> SlowTrav > Spain > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Madrid

Review 3831: Spain Select, Plaza de La Paja III

Recommended. Review by Helga from OH

2bed/2bath apartment on Plaza de la Paja, Madrid

When

9/29-10/4, 5 nights

Location

This lovely apartment was in the medieval heart of Madrid, located directly on the Plaza de la Paja. It is in the same building as the well know Delic Cafe. We LOVED the area. We had a view of a school on the top floor of the ancient building across from us and could watch the students at work from our 4th floor view. The square below is pedestrian only and made for some great people watching. Everyone gathered there with their pooches or to have a cocktail at the Delic. There were several other small cafes on the square including a vegetarian restaurant. We were a three minute walk from Cava Baja, the ultimate tapas crawl street. It was a five minute walk to Plaza Mayor. The La Latina metro stop was about a five minute walk too.

Nearby Amenities

There is a market a few minutes away with lots of fruit, meat and flower vendors and a small alimentaro a few steps from the square. Also lots of other small shops for household needs. There are numerous places for a cafe or a meal within steps of the apartment. No car is ever needed.

The House/Apartment

The apartment building is 19th century built on the site of a former palace. There is a small lift to the fourth floor. It would have been quite a climb! It is a lovely building on the exterior.

Garden

There is no outdoor private space. There are two Juliette balconies off of the living room, one of which you could step out on. The other housed the air conditioning unit. Both doors could be opened for fresh air and Plaza watching. You can go downstairs and sit on one of the many benches around the plaza or at the Delic (which was very cute but not so friendly).

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

The Plaza de la Paja III apartment was spotless. The bedding was wonderful. Crisp and fresh with lots of cozy knit afghan style blankets too. The twin bedroom was small and the master was a nice size. It even had a walk in closet. As you enter the foyer, you turn left down the long hallway leading to the kitchen, twin room, and second bath all opening off to the right in the hallway with the master suite at the end. For the dining room and living rooms you turn right off of the foyer. We wanted to host a dinner party at the pretty dining room table. The floors in the dining and living room were hardwood, with a sisal rug on the LR floor. All the rest of the rooms except the kitchen were carpeted in sisal.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

The two bathrooms were a decent size. The second bath in the hall had a bidet and tub with shower curtain. The master bath was a walk in tiled shower. Both were very pretty. Beds were comfortable. The bedrooms were quiet. The windows in the bedrooms open to an inner courtyard which is pretty utilitarian. Nothing to see. The only drawback was that you could smell the cigarette smoke from the Delic if the bedroom windows were open for air at night. This was not a deal breaker for us.

Kitchen

We never cooked. It had a large fridge, oven, cook top, dishwasher and washer. No dryer. The only item lacking was extra wine glasses. There were only two. We suffered drinking out of tumblers! :) It looked like there was plenty of everything else.

Problems or Bonuses

It was a superb place to stay. The apartment was pretty as a picture with a lovely view of the square and rooftops.

One tiny negative was the complete lack of any supplies. No paper towels, salt, dish-washing liquid, soap etc. There was TP.

There are zero other negatives. This will be my home if I ever stay in Madrid again. A++++

Agency and Representatives (and price)

Spain Select was very efficient and answered our questions before hand. Suzanne, I believe her name was, checked us in and toured us around the apartment. She was friendly and helpful. Adorable Nicholas checked us out. They were probably the two nicest people we met during our entire stay in Madrid. It made sense after we found out they are not originally from Madrid. The Madrillenos are very reserved. There was no problem getting our deposit back. If we had it all in US dollars at the correct exchange rate, they would have accepted that as a deposit too. We did not plan ahead and had to take home too many euros. It was about €160 a night for three of us. It would have been about €140 a night for two people. There was also a €50 cleaning fee a €250 security deposit, both paid upon arrival. There is a four night minimum. Most of their apartments are monthly rentals but about the first eight listed on the web site were weekly.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

Oh YES! YES! YES! This apartment way exceeded our expectations! It looks exactly like the website except the sofas are rearranged. It is long and rambling with a light area living room. We had some excellent naps on those sofas!

Things to do in this area

Madrid is at your feet. You are in the heart of it all. Don't miss the store at Plaza Mayor called Tierra. They sell adorable jewelry from the Canary Islands. It's an inexpensive and friendly place. You are greeted with a flower and candy. They are all enthusiastic about their wares. Also the wonderful, old espadrille store just off the Plaza Mayor on Calle Toledo that sells the handmade espadrilles. If it's crowded, you have the fun of pushing your way into the counter and requesting your size and color. Don't miss the adorable little mini espadrille key changes. They were a souvenir hit with all our female friends and at €3 a piece, a complete bargain. So were the espadrilles ranging from about €6-8. I nabbed three pair and wish I had more.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

Return to Reviews List

Vacation Rentals

Car Rental	Hotel Booking	Flight Booking	Train Tickets	Books, Maps, Events
Europe Cell Phones	Long Distance Cards	Luggage, etc.	Travel Insurance	Classifieds

* Advertise on Slow Travel | Post your travel questions on the Slow Travel Forums