The challenge in writing this review will be to not sound like a paid advertisement. Our stay at Nicole’s apartment in Paris was that good. Here is why.
The Unit: The apartment is accurately represented in the pictures in its listing. It is well furnished and was very clean. The kitchen has excellent appliances and accessories, including such items as several corkscrews (a must in Paris, of course) and a pod coffee machine. There is a clothes washing machine, but no dryer. Having two full baths, one en-suite, was a plus. Access to the apartment is easy via one of two modern elevators in the lobby. There is 24 hr. Security. The unit was also very quiet.
The View: “Spectacular” is not an overstatement. To begin, the unit is on the 27th floor. As a corner unit, there are views in two directions. From the bedrooms you look over the nearby (two blocks) Seine River. From the living room you have an amazing vista of the city. The Eiffel Tower, less than a mile away, looms large to the left. Moving your gaze right you can clearly see the roof of the Gran Palais and beyond it the famous Sacre Cour cathedral atop Paris’ highest point. Yet further to the right is the dome of Invalides (lit up, like the Eiffel Tower, at night). With binoculars you can also see such sites as the Pont Alexander bridge, the Louvre, and the twin towers of Notre Dame.
The Location: The unit is well situated. Right next door there is a large MonoPrix. This is a chain that sells packaged groceries; fresh baked goods, fruit and vegetables; wine and beer; household goods; toiletries; clothes; and other items. There is also a butcher, a cheese shop, and a Starbucks. Transportation is easily accessible from the apartment. There is a metro station (and also a taxi stand) less than two blocks away, Even closer, the #30 bus will take you to the Eiffel Tower and beyond it all the way to Montmartre, dropping you off right in front of the Moulin Rouge, if you wish. It is also only about a 15 minute walk to a station for the C train (of the Paris RER) that goes to Versailles. There is an upscale shopping mall across within a 200 yards, and the area also includes a wide array of other stores, restaurants, and boulangeries (bakeries). For Americans hankering for a bit of home, there is even a McDonalds within two blocks. The area is absolutely safe during the day and most of the evening. It is probably safe all night, but there are few people out on the street during the wee hours, and it is in a city.
The Hosts: All of our interactions were with Nicole, and she is delightful. She communicated well before we arrived, was accommodating in allowing us to move in well before the normal check-in time, and personally met us when we arrived and explained how to use everything.
Perfect?: Not quite. Our single issue is that we found the bed in the main bedroom to be somewhat uncomfortable. They weren't awful, but were not up to the fine standards of the rest of the apartment. We are pretty sure that the queen size bed was composed to two futons pushed together. By nature, futon mattresses are relatively thin and hard. A foam topper would ease that and would also help with the inevitable gap between the two mattresses. There also did not seem to be any top sheets, leaving us with the choice of sleeping under the quite heavy comforter, nothing at all, or one of the spare fitted bottom sheets (we chose option 3).
Overall: This unit gets a 90+ out of 100. It is a great unit with amazing views; a great location for transportation and shopping, safe, and has an excellent host. Fix the beds up, Nicole, and you will have a flawless unit.