SmartRental La Latina

Once we got in, the apartment was clean and tidy, nicely decorated, and within fairly easy walking distance of the city centre, the Prado, and the Botanic Gardens. Getting inside was another matter. We were left waiting outside, on and off the phone, for 40 minutes or more as it got dark, which made us anxious. Earlier messages from Latina came by email and then switched to WhatsApp, and the payment timing was unclear. We’d paid the deposit and submitted our passport details, so we thought that was all we needed to get the apartment passcodes. It wasn’t, and the delay was unnecessary. Not what you need.

The apartment was spacious and cozy, and check-in and checkout were easy. The staff at the main hotel even printed our boarding passes. The location was a real plus, close to the metro and within walking distance of Madrid’s main sights. It’s a lively, slightly hippy area with lots of Spanish tapas bars, mostly full of young Spanish people. For a two-week stay, though, some basics were missing. There weren’t enough glasses for a family, and we had to buy sugar, salt, coffee, tea, dishwasher tablets, and washing-up liquid. If there’s a dishwasher and washing machine, I’d expect the supplies for them. There was no TV remote either. We rent apartments a lot on holiday and usually find those basics provided. The apartment looked very new in the pictures, but some furniture was quite worn and it could use minor renovations. We had a really good stay, but not having things to clean or wash with was a problem over two weeks.

The apartment itself was clean, tidy, and nicely decorated. But check-in was a mess: I waited outside on the phone for 40 minutes while they tried to get organized, then got the wrong keycode three or four times before I could enter the building. Not what you need.

I enjoyed living here. The apartment was nice, the location was great, and the balcony had a lovely view. Metro and Carrefour were only three minutes away. My only small complaint was the bathroom door lock. It didn’t really get in the way of the rest of my stay.