My wife, three children and I stayed in Ines' lovely apartment for three nights, our last was December 31 - New Years Eve. When I made the reservation, I didn't realize that la Puerta del Sol hosted Madrid's celebration. We couldn't believe our luck. That was the only night of the three that the noises of the street reached us. The apartment is tucked into a quiet side street with very little foot traffic itself. At the same time a few short blocks away you have some of Madrid's best cafes, bars, and the rightfully famous La Mallorquina. Given the central location we were able to walk everywhere we wanted - the cathedral, the palace and to the museums. If walking isn't your thing, the metro stop is very close by. You would be hard pressed to find a better location. The apartment itself is pretty tight for 5 people. It is clean and well furnished but "cozy". We didn't spend a lot of time there, so that was no issue for us.

The logistics worked out well although we were disappointed that we didn't get to meet the host. We had to figure out things ourselves - but found it simple enough.