GREAT PLACE TO STAY

Guest: Diane (-)
Date of Stay: 12/18/11 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

We spent one wonderful week in Christmas time. It is just fine for 4 persons and we noticed that the apartment was newly renovated and furnished nicely. The problems occured in September have now been fixed : shower is new, all electrical appliances work well and the atmosphere is really pleasant. The neighbourhood is amazing. You can go to the jardin des plantes, rue St Jacques, mouffetard, Monge, Montparnasse... very easily. We strongly recommand this place.

Recommended for:

Wonderful holiday in Paris!

Guest: Margaret (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 11/20/11 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

We had a wonderful "girls trip" to Paris, staying in this incredibly well-located apartment. Three of us stayed in the apartment, which was comfortable and convenient. There is a grocery store downstairs, & a wonderful boulanger (with super pain au chocolat) just up the street. Conveniently located near the Pantheon & Jardin Luxembourg, it was easy to walk to Notre Dame, St. Chappelle, or take the metro to the Louvre and Champs Elysees. The Rue Mouffetard is just a few blocks away. The arrangements were easy, and Charlotte arranged for airport pick up. I highly recommend this property!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

Serviceable

Guest: Experienced Traveler (Washington, DC, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/29/11 Review Submitted: 10/12/11

On the positive side: The apartment is well-situated on a pleasant side street within walking distance of metro, cafes, shops and restaurants and many sights in the 5th (Pantheon), 6th (Luxembourg Gardens and Palace) and 14th (catacombs). The beds are comfortable and the bedrooms are a good size. The apartment is airy with charming views of Val de Grace. We were met at the train station by a driver, which was appreciated when traveling with children and large bags. On the negative side: The listing description overstates the quality and comfort of the apartment, and the soft-filtered photographs are misleading. The hardwood floors are in a state of disrepair (NOT restored as claimed in the listing description) and I felt as though I would fall right through to the apartment below. The shower in the master bedroom was not draining and was unusable. When we called Xavier the manager, we were told he knew this (funny, no mention when we booked or checked in), but that nothing could be done. In the kitchen, the washer did not work and there was no toaster or tea kettle. There is an inadequate amount of seating in the living room and the furniture is uncomfortable. The building's central stairway is also quite run down.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car.

Spending June in Paris

Guest: Paris Foodie (Fort Worth Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/01/11 Review Submitted: 10/12/11

Friends and I were fortunate to spend June 2011 in Paris. I've been to Paris many times but never for an entire month and I wanted to be able to shop at the markets and return to my own kitchen to cook and to eat. This apartment provided exactly what I needed - the large Port Royal market was around the corner and the market street, Rue Moufetard, was a short walk, as well as the market on Rue Monge. The bakeries, wine store, and restaurants on our street were also wonderful The aparment was even more delightful and spacious than I expected and the terrace was perfect for drinking coffee and wine and watching the street life. The kitchen provided everything needed to prepare the market meals I dreamed of. I would certainly recommend this property and hopefully plan to return myself in a few years. Being met at the airport by Xavier and having his expertise was very helpful. The apartment building was well maintained and the small grocery store downstairs was great, especially staying open late in the evenings.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.

We don't recommend this place.

Guest: California Travelers (The Sea Ranch, California)
Date of Stay: 09/04/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

I stayed in this property with my husband, daughter and son-in-law from September 4th until September 10th, and I agree completely with what the 8/29/11 reviewer wrote. As Xavier showed us around the apartment, advising us about its “quirks”, we were disappointed in the difference between the advertisement and the reality: problematic “French” appliances, showers that didn’t drain, and furniture that didn’t come close to fitting four adults comfortably. We tried our best to accept the hand that we’d been dealt, and if these had been the extent of our issues, this would have been a much more positive review. Our biggest problem was dealing with TWO nearly useless showers. I guess you can’t get a Parisian plumber in September either, because the shower drain problem still had not been solved in the “master” bathroom. We were forced to take “military showers”, which are good for water conservation but not relaxing in any way. Unfortunately, the first time the other shower was used, water flooded the bathroom floor and out into the adjacent dining area. We had to make a ”dam” with the shower curtain and turn the showerhead in towards the corner (which made for awkward showering) to avoid the flooding during subsequent uses. We also had trouble with the electricity going out because of the toaster. Fortunately, we encountered this in the morning on the 2nd day of our stay. We called Xavier and he told us he would not be available to fix it until 7:00 that evening, but we would need to be there to meet him, which wasn’t ideal for our schedule but regardless, we returned in time and awaited his arrival. Surprisingly, the power was back on but our toaster had mysteriously disappeared. No note had been left, and Xavier never showed up. After waiting until 8, we called him to discover that he had come by earlier in the day and taken the toaster away forever. I guess that was his way of solving the problem. Before Xavier exited the apartment after our initial walk through, he offered us his shuttle service for our departure to the airport. We took him up on the offer, but when the scheduled time arrived, he did not. When we called him, he obviously had forgotten our appointment but promised a driver would arrive shortly. With less than two hours we finally gave up and found a taxi with the generous help of the owner of the beauty salon located next door to the apartment – we barely made our flight. Xavier never returned our call or followed up wit

Recommended for:

Look elsewhere.

Guest: A Traveller (Edmonton, Alberta)
Date of Stay: 09/18/11 Review Submitted: 10/01/11

Like the previous renter I would have to agree that I felt mislead in what this apartment had to offer. We had just come from a week in London, where the VRBO property for a similar price was fantastic. How disappointing this apartment in Paris turned out to be. The washer did not work – there was no toaster – the shower did not work and the floors were so old we thought we might go through them in spots. The furniture was beyond threadbare – to the point of being uncomfortable. The towels were old and stained, the lighting in the bedroom was one very small lamp (approx 30 w). We didn’t miss it – the but television did not work either. On the positive side – the apartment was clean and is very central and the other apartment dwellers were very friendly (especially the main floor grocery store owner).

Recommended for:

Just OK

Guest: Vacation traveler (Minneapolis, MN)
Date of Stay: 08/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/29/11

My husband, daughter and I stayed in this property for a week. We were lured in by the lovely photos and the list of amenities, but we feel we were misled. The location is good, about a 1/2 mile from a metro stop, about a 15 minute walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and about a15-20 minute walk to Notre Dame. Xavier picked us up from the airport and brought us back to "walk us through" the apartment. The list of things that didn't work was staggering. He explained that the washer/dryer actually doesn't work well -- he told us to go up the block to a laundromat if we really need to wash clothes. One of the showers (the "good" one) was broken and couldn't drain properly. We contacted the owner to get this fixed, but in a week's time, no one arrived to fix it. She said you can't get a plumber in August! The other shower is about 1 square foot, and spills water on the floor, but that is what we had to use for the week. On our first night, we tried to make toast and the toaster knocked out power to the entire apartment. We called Xavier who didn't arrive for 2.5 hours, so we sat in the dark -- no phone service, no internet, no use of the kitchen, no lights. The owner lives in Singapore, so email messages to her took 1-2 days to return. We asked for compensation for our inconviences and she did not offer any -- just told us it was a "pity" that so many things went wrong. While Paris is a lovely city, and we had a great time sightseeing, our stay in this apartment was a frustration.

Recommended for:

Wonderful Paris Apartment

Guest: Monica (Manteca, California)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 04/12/11

We spent 10 days and nights in Paris in this gorgeous apartment. At firrst we thought it a bit small but after the first day realized it was perfect for three travleing women. It had two full, modern baths and tons of storage space for clothes, suticases, and more. The kitchen was perfect for storing our daily purchases and we appreciated a wine opener in the drawer as we used it often. We adored the elevator and how two of us could fit in perfectly if we positioned our luggage just right. Otherwise, we enjoyed taking the darling staircase. (It was no problem even after a full day of walking, walking, walking.) The location was perfect as well. Lovely narrow street, great veiws of Paris roof tops and the cathedral from back bedroom. We loved everything about your apartment and hope to return so we can catch up on the few things we were not able to visit on our first trip. Thank you so much for a very lovely stay.

Owner response:Thank you very much for taking your time in telling your feelings about the apartment. I am pleased you enjoyed it. You are welcome when you want.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

A beautiful apartment in a fabulous location!!

Guest: Lyn (Dallas, Texas USA)
Date of Stay: 10/31/10 Review Submitted: 11/14/10

While visiting our daughter who is studying in Paris this semester, we were fortunate enough to stay in this wonderful apartment. There were 4 of us (myself, my husband and 2 of my girlfriends) and there was plenty of room for the 4 of us to live very comfortably. The two updated bathrooms and bedrooms were more than we expected (in size and quality) - two full baths (2 showers, 2 toilets, 2 sinks) - and even though we didn't cook while we were there (all we really needed was a corkscrew :)), the kitchen was modern and well-equipped. There was a living room with TV and internet as well as free phone service and a balcony (it's on the 5th floor). There is an elevator, but it's very small (european style). We took the stairs (and we're all in our 50's!!), which gave us an excuse to sample more of the French food - after all, we were walking so much, we couldn't be gaining weight, right? There are numerous boulangeries and patisseries just a stones throw away as well as two wonderful markets just down the street and around the corner. Also, a convenience store next door. There were convenient metro stops as well. Can't think of anything bad to say AT ALL!! The fact that this apt comes with a driver to pick us up at the airport made the stay even better, and Xavier was very sweet and informative, giving us his contact information for in case we had any questions, problems during our time in Paris. The only problem was that the trip was way too short. Can't wait to go back and stay here again!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Fantastic Apartment

Guest: On the Road to Find Out (Minneapolis, MN, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/04/10 Review Submitted: 04/10/10

My family of 4 (son - 16, daughter- 14) just returned from our stay in this apartment and it was wonderful and comfortable. The bonuses of this apartment are the balcony (a cup of coffee or tea with brioche in the morning!), two bathrooms (perfect for our family with 2 teenagers), views (a very charming street on one side and the top of the Tour Eiffel on the other. The view of the Tour Eiffel at night, with it's blinking lights at the top of each hour was enchanting), and location (near the Rue de Moufftard - very nice non-touristy street with cafes, restaurants, patisseries, grocery store, and everything else a visitor to Paris would need - and close to two metro lines). The beds were all extremely comfortable (very important the older I get), and the apartment had a well equipped kitchen along with TV, phone, and wi-fi in great working order. Also, the apartment cost included a chauffeured ride from the airport to the apartment. This would have been a great bonus in and of itself, but the driver, Xavier was outstanding. He made us feel right at home instantly, pointing out a few items of interest on our way to the apartment, showing us the finer points once we got into the apartment and answered all of our questions. The guide included on the owners website, and included in hard copy in the apartment was also very helpful for general reference. The apartment was on the 5th floor (6th floor US), but the building had a 2 person elevator that came very quickly. The listing description and pictures were all accurate, and the property was very clean and well maintained. I would highly recommend this apartment, and hope to be able to travel to Paris again and rent it myself. I would strongly recommend the Rue de Moufftard for dining on any budget. We also ate at Le Vin Sobre which is 2 blocks away, and had a wonderful cafe meal. The waitress and staff were very helpful.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.