My stay at Gilles apartment was a truly Parisian experience. Gilles was a very welcoming host, he even met me at my bus form the airport and took me to the apartment. The apartment is in a typical courtyard building, with lovely high ceilings and original details throughout. It is definitely more shabby chic than glossy and new, but everything in the apartment worked well. There is even a dishwasher and clothes washer, which really came in handy over the week that I stayed. The space is huge for one person, and I was so happy that I wasn't crammed into a tiny hotel room for twice the price! I was in Paris for a seminar, so I was out all day, but I enjoyed coming back to the quiet flat and making dinner or having a glass of wine. There's no TV in the flat (which was fine by me), so I enjoyed listening to the french radio while eating breakfast - the WiFi was great too.
The location is fantastic for sightseeing. It's very centrally located, and the Metro is just a block away. There are great little shops and grocery stores around and fantastic restaurants (be sure to check out nearby Rue des Petits-Carreaux, and the Marais district for fantastic eats!). At night, there are two codes to access the building, and then two sets of locked doors into the apartment, so I felt very secure even as a woman staying alone. One tip, Gilles can be hard to contact by email, so if you have a way of making calls to French phone #'s, that is best. I learned that the hard way after locking myself out of the apartment my second day there!
If you are looking for a bright, gorgeous, old apartment in a great location, and want to feel like you really live in Paris, this place is a great option. The longer I stayed there, the more I appreciated the old-world charm of the place. Thank you Gilles!!