Lovely stay.

Guest: Susan (Boston, Massachusetts USA)
Date of Stay: 01/04/12 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

My older daughter and I passed five nights at this apartment on the Quai Saint Michel in early January 2012. We were given a warm welcome by the owner who located and thoroughly explained all the amenities for us (in French, but English was offered as well). The studio is precisely as it appears in the photographs, very efficiently laid out leaving plenty of elbow room, and was sparkling clean. It was very well equipped for two people, and we had no trouble preparing breakfast and dinner each day. The three large windows made it quite light, even during our rainy stay. The view is actually across to the police prefecture, but you can easily see both up and down the river if you lean out of the windows. Both the building and apartment were very secure as well as generally very quiet. For some reason, the French allow their doors to slam, probably to be sure they are secure, but after 25 years it still startles me every time. A few things to be aware: this is a third floor walk-up via circular staircases. The 3-4 lane Quais along the Seine are very busy night and day. We are city dwellers and the street noise and light did not bother us, but I wondered if I would mind the same during the warmer months when I would want to open the windows. The late-night noise from the bistro below was quite noticeable on the weekend, even through the heavy windows, but all quieted, of course, upon closing. And it's Paris -- we should have been out ourselves anyway! One glance at the map will tell you that you are in the heart of things. The elevator down to the RER is literally next door, tho the ticketing machines were not working the day we left, and we had to drag all our bags down six flights of stairs across the street after all. C'est la vie. Federico was an excellent correspondent while we were making arrangements for our visit. Paperwork and payments were easily handled through e-mail and PayPal. I would not hesitate to recommend this comfortable apartment for either short or longer stays.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great location

Guest: Kate (USA)
Date of Stay: 10/22/11 Review Submitted: 10/29/11

Just had a lovely week in the flat. Location is supurb, right on the river with lots to do in the Latin Quarter nearby. Lots of major signts are walkable. Also right next to one of the few RER stations that goes directly to Charles de Gaulle. Can see Notre Dame from the windows if you lean out and look to the right a bit. Flat is very small (I would guess around 250 sq feet???) but space is used very well. Bed is indeed super-comfortable even for a sofa bed. There was no top sheet, which was a bit odd. Also no AC if you go in the summer. It got a little stuffy at night even in October with the heat turned off. We tried to open the windows but it was too loud outside to sleep (flat is diagnoal from a police station so lots of sirens). The window panes are thick so not a big problem with windows closed. Flat owners helpful, dependable, very kind. Overall a wonderful experience that I would highly recommend.

Owner response:Hi Kate, thank you for your review. Just three remarks from my side. 1) The surface of the apartment is 300 sq feet. 2) We never provide a top sheet. At every check-in we do provide 1 bed sheet, 1 duvet cover, 2 cases for the square pillows (60x60cm), 2 cases for the ergonomic pillows (50x33cm). They are all washed and ironed. Top sheet are not provided with duvets, they are rather provided with blankets. The top sheet is replaced by the duvet cover. 3) The flat has 6 brand new windows (all sound proof and double glazed). 3 ones facing the street and 2 ones facing a quiet courtyard. If it gets warm and you need silence, you can just open the 2 ones on the courtyard. Also, in summer time we do provide a powerful fan. We are against AC because they are not eco-friendly.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Perfect Week in Paris

Guest: Peggy (Bradenton, Florida)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 07/25/11

Sorry this review is late but I just wanted to say that we loved this place. This was our first trip to Paris and the location was wonderful. We were late due to a train strike but Federico's staff was patiently waiting for us and even helped with the luggage. The flat was spotless and had everything we needed to enjoy our stay. Federico was always a quick phone call away and graciously arranged our early taxi on the day of our departure. I would highly recommend this studio to anyone that can handle stairs. Thanks Federico for the wine....we will be back!! Peggy and Steve

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, age 55+, sightseeing.

Incredible view and great apartment

Guest: absod11 (California, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/07/11 Review Submitted: 06/24/11

The apartment was clean and contained everything needed, from dishes to towels. They let us drop our bags as the apartment was being cleaned, so we didnt have to haul them around. The owners were extremely friendly. The location and view are both incredible. Walking distance from most major landmarks. The phone and wifi were very convenient. We were very satisfied.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

The name says it all!

Guest: scottmitchell74 (Abilene, Tx, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/11/11

The views WERE spectacular. I spent hours just hanging out of the windows soaking in the sights and sounds. My wife and I concluded that this Apartment was the best possible place for our visit to Paris. I was centrally located. I could hang my head out the window and see the Seine, Notre Dame, The Louvre, St. Michael's Point. We could walk to the Pantheon. Right behing our building was an absolutely fantastic and exciting dining area in the Latin Quarter with just about any kind of cuisine imaginable. I loved this spot. Our hosts did a great job of settling us in, and then leaving us to enjoy ourselves. The Metro, buses and RER were also almost outside the front door. This place was just what we needed for Paris.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

An Absolutely Perfect Time in Paris!

Guest: Afton (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 06/08/11

My husband and I stayed in this flat during our visit to Paris from May 20-27, 2011, and it could not have been more perfect. The location is ideal--right in the heart of the city with an RER/Metro stop just a block away (so it's quite easy to get everywhere!), and the Latin Quarter/St. Germain neighborhoods are easily walkable. The flat itself is very well-designed and beautifully decorated, and the views from the window really are stunning. It was just the right size for two people, and it felt very elegant and modern. We loved coming home to it after a long day of exploring the city. As others have noted, the sofa bed is extremely comfortable (I, too, was skeptical!), and the kitchen is well-appointed with everything you could need. Federico was a pleasure to work with, and took great care to provide very thorough instructions before we left, so everything was very smooth with check-in and check-out. We did find the noise from the street below to be a bit loud (especially on the weekend), so it's best to sleep with the windows closed (and very light sleepers might want to bring ear plugs). The only other minor issue we encountered was trying to only dry our clothes in the washer/dryer (without washing and then drying), which led to quite a perplexing evening as we kept inadvertently filling up the washer with water! Perhaps a translated instruction manual might be a good addition. It was wonderful to have the washer, though, which helped us to pack light on our trip. In short, I cannot recommend this flat more highly. It was exactly the kind of Paris charm that we were seeking, and we would stay there again in a heartbeat. We hope to return to Paris soon and visit our new home away from home!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

great place to stay!

Guest: Oxana (Russia city Perm)
Date of Stay: 02/09/11 Review Submitted: 05/23/11

my husband and i visited Paris in February, 2011. The place we've chosen for stay was Iwona and Federico's flat right on St.Michel street. To say that our stay was perfect is to say nothing! But i better start from the very begininning and name the advantages of renting this flat we found true for ourselves: 1. quick exchange of the scan contracts with the owner in the beginning of the negotiation process. Federico answered all my questions and showed to be very accurate and adequate in discussing the details. It was very important for me because it was my first time i went to Europe and the first time I rented a flat through the internet in a different country (with different legislature, language and business approach) 2. the scan contract was well and easy accepted by General Consul for visa purporses (we were granted visa in one hour. to compare the regular time spent on getting visa is two weeks from giving the documents to the Consul) 3. great location 3.1. easy to get from the airport. RER brought us from the airport right on the bank of Seine to St.Michel in 30-40 minutes. You just walk out of the ground and appear in the center of Paris, right in it's heart. RER is low cost (especially in comparison with taxi). 3.2. lots of places to dine (although not all of them of a good quality) around. 3.3. lots of places of interest are in walking distance. Louvre, Notre Dam, Conciergery, St Chapel, Pantheon, St Germain street, Shakespeare and co book shop... and etc. 4. very welcoming and friendly owners of the flat. (it would have been more fair to start from this). They are just adorable! Federico is very precise in telling you all the details about the apartment and staff in it. Everything works as he says. And very beautiful and sweet Iwona. 7. great additional services for free like - calls to Russia, wi-fi internet. It was important to us to call everyday as we left our only child 3 years old with his grandma in Russia. We were very anxious about it. I think our vacations were so great that we could talk to him twice a day and it cost us nothing!!! With wi-fi internet we could download films connected with Paris and watch them to get more emotional about our stay. For ex. we went to Louvre and then watched over Dan Brown's da Vinchi Code and etc. In conclusion I should say that we are very very happy we visited Paris and stayed in such a great place as Federico and Iwona's apartment. Thank you!!! Oksana and Serezha Russia, city Perm

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A Wonderful Week in Paris!

Guest: Noni (Sydney, NSW, Australia)
Date of Stay: 09/21/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/11

My husband and I spent a delightful week in Paris staying at Federico and Iwona's apartment on Quai St Michel. After travelling all day from Germany by car, train and metro we were so relieved to be met by Iwona at the apartment. Despite the lateness of the day, she was friendly and helpful in showing us around the apartment and telling us all we needed to know regarding the working of the appliances etc. She and Federico had even left us with 2 complimentary welcoming bottles of wine and some beer which was a lovely touch for us weary travellers! The apartment is only a short walk from the metro and very convenient to a multitude of lovely restaurants. most of which we sampled during our stay. The view is magnificent! After a couple of days we actually started to take the sight of the Notre Dame and the Seine for granted! We did need to close the windows at night to keep out the noise of the street below. The apartment was impeccably clean and very well appointed with everything supplied that we needed. Apart from a few problems with the working of the washing machine/dryer due to our insufficient knowledge of French, everything worked perfectly. (Perhaps an English translation of the instructions would be good, Federico.) After 6 weeks in Europe I must say that Federico's sofa bed was the most comfortable bed we slept in! So easy to pull out and put away too! A big bonus that we really appreciated was the free phone calls home to Australia and the tourist information and booklets available in the apartment. My only negative comment would be the 58 steps that we had to walk up to get to the apartment, but if I was younger or fitter that would not have been a problem, and we were aware of that before we booked. The price one pays for a brilliant view! Iwona was also very helpful in assisting us to arrange our early morning transfer by taxi to the airport - this was really appreciated! Thank you Federio and Iwona for making our week in Paris perfect!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Best View in Paris

Guest: Anni (Port Melbourne, Australia)
Date of Stay: 01/12/11 Review Submitted: 01/30/11

Apartment was as described and was just wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and the situation was perfect - so many restaurants and bistros to choose from. Would recommend to friends. We have no criticisms - merely one suggestion - a couple of additional comfortable chairs to sit in at night - otherwise all was perfect.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect

Guest: Christian & Amy (Savannah, GA USA)
Date of Stay: 11/13/10 Review Submitted: 01/29/11

We had a wonderful stay in this most thoughtfully appointed space. The location is perfect, and the attention to every detail exceeded our expectations. We hope to return again someday -- soon.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, sightseeing.