My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our 2 week stay at the Salamanca apartment in Madrid. The neighborhood is more the "real" Madrid than the touristy areas. We were surrounded by good restaurants and food markets and a couple of blocks from stops from two major metro lines that will take you anywhere in Madrid. The apartment is also a couple of blocsk from El Corte Inglés, Madrid's biggest department that has anything you might want and a huge, classy supermarket in the basement. Sergio was a terrific host.