If you want an anodyne tourist experience, don’t stay here. If, however you want to feel like you’re really experiencing a little piece of authentic Paris, then do.
The owner /resident Anne has her artist studio on the top floor (7 storeys up in a tiny, 2 person lift) of a lovely , classic apartment building , behind large wooden front gates, in the very pleasant St George area (9th Arrondissement). She rents out the two adjacent, interconnecting bedrooms. The other resident is the friendly cat, Tigri who was there to greet us when the maid first let us in . He visited us from time to time, which we welcomed.
The two interconnecting bedrooms are full of character, with wooden floors, interesting books, pictures and objets. The single and double beds have firm mattresses, which we prefer and we slept extremely well, despite the bustling street noise that is inevitable in the centre of Paris, which you are wise to embrace as part of the experience. Anne had left us an electric fan, following the intense heat Paris had experienced the weeks before, but we didn’t need it and enjoyed the breeze through the french windows day and night. We felt totally safe and secure and I would particularly recommend this place to solo female travellers of any age.
Everywhere was spotlessly clean , including the very simple toilet and bathroom with handheld shower (and plenty of hot water at all times). Both are shared with the owner, but we never bumped in to each other. A little treat is the tiny, south facing balcony, accessed through tall french windows in both bedrooms , with two chairs, table and candles, perfect for a late night glass of wine. There are rooftop views and a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.
Anne had been away and we met her on day 2 of our visit. She was as delightful as I expected her to be from our previous typed conversation.
The area feels very safe at night. The concert I went to see on my own at Olympia was a 15 minute walk. There are plenty of interesting eateries on the doorstep, as well as metro stations, shops, supermarkets and a tabac nearby. We tended to walk as much as possible and we enjoyed a 20 minute walk up to Montmatre and a 30 minute walk to the Louvre. We also walked back to Gare du Nord on our departure and it took around 20 minutes with our small, wheelie suitcases.
This is the first time we have tried private rooms on Airbnb, as opposed to renting an entire place and it was altogether a lovely experience that we hope to repeat . Thank you Anne and we hope to see you and Tigri again next year.