Frédéric's "Charming Comfortable Marais" apartment was exactly that. It lived up to all our expectations, and we had a wonderful Marais experience staying there. We only wish it had been longer, and we will make our reservation earlier next time.

The apartment itself lacked nothing, and was very, very easy to settle into. There was even a power plug on the desk for our Macs, and wi-fi access, which we needed, was straightforward and reliable. The kitchen was particularly well equipped and very good to use - as we did for breakfasts only. The apartment is so central to all the delights of this fascinating area, yet is totally quiet and peaceful at all hours. We were short-stay, and ate out most of the time apart from breakfast. For longer stays, one possible issue is eating space - the kitchen bench being a little too high (or the stools too low) but this is very minor.

The location could not be better. The array of good restaurants within easy walking distance is amazing, and Frédéric's recommendations were all excellent. It is close to the old Jewish quarter, great museums and other significant landmarks in one direction, and in the other, the Pompidou Centre and, around it, lots and lots of good supermarkets for daily necessities (Monoprix, Carrefour, etc). For the rest - wine, bread, cheese, etc. - the Rue Rambuteau (one block behind the apartment) is a gold mine!! The Hotel de Ville Metro station (on the very comprehensive Line 1) took us 6 minutes to walk to. Very easy and most convenient. We even managed to walk very easily to a wonderful musical recital on the Left Bank one night. It really is in an excellent place to fully enjoy old Paris.

Frédéric's instructions were crystal clear, absolutely accurate, and very helpful. We had no difficulty finding or accessing the apartment (apart from the fairly steep stairs and our heavy luggage - but we knew that and were not at all surprised). We had to contact Frédéric a couple of times with small questions, and he was always immediately back in touch - sometimes within minutes - with all the answers we needed.

We also utilised the services of Jean-Michel, the driver Frédéric recommended, to deliver us to the airport on departure, and he was very good as well. His English was certainly adequate to make up for our deficiencies in French.

All in all, when we are able to get to Paris again, this will be the first place we will try to secure. By the time we had to leave, we were just starting to feel settled and ready to widen our circle of exploration. We could not have wished for a better base camp.