A Stunning Chandelier and a Very Stubborn Lock: My Madrid Airbnb
The Airbnb That Took Four People to Unlock
The Short Version
An enormous apartment in a historic Madrid building, with soaring ceilings, colorful modern furnishings, and a gorgeous teal-blue Sputnik chandelier. Between the massive kitchen and the primary bedroom surrounded by bookshelves, I loved this apartment so much that I tried to book it again the following year. Just be prepared for a potentially tricky front-door lock.
Location: Madrid, Spain
Sleeps: Up to 4
Layout: Two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, open-plan living and dining area, and large kitchen.
Perfect for: Families, two couples, or friends who want plenty of space
Highlights: Historic architectural details, colorful interiors, quiet sleeping areas, and a walkable location near Madrid's major sights.
How many Spanish men does it take to unlock an Airbnb door? Three, apparently, and one very tired American woman.
I’d arrived in Madrid late in the evening after spending the day exploring Barcelona. My morning had started at Parc Güell, followed by a visit to Sagrada Família, before catching an evening train to Madrid. By the time I arrived at my Airbnb, it was approaching midnight, I was exhausted, and all I wanted was to put down my suitcase and find something to eat. The apartment was in an older part of Madrid, tucked along a relatively quiet street with the kind of enormous historic doors you see all over Europe. The host had provided a lockbox with several keys, but figuring out which key opened which lock was another story.
I stood outside for what felt like forever, trying every possible combination. Eventually, I attempted to contact the host, only to discover that I had virtually no cell reception. I managed to connect to the apartment’s Wi-Fi from the street and send a message, but I was still standing outside with my luggage and no idea how to get in. At this point, I was starting to get nervous. It was late, I was traveling alone, and there weren’t many people around.
Fortunately, I spotted three men standing outside a nearby restaurant, talking and smoking. I walked over and, in my very broken Spanish, explained that I couldn’t get into my apartment and asked if they could help. They had been watching my many attempts and thought the situation was pretty funny, but agreed to come over. The first two struggled with the lock just as much as I had, which actually made me feel a little better. At least it wasn’t just me. Finally, the third guy stepped up, somehow managed to open the door almost immediately, and proceeded to laugh at the rest of us. I thanked them, collected my luggage, and headed upstairs.
I’d originally planned to walk to a little restaurant nearby for dinner, but after that experience, there was absolutely no chance I was risking getting locked out again even later at night. I could deal with the door in the daylight. Instead, I ordered Uber Eats and settled in for the evening.
An Apartment I Almost Didn’t Book
I’d found this Airbnb while planning a relatively last-minute trip through Spain. My options were limited, and while there were plenty of apartments available, I wasn’t particularly excited about most of them. Then I found this one, and I almost passed it over because it was too large for someone staying alone, but the interiors were so much better than anything else I’d found that I decided I didn’t care how much space I was going to waste.
Even arriving late at night, I could tell the apartment was beautiful. It was located in a historic building with high ceilings and gorgeous original architectural details, but the interior had been renovated and furnished in a much more modern, colorful style. The furniture was sculptural, with an interesting mix of jewel tones and brighter colors. The dining area had a gorgeous teal-blue lucite Sputnik chandelier, and beyond it was a massive kitchen with deep, muted teal cabinetry and an oversized island.
It was completely different from the other apartments I’d stayed in during my trip, and exactly the kind of interior design that had caught my attention when I first found the listing.
After dinner, I took a long, hot shower and climbed into bed with my book. The primary bedroom had built-in bookshelves surrounding the bed, with little reading sconces on either side. It felt like sleeping in a cave, in the best way possible. After the day I’d had, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to end it.
Even Better in the Daylight
The following morning, I opened the large blue shutters in the living room and let the November sunshine into the apartment. The tall doors opened toward the street, letting in the crisp autumn air, and the morning light made all those beautiful colors and architectural details stand out even more. I’d been traveling through Spain for over a week, and Madrid was noticeably colder than Sevilla or Barcelona. I loved opening the doors for a little fresh air in the morning, then coming back to a warm apartment after spending hours walking around the city.
I made myself a coffee before heading out to find breakfast at a little bakery a couple of streets away. There were also several Humana Vintage shops nearby, so naturally, I decided to do some shopping before I got around to sightseeing. I found a few things, walked back to the apartment to drop off my purchases, and then headed out to explore Madrid.
That was another thing I loved about the location. I could walk to Plaza Mayor and the older parts of the city in one direction, or toward the Royal Botanical Garden and Retiro Park in the other. I was able to see an enormous amount of Madrid on foot, and it was convenient to have the apartment close enough to stop in throughout the day. By that evening, I’d done enough walking to last me quite a while.
I had every intention of going out for dinner, but I’d enjoyed my quiet evening at the apartment so much the night before that I decided to do it again. After a week of Spanish food, I was perfectly happy ordering something different and spending my last night in Madrid relaxing. I ordered dinner, settled onto the couch, looked through all the photos I’d taken during the trip, and FaceTimed my parents.
It was such a nice way to spend the final evening of my vacation, especially knowing I had a long travel day ahead of me.
Inside the Apartment
The apartment had two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and an enormous open living, dining, and kitchen area. It was far more space than I needed, but it would be a great choice for a family or friends traveling together.
From the entrance, a small hallway opened into the main living area, with a decorative open bookshelf separating the spaces. Beyond the kitchen, a separate hallway led to both bedrooms, with plenty of built-in storage along the way.
The secondary bedroom was smaller, with its own closet and a window overlooking the building’s interior courtyard. There was also a beautifully renovated full bathroom off the entrance hallway, giving anyone staying in that room a separate bathroom to use.
The primary bedroom led through an enormous walk-through closet, with cabinets lining nearly every wall, to a beautiful bathroom with a large shower and double vanity. There was so much storage that I was tempted to unpack my entire suitcase just to use it. But considering I was only there for two nights before flying home, that seemed a little ridiculous.
A Few Practical Details
The apartment was on the second floor of a historic building, with stairs and no elevator. It’s worth keeping that in mind if you’re traveling with heavy luggage.
The apartment itself was quiet, particularly the bedrooms, which faced away from the street. I also appreciated the amount of storage and the two separate full bathrooms, which would make sharing the apartment with other people much easier.
The only real challenge was getting through the building’s front door. I’ve since noticed that a few other guests have mentioned having trouble with the keys, so apparently I wasn’t alone. If you’re arriving late, I’d make sure you’re comfortable with the instructions before you get there.
Who I’d Recommend It For
This would be an excellent Airbnb for a family, two couples, or two friends who want their own bedrooms and bathrooms. The secondary bedroom is smaller than the primary suite, but the apartment has so much shared space that I don’t think four people would ever feel cramped.
For a solo traveler, it was admittedly excessive. I had an enormous kitchen I barely touched, an entire bedroom I never slept in, and a second bathroom I didn’t need. But I loved it regardless and would stay there again (I actually tried to book it for my mom and I for our 2025 Madrid trip, but it was unavailable).
The colorful interiors, the beautiful old architectural details, that incredible kitchen, and the little bedroom surrounded by bookshelves made this one of my favorite apartments from the trip.
I only wish I’d had more than two nights to enjoy it.
Looking for an Airbnb in Madrid? Browse my Airbnb Wishlist and favorites here.