José was an extremely helpful and friendly host. Even before the trip, he had already sent infomation such as directions (very detailed drawn on a map) and ways to get to his place from the airport. It so happened that he was available on the day I arrived and he went to the train station near his place to pick me up and spared me the hassle of lugging my luggage and figuring out the way to his place.

José also makes the effort to find out what you are interested to explore in Madrid before giving suggestions and recommendations. Not only does he provide suggestions on where to go, he gives directions to the places of interest like how he helped me find out train departure/ arrival timings to Toledo and prices of the train tickets.

I also had the honour of dining with José and got to interact and find out more about him and Spain/ Madrid - he does not hesitate to share his culture et all with his guests, which I thought was very welcoming.

José's place is in a safe and quiet neighbourhood, literally 5 to 7 minutes walk to the nearest Metro station. There is a supermarket just behind and various eating places nearby. Best of all, his place is just 3 Metro stops away from Sol, the heart of Madrid's old city. 20 minutes walk to Atocha or Reina Sofia, one of the must-go museums in Madrid. There is everything basic that you need in his place too, e.g. washing machine, microwave oven, tv, etc, which you are free to use. Note that the room is good for one only though and does not come with airconditioner (but comes with fan).

All in all, I had a terrific experience at José's place, all with his great hosting and personal touches - something you would not get staying in a hotel.

I would recommend staying with José if you are travelling alone!