Madrid Area holiday apartment: Madrid center

My Mum and I stayed here from 4th to 7th June 2009. The owner was very helpful, she was at the apartment within 5 minutes of me ringing her after we arrived.
The apartment was eclectic and spacious, with one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in! It's a shame that the air conditioning is only in the living area, I was quite hot in the evenings. Even though the apartment is very central (one minute walk to Sol square) there is no noise in the evenings because there are no bars on that street. The kitchen is tiny, but quite well-equipped, apart from a kettle. We had to heat water up in a pan or the microwave to make a hot drink. Even though the bathrooms were clean, the kitchen could do with a deep-clean and new dish-cloths between visitors. The apartment is on the 2nd floor with no lift!
I think you would struggle to sleep 8 people: there are 2 double beds with one double sofa bed in the lounge. There are 2 more sofas, but not sure if they are sofa beds.
We decided to use the Metro from the airport. There were three different connections, with lots of stairways and heavy suitcases! Although the journey only cost 2 euros each, it took almost an hour to get to the apartment, and we were very tired!
We decided to get a taxi for the return journey, which cost 25 euros (this included a 5.50euros supplement for Sunday) and took anly 25 minutes. Within a 5 minute walk is Plaza Mayor. This is a massive square with lots of mime artists around the perimeter, and lots of restaurants, where you can simply order a drink, or 2, and watch the world go by. Food and drink isn't cheap here, though. We paid almost 4 euros for a can of lemonade!
English food is horrible, so when in Rome...
You will need to take your passport out with you if you use a debit or credit card: it is needed for extra security.