This place appears well decorated and clean. The size is perfect for one or two travelers. It’s cute, and most things and appliances appeared brand new and highly functional. The water pressure in the shower was excellent. The location is good, as well: a 10-min walking distance to the metro 10 colonial jardain and about a 15-min distance to a large grocery store carrefour on foot.
What is lacking is privacy. It looks like the owner sectioned off a small part of the house to transform it into an independent unit, albeit adjacent to the owner’s apartment. But it is more of a “room-next-door” situation than anything else. Walls are thin, and I heard all the noises from the other side. With numerous house rules against things not permitted in this place, you would think the renters are a problem. No, it was the other way around for me: noises from the owner’s apartment travel freely to this airbnb unit.
There is no air conditioner, just a fan. The weather was reasonable when I was there so I didn’t need an air conditioner. I still wanted fresh air and I couldn’t really air out the place without being utterly exposed to the patio where the owner was doing some chores occasionally. In madrid summer heat, it will be a huge issue, especially combined with the fact that you can’t leave the front door open without severely compromising privacy.
The bed is situated right in front of the large glass door, overlooking the front gate of the house and patio furniture. There are dark curtains and if one wants privacy, she/ he gets no sunlight and fresh air. There are no other windows in the apartment: just the tiny airflow windows way up near the ceiling. It was a problem when I wanted fresh air or sunlight WITH privacy. In one afternoon, the owner was cleaning the patio floor, and I had my curtains to the side, for instance. I wished that didn’t happen.
Checking in wasn’t difficult. The owner gives you detailed instructions on how to open the apartment. But I was disappointed that I could not check in sooner than the said check-in hour. I paid to have my backpacks stored in the luggage locker near the atocha train station.
I have had far better accommodations in larger cities than madrid at lower prices than this, with owners who are more relaxed and flexible in manner and house rules.