My family and I visited Madrid in 2011. However, before our visit I did some research as to which type of lodging would be best for us. After much research I realized that quite a few people on a particular, well-renowned travel forum/site recommended renting an apartment rather than a hotel. The main reason is for the cost and the space plus extra convenience. Booking a hotel is not only highly expensive for a family of three people but also there would not be much available space in one room. Thus, I kept seeing one particular rental agency's name being mentioned: Spain Select. The comments were all positive and were from trusted sources as all reviewers had histories of making other lodging reviews. They all said that not only were Spain Select properties first rate but also it was highly easy to deal with the booking team. One example of that is there is a refundable booking deposit that was refunded within the week after our departure.
So I went through the booking process, and it was just as simple and straightforward as mentioned by previous clients. I found that the rates for all apartments were highly reasonable. To give a comparison the cost of the apartment we ended up renting (Plaza Mayor I) was at least 50% cheaper than renting a Paris hotel room for three. The Plaza Mayor I apartment is exactly as how the photos on the Spain Select website show. There were two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a kitchen, a washer/dryer, a huge living room that had two sets of windows overlooking the fantastic Plaza Mayor, and high ceilings and parquet flooring (due to its 17th century origins).
As stated the location was on the Plaza Mayor itself so it was a prime location for sightseeing (tourist office is also in Plaza Mayor and one can purchase tickets for the HOHO bus which stops outside the plaza) and many places to eat. Mercado San Miguel and Plaza Sta. Ana are just a few steps away. One can also walk to the Palacio Royal.
All in all, I highly recommend Spain Select for renting affordable but luxe apartments and dealing with a very professional group of friendly staff. read more