My husband and I stayed in Cécile’s place for a week in early October. As I prepared to write this review, I felt at a loss as to how I might adequately express what a special experience this was. I pulled up the Airbnb listing and read previous reviews. I remembered they were glowing, but I wanted to see if they too captured the sense of what we felt. Yes, it’s obvious that other guests felt as welcomed, comfortable, and cared for as we did. I suppose I can do nothing more than confirm, repeat, and perhaps expand on what others have said.
The building – its entry, courtyard, hallway, beautiful wood staircase – evoke the Paris you longed to see when you were planning your trip. The apartment is spacious, very spacious. The space is quiet and serene. Things work as you hope they will work. The parts of the apartment that you want to be modernized – the bathroom and kitchen – are modernized. (The bathroom is large and has a wonderful tub, a separate wonderful shower, and a double sink. The kitchen is beyond well-equipped.) We Americans always find it a bit difficult to figure out appliances in France, and we appreciated the wonderful notes that Cécile provided.
Beyond the practical, the lovely artwork and amazing library make one feel very lucky to be there, if only for a short time.
We have stayed in the neighborhood on previous occasions and feel that it is ours. It really has everything but, at the same time, it's low-key and quiet. It's not inundated with traffic and construction like some other parts of Paris. There are wonderful restaurants right outside the door, a full-size supermarket a few blocks away, and specialty food shops of every kind. Several nearby métro stations make it very accessible to all parts of the city. A favorite spot is the charming park (with delightful playground) situated a few blocks away, between the Bon Marché department store and the Hotel Lutetia.
And, last but not least, there’s Cécile, herself, simply a wonderful host. Our heartfelt thanks to her.