excerpt from a letter:

Guest: Carrie (-)
Date of Stay: 04/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

I think your apartment is the most beautifully appointed apartment I have ever stayed in in Paris. If you ever want to sell it, you know whom to ask! C.N. Vermont&California

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Great Apartment for Seeing Paris!

Guest: BD (Portland, OR)
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

My family and I spent two weeks @ Ann's property during the summer while my wife was working in Paris. The space was ideal; the two floors complete with mini-loft gave the place an even more spacious feel than the 55sq meters indicated. Add this to the abundance of light and great facilities and it made for a fun location for us to be in, rain or shine. Ann's top notch personal service really allowed us to feel comfortable about the space before we arrived and she made sure that whatever we needed was taken care of during our entire stay. Once outside of the atelier, the location was great. I was carting two kids around during the day so we didn't use the metro very much but a) the metro was still very close by on the Rue d'Alesia and b) a few central bus routes were a very short walk from the house, allowing us to get to the heart of Paris in no time at all (in fact, I think it was faster than the metro!). Being by such a busy intersection also allowed us a lot of flexibility in terms of transportation and things to explore both in the arrondissement and in Paris as a whole. Add the Parc Montsouris (recommended to us by Ann) & the local boulangeries close by and the kids and I had a wonderful time!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Jeff, Connecticut (-)
Date of Stay: 06/13/11 Review Submitted: 07/18/11

The Ottanelli's apartment is exceptionally well-located in a very French part of Paris (very few tourists). There are an excellent cheese shop, a fish shop, a grocer's and a baker's very close by, two supermarkets within a five-minute walk, and a market street within a ten-minute walk. There is a multiplex cinema just across the street and numerous cafés close by. The park Montsouris is a ten-minute walk down the rue d'Alésia. It is very easy and quick to get to central Paris from the apartment by direct metro and bus lines. The apartment itself is a former artist's studio so one side of it is almost entirely north-facing windows. The apartment has recently been renovated and is well-furnished and well-equipped and imaginatively and tastefully decorated. There is a wonderful work/study space on the mezzanine in addition to a bedroom, living area, dining area and a kitchen. It was a marvelous and very comfortable place to spend a few weeks in Paris.

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Met all our expectations.

Guest: Bev (Coquitlam BC,Canada)
Date of Stay: 04/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

My husband and I stayed in the newly renovated apt from April 27 to May 11. The listing description was very accurate in all details.I have to agree with all comments made by guests who stayed at this apt prior to us.Our apt was very clean, modern, spacious and very tastefully decorated( admired and enjoyed your art work Ann). Apt well laid out and extremely well planned.It was very bright and cheery, loft area also very comfortable and well lived in during our stay. Kitchen outfitted with everything one would need ( and more) to eat in and prepare meals ( I love to cook so in my glory to have access to all that I needed).HIghlight of the neighborhood for me was being able to walk out our door and shop at the local fishmonger,butcher, specialty cheese shop, fresh fruit and veg market, and the award winning bakery and cafe. I would give all of these shops a 5 star rating...staff at these shops were friendly and very helpful..a great experience. Carrefour supermarket just minutes away. The 14th is a lively bustling Parisien area...Not a lot of tourists and gave one a truly authentic feeling of living in Paris. Place Basch( our main square) has everything...it is especially lively and busy, lots of shops including outlet stores, cafes and restaurants, transportation ( metro and buses) almost outside your door, easy access to all parts of Paris in surprisingly short times...The neighborhood and our apt was great to come home each day, despite the hustle and bustle outside in the square, the apt itself was very quiet and private... We couldn't have asked for anything more. We had an amazing two weeks in Paris and having this apt as our home for that time completed out stay and was perfect in so many ways. We would love to return some day and will gladly recommend this property to anyone looking for the ideal place to stay.

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

Sorry to Leave - Expectations Exceeded!

Guest: Pat and Dick (Berkeley, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/14/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

After two weeks in one of two Ottanelli apartments, we are very sad to be leaving Paris, but hoping to return and use this wonderful place again soon. We often book vacation rentals based on reviews, which in this case, were uniformly extremely positive. What made our stay especially nice was the care with which Ann treated us with the myriad of questions we had, both before and during our stay. She was incredibly responsive, caring and helpful, totally reflecting the quality and welcoming space she designed. The neighborhood is a very lively and inviting one, bustling at all hours with Parisians, seemingly few tourists, and with very convenient access to just about everything one needs for a two-week stay: an ATM across the street; a good market a few minutes away; an incredible bakery across the intersection (ready-made sandwiches for people-watching and munching in between museums – and awesome almond croissants!); a Metro station across the street; very decent restaurants within minutes; food streets and outdoor markets a short stroll away; a gorgeous park not far...just to name a few. Coming back to the neighborhood after a full day of touring felt almost like coming home! The apartment was just as described in reviews: extremely quiet, in a quaint courtyard with welcoming cats and where an artist had an open house one afternoon; a much-appreciated elevator; a clean, well-designed and beautifully appointed apartment; restful views from both downstairs and upstairs; excellent wi-fi; a kitchen with all the basic equipment (yes, we cooked!); an efficient washer/dryer; comfortable bed, bathroom, eating and sitting areas; and free local calls, as well as to the U.S. - a real bonus! Our arrival and entry into the apartment was very easy, and Ann welcomed us by phone within an hour of our arrival. Nice! With a setup as fabulous as this, we wonder why anyone wouldn’t choose to stay here if they knew about it! Or perhaps we should keep this wonderful find a secret...! All in all, our stay in Ann’s apartment really made this trip especially memorable, and we will gladly return when we can to this elegant city and his beautiful home-away-from-home!

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

Cleaan and Quiet

Guest: Jim (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 04/03/11 Review Submitted: 04/26/11

This is a quiet well appointed apartment in a nice part of Paris. We have already recommended it to a number of our friends. When we return to Paris it will be our first choice of places to stay.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

Guest: Jennifer (-)
Date of Stay: 02/10/11 Review Submitted: 04/16/11

ANN’S PLACE The first but - considering the charm, comfort and prime condition of Ann Ottanelli’s newly renovated duplex - not the foremost attraction of this lovely apartment is the location. It is set in a quiet compound, reached by a cobbled alley—the Impasse de Rouet—in the heart of the Alesia district. Inside the complex all is calm but once outside and only steps away, are busses, a subway stop and a lively shopping district. Groceries, wine, restaurants, flowers, a top-notch patisserie, even two movie houses, are near at hand. The two-story apartment, reached by a singular, glass-enclosed elevator, lies at the end of the third floor hallway. Open its front door and one finds oneself in an off-white space bathed in light and with a seemingly endless view of Parisian rooftops and of the spire of the nearby church of St. Pierre de Montrouge. The most significant feature of this apartment is the huge, two story window at the north end but with shades that can be opened or closed the light can be controlled, intense or muted, at will. Ann has positioned the first floor kitchen (carefully accessorized---as is the whole apartment) and the second floor bedroom and bathroom on the south side of the apartment while the living room and upstairs studio are closer to the north-facing window in front. Off the bedroom and bath on the second level is a separate area for the television (where during the Egyptian crisis, I was lucky enough to find and watch the French TV’s excellent English language news station –Canal 24 – as well as Al Jazeera ) and a narrow extension over the living room below, ideal as a location for a computer! I can’t imagine finding a more satisfying place for a long or even short stay in Paris. Nor can I imagine a more carefully and thoughtfully outfitted premises. Jennifer Cecil, New York

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Guest: Jan & Gary (-)
Date of Stay: 10/31/09 Review Submitted: 01/21/11

"From the noise of traffic and the whistles of police in Place Basch, from Metro Alesia, you enter the Impasse. The noise volume decreases. Enter the door code, and through the portal to proceed through to the building behind, the noise has almost gone and plants now surround you. Enter our building, up to the apartment and the noise has gone in only a short walk – the only intrusion is the most persistent of sirens. You feel that you are coming home. The apartment is comfortable and convenient to transport, shops, restaurants and all the necessities of life. Everything you need is in the apartment and it all appears exactly where you would expect to find it. The apartment is centrally located to so many places that you want to go, and it is a pleasure to discover so many new places that we hadn’t seen in previous visits to this beautiful city. Our three months at the Impasse de Rouet in the autumn of 2009 went by so quickly that we have dreams of coming back as soon as we can." Gary Morriss

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Guest: Mary and Michael - July 1st-Dec.31st, 2010 (-)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/14/11

We were delighted with our stay at the new Ottanelli atelier in the Impasse Rouet. The apartment is comfortable, bright (with a window of light), and superbly equipped. The Alesia quarter in the 14th is bustling, but within the Impasse one would never know. Then, when exiting, Paris is suddenly at one’s feet. Terrific shopping for fish, bread, cheese, etc. in the neighborhood, a Carrefour supermarket just down the street, plenty of cafes to choose from, and a turn-of-the century brasserie just across the street. As is the metro, while there are 4 bus lines to bisect the city. The 14th is a Parisian residential neighborhood, perhaps less glamorous than the 5th or 6th, but far less touristy as well. It is a great place to feel that one is living in France. Michael Miller and Mary Lindemann

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Guest: M & M (-)
Date of Stay: 07/01/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

Dear Ann, I just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you that all is fine here, indeed far better than fine! We love the apartment, feel very comfortable here, and are having a great time. And also I wanted to thank you for the many tips on things in the area. I've become a devotee of Carrefour (at least for most things) which is incredibly convenient It is amusing to see your request on whether we need anything. I can't remember staying in a better equipped flat. Truly amazing is how ingenious the use of space is here. Two of us with a year's worth of clothes, plus books and papers and yet absolutely no clutter. We have visited some friends in other Parisian flats where it seems difficult to turn around and, even if a corps of servants dusts everything all day long, the impression is otherwise. We are quite comfortable here, aided by the gorgeous weather (70s) since our initial hot arrival, but also by the city at our feet when we emerge from our enclave. As for the enclave, we are gradually becoming acquainted with its culture, and certainly its cats. This is a very pleasant place to be.

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