Marais appt

Guest: bc (Oakland, ca)
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/18/12

This was a WONDERFUL place to stay. We had so much fun. Great location, totally clean and delightful appt. Very well stocked. REALLY comfy beds. Just the best all around.

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

A wonderful place to stay!

Guest: Amy (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 06/18/10 Review Submitted: 06/20/11

I have rented this apartment twice now and it is just perfect. It has everything you need in a vacation rental. It's in a fabulous location, close to the metro, shopping, restaurants and the spectacular Place des Vosges. I have rented many apartments in Paris, but this one is the best. I wouldn't stay anywhere else.

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

Fun in Paris

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/08/11

My husband and I stayed at this apartment for a wonderful week. We wandered the city during the day, returning each night to the apartment for a break before eating at a neighborhood restaurant. We had a wonderful time staying here acting like we were true Parisians. Our mission was to work our way through the list of neighborhood restaurants Joelle provided. The apartment is very cute and comfortable, just as represented. It's clean, everything worked that we used and we knew Moon was close by if something did not. The bed was the best we had in France.(We had traveled around Normandy the week before coming to Paris.) Any questions I had emailed to Joelle before the trip were promptly answered and the security deposit was promptly returned. We would love to return.

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

Thanks Joelle and Moon, everything just like home....only better.

Guest: mw (san francisco)
Date of Stay: 04/19/11 Review Submitted: 05/27/11

We loved our stay in this clean, charming, well thought out apartment. It had everything we needed. It was simple, uncluttered, relaxing. Everything worked. The neighborhood is a dense collection of cafés, restaurants, bars, historic buildings, and interesting shops. After stashing away our bags in the walk-in storage closet, (a real plus), we walked over to the red and white striped tents of the twice weekly farmer’s market up the street and shopped for a piece of fresh fish, some oysters, a selection of olives or maybe an eggplant because we love fashioning our own meals and relaxing after a park and museum filled day. There was simply nothing like purchasing a baguette from the boulangerie down the block while it was still hot from the oven. We could invite a friend in for dinner, a glass of wine and a visit. Or we could just sit, enjoying the long lovely evenings with open windows and gentle sounds from our neighbors going about their evening chores. Parisiens take great pride in their city, calling it a humane place where sane people live. It has been my greatest pleasure to join them for my three weeks of bliss. Thank you Joelle and Moon.

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

Wonderful stay in February 2011

Guest: Mark from Massachusetts (Brookline, MA)
Date of Stay: 02/11/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our one-week stay in February 2011. The apartment was exactly as described, and Joelle's guidance was superb in every respect. The location could not have been better, from the grocery across the street to the Metro stop down the block. How nice to have free phone calls to the U.S., and the wireless Internet connection worked perfectly with our Dell laptop. And the Marais is the Marais -- old Paris with cobbled streets, falafel on Rue des Rosiers, the wonderful Place des Vosges all within easy walking distance. We walked and walked -- to the Seine, to Notre Dame, to the Hotel de Ville, to shopping, to the free Carmavalet and Maison Victor Hugo museums nearby. And then, after all that walking, what a pleasure to settle in to what must be one of the most comfortable beds anywhere. This was our first trip to Paris since 1969. Let's hope the next interval is not so long -- and that Beaumarchais is still available. Merci, Joelle.

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

Unforgettable Paris, forgettable apartment

Guest: Barbara (Napa, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

I would love to give this apartment an outstanding review, but in all fairness to anyone who reads the description would expect to have an outstanding experience and that was not the case for my friend and I for the eleven days that we were in residence. We met the caretaker upon arrival, a lovely woman named Moon. That evening to maintain email correspondence I plugged my mac ibook into the converter so that I could charge my computer. It didn't work. No plug in the entire place, with the appropriate converter worked. Then we noticed that lights came on and went off randomly, sometimes working, sometimes not. The next morning I tried to use my hairdryer after a shower, and again, with the appropriate converter, no plug in the entire apartment worked. I called Moon, and she said it was my converter. I brought three. She came by with additional converters and nothing worked. Fortunately there was on old hair dryer at the property(French) which worked. Five days later, with not a single email, I became desperate. We had Moon over several more times to figure out the electrical problem, and finally, I made an appointment at the Genius Bar at Apple at the Louvre and had to buy a French plug in to charge the battery for my computer. It cost 69euros, and ate up 4 hours of my day. So no American appliance that we brought worked in this apartment, not the charger for my phone, not the hair dryer, not the computer, not the chi iron, not the electric razor - nothing. Next we tried to wash a load of clothes. Nine hours later, the clothes were still washing. There were no instructions for the washer and dryer combo in the "book" left for guests, in fact, guests were told to go to a laundramat down the street. We finally figured out the WD after much frustration. It's European, and works differently than ours, simple instructions would have been great. Lights are still going off and on at random. Do not expect the cable television to offer any English speaking channels other than CNN. We were told that we could watch movies in English and other cable English television shows, but that is not the case. And lastly, when it gets warm, do not expect any breezes from the windows. The apartment has windows only leading into a closed courtyard surrounding by tall buildings. So, if you are wanting a pure old world experience devoid of modern conveniences, this is your apartment. I would not recommend this property to anyone.

Owner response: We are so sorry this renter had such difficulties, particularly with understanding living in a Parisian apartment with French voltage and appliances. Given the serious issues she raised we had the apartment's electrical outlets checked fully as soon as we received this review; all were in perfect working order, and neither prior nor subsequent renters reported similar problems. We also wish she had contacted us earlier in her trip with these problems. Many American appliances need not just converters, but transformers to step down the voltage. That is why we supply, for example, a French-made hair dryer. We can't explain the problems she had with her computer, as most do just need a converter....but, again, no one else has ever had a problem with this, either before or after this renter. Most newer computers have an internal switch that steps down the voltage automatically; clearly hers did not. We try very hard to make sure our renters' experiences are wonderful ---and all of our testimonials other than this one prove that we consistently meet our goals. For reasons unknown to us, this particular renter had complaints that seemed to be more about Paris apartment living than just our specific apartment. Our apartment has 4 large windows; the courtyard it overlooks is a typical Parisian one. The European washer/dryer - for which there ARE instructions in our apartment binder - works differently and slower than American ones. Unless you're in a fancy hotel, the normal English-speaking TV channel is CNN - and there is nothing in our literature that promises more than that. We have tried hard to make our apartment comfortable for American visitors while retaining its Parisian character. We think we've succeeded in finding the right blend, and are disappointed that this one renter did not agree.

Recommended for:Pet owners.

Lovely Home Base in Paris

Guest: SF Leslie (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/16/11

Mom and I loved our stay in this flat on Rue St. Gilles. The flat is quite roomy and very quiet. When you enter the building, the noise of the sometimes-busy street disappears. The neighborhood is charming, the grocery store directly across the street is very convenient, and the Metro stops are very close by. After staying in this wonderfully comfortable flat, I would never dream of staying in a hotel in Paris. In case you have any worries about the comfort of the convertible couch-bed in the living room, I can dispel them. It is perfectly comfortable (in fact, better than my bed at home!). Daily routine: Run out to pick up baguette or croissants, brew up some coffee, have a leisurely breakfast. Head to Metro, visit one or two museums, maybe take an afternoon nap, then choose from one of the many restaurants in the neighborhood for dinner. Later, use the apartment's wi-fi to post photos to Facebook from the day's activities. Drift off to sleep in comfy bed.... Repeat. Note: Best nearby bakery is the one with Rose in the name (I don't remember the full name) at the corner of Rue des Tournelles and Rue du Foin. Best. Croissants. Ever.

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

Our Extraordinary X-Mas in Paris

Guest: RB (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 12/24/10 Review Submitted: 02/03/11

My partner and I just made our first visit to Paris over the '10 - '11 holidays. Making our home in this gorgeous apartment had a profound effect on our 10 day stay. The location and neighbor were excellent, centrally located, and charming. The apartment itself made us feel right at home. Very comfortable and inviting. We cooked many meals at home. The grocery store is right outside the door. We're already talking about planning our next trip there!

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

Autumn stay

Guest: sweffling (UK)
Date of Stay: 10/29/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

I cannot speak too highly of this apartment and of all my interactions with the owner and her contact in Paris. The flat is very comfortable, warm and so conveniently situated, opposite a small supermarket and close to bus, metro and beautiful historical sites. Notre Dame and the Louvre are only about 20 minutes walk away and the locality itself is steeped in history and beautiful buildings. All contact with the owner was friendly, accurate, efficient and replies were fast. Similarly, the local Parisian contact is immediately on hand to help with any queries about the flat. I stayed for seven weeks and would love to stay longer! The local area is friendly, safe and full of interesting venues. I would highly recommend this apartment for your visit to Paris.

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

Great Place for Paris in the Fall!

Guest: Rick (Canada)
Date of Stay: 10/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/17/10

We had a fabulous time in your apartment!! It was beautifully clean, fully equipped, within walking distance of major areas/metro and the area was fabulous - grocery store across the street, great restaurants close by and we felt really safe. When we return to Paris - we will certainly stay with you again. Thank you for making our vacation so enjoyable!!

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