For the past month, my wife and I have stayed in vacation rentals all over Spain which we've booked through VRBO. The places have been consistently very good to excellent: clean, comfortable, well located, with caring and responsive hosts. This place, though in the same price range as the others, is at a whole other level. I'd need 7 stars on the five-star scale to rate it properly.
What distinguishes this place from the others is that it's the former personal residence of one of the owners. The other places were set up as I would set up a vacation rental, with nice but low-cost furniture. This place has been left as the owner furnished it for herself, and she is clearly a person of excellent taste. There are so many beautiful touches: the lighting, the quality of the wardrobes, the fascinating prints and photos on the walls. It's a one-bedroom apartment, not large by US standards but perfect for a couple, and larger and much more comfortable than most other vacation rentals in the same price range.
For me, the crowning touch was the bathroom. For weeks, we've stayed in places with tiny bathrooms, no tubs and really tiny shower stalls with sliding doors that don't quite close properly. Yes, we're spoiled Americans with a huge shower stall and a large two-person jacuzzi tub at home, and that's just how they do bathrooms in Spain, but there is a practical aspect to my whining. I'm tall but not especially so for an American. In Barcelona we stayed in a place, otherwise very nice, that had a bathroom sink half the size of a salad bowl. I wanted to rinse my face but there literally wasn't enough room to bend down and bring my face close to the sink. So I stood tall, and as the water fell, only about a quarter of it made it into the bowl. The rest was on the floor.
This place has a large bathroom sink, and even better a large jacuzzi tub. The shower stall is small, but roomier than most. It has shelves and doors that stay closed. Advanced control valves ensure a consistent temperature and volume of water. There's plenty of hot water and it arrives quickly.
The location may seem out of the way at first glance but is quite convenient. Bus lines 8 and C34 can be taken toward the Cathedral from the stop at Mercadona across the street. To return from downtown, use line 8 and get off at Plaza San Isidro on Madrid St.
This place has it all.
