closing doors, televisions, conversations, and other air conditioner units, are amplified by the tall walls of the enclosed courtyards. This was especially irritating when attempting to get rid of the jet lag. In one particularly annoying day I listened to neighbors arguing until 2am, and was awakened by someone sneezing loudly and repeatedly at 7:30am.
Having said that, the place itself is very nice: spacious with excellent lighting, a very comfortable bed (although the two sleeping pillows were rather small), a great shower with fantastic pressure, and a large walk-in closet. The internet works well on one side of the apartment, although the signal is very weak on the other side (where the bed is). That may not be a problem for most people. The superintendent was nice, attentive and helpful, and the cleaning lady was lovely.
The windows in the apartment face one of two interior courtyards. One of the courtyards is private and accessible through a door, and the other courtyard belongs to another apartment on the same level. Unfortunately, the interior courtyards only serve to echo and amplify the noise in the building.
The location is fantastic, about a 2 minute walk from the Argüelles metro station. There is a grocery store nearby, as well as numerous restaurants, cafés, and a large department store in the area.
Were it not for the lack of A/C, I would have recommended this place wholeheartedly.