This apartment is in the perfect location in Madrid. It's a short walk to the Prado and the Parque del Retiro - sites that are must see. But, more importantly, it's on one of the most treasured streets of Madrid (it's very much the equivalent of the Greenwich Village of Madrid) by those who like to stroll and visit the unique tapas bars that line the street and the surrounding neighborhood. For some this may be a drawback because Madrileños are known to "party" all night long and the noise from the street level rises to the penthouse level and can be an annoyance to those who retire early and want peace and quiet. The two primary bedrooms are in the rear, however, and the noise level is contained in the front of the residence. The apartment is well appointed with all the amenities one needs, but it lacks air conditioning and, if the temperature is high, the fans may not be sufficient for those who are looking to be pampered. Moreover, the building does not have an elevator and access to the apartment requires a walk up three long levels - with suitcases. Fortunately, we were two couples who had been hiking throughout Spain and did not mind the added exercise - and the view from the apartment's 3rd floor balconies is absolutely wonderful.
After arriving, our host, Domingo, and his wife graciously provided us with all the information about the apartment as well as a map of the surrounding neighborhood that pointed out all of the restaurants, supermarkets and sites that would make our stay wonderful. Having just completed a long week of hiking throughout Spain's mountainous Andalucian trails, we took quick advantage of the apartment's clothes washer, but had to hang the clothes to dry on several outside lines that are in the central courtyard off the master bedroom. One cautionary note: while our host stated that the Madrid water is fine to drink, we quickly discovered that the building's lead pipes offered rusty water throughout the apartments kitchen and bathroom faucets. We used the apartment's water to shower, brush our teeth, and do laundry without problem, but for drinking we decided to buy large bottles of mineral water from the market just across the narrow street from the apartment - and it was very inexpensive. So, in the end, our stay was a wonderful experience.