This place has a perfect balance for me for sleeping in a nice quiet place with plenty of space and fresh air along with the natural privacy of penthouse living (fifth floor w/lift) and enjoying breakfast quietly in the morning sunshine but also with very easy access to the heart of the city only 10 minutes away via the comfortable Renfe commuter train.
The kitchen has an efficient layout and is very well stocked with utensils, pots and pans, silverware, table settings and appliances as well as with many food staples including spices, vinegar, oil and, at the time of my visit, even a few types of pasta, ice cream bars, frozen fish and coffees. Though these appear to be mostly left by other quests they are all fresh and packaged and they are simply optional for your use and greatly expand your ability to cook without requiring a rush trip to the market or to stock up on items you need only small amounts of.
The 60 square meter terrace gives a luxury of indoor-outdoor living and each room has sliding doors opening to the outside. The entire apartment is very well maintained and everything works. All fabrics are high quality - the bedding, towels, drapes, etc. Furniture and furnishings are above average quality + condition and even the art on the walls is interesting. There is a spirit of generosity in what Elena offers her guests and it's an easy place to feel at home and comfortable in
The Villa Verde neighborhood around the apartment is friendly and relaxed and truly Spanish with 2 very good food supermarkets within 5 minutes walk, restaurants, bars, cafes, and all daily life services from telecom to dentists have shops on the streets. But when you want to see the Riena Sophia or Prado museums the train connection just across the street from the Apt. gets you to Atocha station and within a few minutes walk to them, faster and more directly than from many Metro stations in central Madrid -- you ride only one train for 10 minutes!
When I return to Madrid I hope to be able to stay here again. Part of me doesn't want to share this information in order to selfishly preserve my chances to book again in the future. But Elena deserves good customers who are also looking for the unique blend of what her place offers. Here you will have a naturally elegant and comfortable way to visit the city on your own terms with peace and quiet and comfort seldom available when visiting a large city