Short term stay in Valencia to visit family & friends.
What worked well?
Lots of things! The apartment is located just a few minutes walk from Plaza Reina in central Valencia, and equidistant to some of the more popular locations and fixtures in town. A walk of just a few minutes duration will see find you at Central Mercado, Estacion Del Nord, Rusafa District, The Turia, & Mercado Colon amongst others. A brisk 15 minutes will find you passing the Torres to cross the Turia to arrive at the Metro/Tram link to the beach, which itself is about a 10 minute ride away. From a convenience point of view, this apartment ticks all the right boxes. On that note, if you'll be cooking for yourself and wish to buy some essentials, there is a small mini market just 3 minutes walk away beyond the nearest Irish bar.
The apartment is steeped in history - rustic and handsome, with a high ceiling in the main seating area, where you will open the doors of the balcony to the bustling Calle Cerrajeros. The lounge is comfortably appointed with a welcoming sofa and a variety of lights, and enhanced by a charming ceiling fan and the always-welcome air conditioning. If you're a fan of TV/Radio (I prefer the latter!), there is a television with a variety of Spanish channels for your entertainment. Gloria had provided some local tourist information leaflets on a rack in the entrance hallway, and the content of these appeared up to date and interesting. Also on the ground level you'll find a bedroom with some sliding doors; the set-up is charming and quirky, and my travelling companion reported the room as very comfortable.
You'll climb some very old stairs(!) to the upper level where you will find the kitchen, shower.laundry room, WC, and 2nd bedroom. Now beware - if you're tall, remember to duck/stop as you move along the hallway on the upper level. There is a large supporting beam in the hallway which caught myself, my spouse, and our friend out on a number of occasions, despite our best efforts to remember its presence! It's a feature of the old building, and there would be no point in seeking its removal - it's an integral part of the charm of the property. Just remember to switch on the lights should you find yourself visiting the bathroom or kitchen during the night, else you'll receive a painful reminder of where you are staying.
The kitchen is lovely - small, functional, and well equipped. We only ever carried out light breakfast cooking, but Gloria has adequately provided for your culinary needs with everything you might need for a short stay. She had even stocked her cupboards with a selection of lovely teas, which were very welcome at the end of a long day of hiking and visiting friends.
The shower is really good - it's big, spacious, and invigourating, with 2 lovely sinks to use. Remember though, if you wish to use the waterfall feature, push the button above the shower activator, or else you'll accidentally activate the hand-held unit instead. Also in the shower room is a washing machine, which is well maintained and easy to use.
The 2nd bedroom on the upper level has some clothes hanging space, and a small external area for airing/drying your clothes. This room also comes equipped with an air-con unit which you will surely need on the more humid nights.
I mentioned the convenient location of the apartment. I'm very familiar with the city, but if you're new to Valencia, or just unfamiliar and don't want to be ripped out paying tourist prices for bad food and service, then I can heartily recommend the restaurant downstairs from this apartment for food. Finding it is a doddle - just exit the entrance to block, turn left, and it's the first on your left. 15 Euro will earn you a decent 3 course meal with wine. Enjoy!
Even better if!
Not much actually. Everything in the apartment was as described in the advertisement, and we were all delighted with the charm and character of the property.
You'll notice the entrance hallway to the apartment block is very narrow, and the ceilings are quite low, again with a risk of banging your head on these. These are simply features of period construction, and you'll just need to try to remember that's how things are in such historic buildings.
Do bear this in mind however. Remember - Valencia is a big, bustling city, and if you're staying in the heart of town, then expect some late night noise! The apartment block itself seemed (we think) to be occupied by rental apartments and on 2 consecutive nights (between 2 a.m and 5 a.m) our front door bell was rung, and the front door itself knocked by party seekers. A quick and firm word in the ears of these individuals soon saw them off, but it was really annoying to have this occur.
In summary this apartment is absolutely ideal for the visitor who wishes to stay in the beating heart of the city. It's charming, comfortable, and conveniently accessible for anything and everything the tourist might wish to see in town, and I heartily recommend it :-)