To summarize Jose & Emilio's casa in El Cabanyal would take pages, but I will try:
PROs: This is not an impersonal hotel or IKEA nuetral house. It is a home. It is in a great location with tram/metro access, closeness to amazing Public Market, and completely within the barrio of El Cabanyal- a village within a city. Bed, bath, kitchen, roof top terrace (Azotea) were very, very comfortable, superbly functioning despite being compact, beautiful and amazing (On the nights with the fireworks -Mascleta- I slept with ear plugs, but my husband did not and we both slept like babies! Windows are excellent!). The Azotea is like the Garden of Eden high above the world - we ate there every night and every morning. The house has been carefully and wonderfully restored. The space feels completely, authentically, Spanish, or, in this case, Valenciano. In particular, the kitchen and living area feel and work like a great home should: all tools I needed, glassware, utensils and knives, range (Hob), fridge, coffee machine, micro, and washing machine all were easy to use. Never ran out of hot water, lighting throughout house is excellent, ACs worked quietly and perfectly on the hot nights. The hosts, Emilio y Jose, are like family you haven't seen in ages, but adore. They greeted us upon arrival with wine, cheese and jamon which was so kind and we were so hungry!!! Because of Covid, Valencia was not able to have their annual Falla Festival since spring of 2019, but they had moved it to the weekend of our arrival. 2 weeks before we left the US we had never even heard of Las Fallas, but during our check-in Jose offered to take us around on the grand final day to tour and see the incredible Fallas throughout the old town and beyond. It was the best tour we have ever had and we've hired professional guides in other countries! (And Jose doesn't speak English and our Spanish is terrible!!! Yet we understood each other perfectly (most of the time:)). Muy bueno! Muy Chullo, Jose!!!!!
If you like a review with CONs - negatives- here they are: If you are a very big person, you may find the shower crowded; if you are afraid of heights, you may not like the stairs up to the Azotea. If you expect travel to take you to immaculately clean and sterile places, El Cabanyal is not for you.
But otherwise, after 30 years of renting other people's cabins, houses, apartments, studios, lodges and flats, we have to say that Jose y Emilio's Casa en El Cabanyal is muy perfecto! Bueno!