We didn't get to meet the owner Jose Truchado, but didn't need to, as everything was well organised getting to and into the apartment and with his instructions and local tips.
The Malasaña area is very central and pretty bohemian trendy with lots of different, arty bars and restaurants on your doorstep.
It was as quick to walk than catch Metro around the centre of Madrid, being only 5 minutes walk from Gran Via and 10 minutes from Sol and Plaza Mayor.
The apartment was on the 4th floor and has no lift, which could be a problem for some, but we didn't notice it. Given it was on the top floor, there was no balcony or external view. There was a view over the internal courtyard.
The apartment itself consisted of 2 decent sized double bedrooms. One separated from the lounge by a sliding door and the other off the corridor.
Off the kitchen was the 3rd bedroom which has a single bed, with another pull out single bed underneath it.
We were a party of 2 adults and 3 teenage kids, so we used this pull out bed, but there wasn't too much room to move around, once the 2 single beds are both out.
Bunk beds ( one bed above the other ) would probably be more efficient use of space in this room.
Given the area has a number of late night bars the apartment was really quiet at night.
Some of the decor was a little dated and tired, like the kitchen, but functioned fine. The lounge had a 'lived in' feel, but was really comfortable. The large TV and DVD player worked well and there were plenty of UK plug sockets available. There was Cable TV, but only a couple of channel in English. Not a problem for us, as the only real TV we watched was Spanish football.
The dishwasher was out of order at the time we visited, but this didn't cause us a problem as we mainly ate out.
The apartment heating worked well ( it gets cold in Madrid in February ! ). For Summer there was A/C in the lounge and in 2 double bedrooms. The smaller single room had a fan unit.
One travel trip I would recommend that we stumbled across in Madrid was to visit the Gourmet Experience on the 9th Floor of the El Corte Inglés next to Callao Metro. It's free to visit for some great views of the city and Gran Via and also a great spot to eat /drink on the balcony. Also try rowing on the lake in the Retiro Park for around 5 Euros.
Overall we had a great week in the apartment and would definitely recommend it to families or groups. It's in a great location and was pretty good value compared to other places.
