The apartment has been very recently renovated and is exactly as the pictures show - clean, stylish, elegant with everything you need for a stay in central Madrid. The linens were clean and crisp, the towels were soft and thick. The apartment is located on the first floor on a busy pedestrianised street. Remember that the locals eat late and stay up 'till the early hours - so there is street noise for a lot of the night. If you are a light sleeper, bring some ear plugs (or buy them in the local Pharmacy). I cannot stress how central a location this is. Within a few meters of Opera metro station and within really easy walking distance of all the sights you would want to see such as the Palace, Sol, Grand Via and a little further to the Prado. We never took the metro once we arrived from the airport and walked everywhere. If we were to go back to Madrid - we would stay in Esther's place again (or the larger apartment she has next door).