My mom and I had an incredibly warm and lovely experience in Madrid and the rest of Spain due in large part to Joan. The apartment is centrally located in the up-and-coming neighborhood (dare I say, a neighborhood in the midst of gentrification) of Lavapies and contains a wonderful diversity of people of different backgrounds. It's very safe and convenient (with numerous Metro lines within walking distance -- although we never found ourself using it because the city is so walkable; and it's ~15 minutes walking to Atocha station). Many restaurants and bars in the area and it was still relatively quiet in our apartment.
The apartment is quite cozy with a combined living room/kitchen space and we found ourselves using the kitchen a lot with the AMAZING selection of produce in the different markets all around town. That being said, it's for simple living; and if you're looking for a posh resort, this is not the place for you.
Joan is very accommodating and a very efficient and quick communicator, and I feel as if I've made a new friend (despite having never met him! - His friend Laura was there to welcome us during our arrival.) I could go on and on with this review, but we are so very happy with our decision to have booked with Joan. Muchas gracias!