This was my first time visiting Madrid. I spent weeks searching for the perfect place to spend a weeklong vacation with my mom (who has difficulty walking), dad, and boyfriend. Victor was very helpful when I asked him about the stairs/elevator situation because of my mom’s walking difficulties. The apartment is located up a short flight of stairs but there is an elevator that takes you from the ground floor up to the apartment which worked perfectly for my mom the entire trip.
The day was arrived in Madrid, there was a city-wide cab strike and Uber drivers were reluctant to take customers due to demonstrators. I called Victor from the airport who quickly arranged for a private car transfer for my family and I which was a lifesaver for my mom who was exhausted from the flight. When we arrived at the apartment, Victor’s friend met us and gave us a brief orientation. The apartment was beautifully decorated, immaculately clean, and well-appointed with everything we needed (soap, shampoo, towels, Nespresso machine, etc.). Victor spent 15-20 minutes on the phone with me telling me how to turn on the heat, where to throw away garbage, etc. He gave me his phone number to communicate on WhatsApp and was very prompt responding to questions we had throughout the week, even providing us with tour information for our day trip to Segovia.
As far as the location of the apartment, it is unbeatable. There is a Carrefour Express supermarket approximately one block away on Calle del Leon that was a 1-2 minute walk. We stopped by frequently for drinks, snacks, and sandwiches that we enjoyed back at the apartment. There are many small businesses and great restaurants in the area, our favorite being La Sanabresa which had wonderful 3-course meals for 11.50-15.00 Euros (we ate there as a family twice). The apartment is only about a 5-6 minute walk to the Sol metro station which we used to get to Chamartin and then to Segovia. It is about a 5 minute walk to the Thyssen museum and 7 minute walk to the Prado museum. A great Flamenco theater, Cardamomo, is about a 4-5 minute walk away. Even with my mom’s walking difficulties, she was able to make it to the metro station, Flamenco theater, and museums on foot. The apartment has two bedrooms (one with a king bed and the other with two twin beds), a kitchen with sitting area, and one bathroom with a great shower. There was very little noise from the street outside. Also, because of the apartment’s design (bedrooms are on opposite sides), we couldn’t hear each other at night and as a result, slept very well. The beds were extremely comfortable, there is a combo washer/dryer, and the heat worked wonderfully (was very cold in January when we went). We felt extremely safe the whole time we stayed at the flat (and we would often return very late at night). The experience of staying at Victor’s apartment was truly an amazing one and our week there will be a time we always cherish.