Laurent was an excellent host, communicating promptly and clearly when we made our booking and meeting us on arrival to show us around the apartment. When we had a problem with the plumbing, he had it fixed that day (a Sunday!) and was always on call if needed, although the excellent printed instructions for all appliances and local transport meant we didn't need to ask for help.

The apartment was perfect for our family of three and was exactly as advertised. It is very light and quiet with an outlook over an internal courtyard. It is close to three metro stations which take you to all areas within Paris in minutes and walking distance to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. It is also a 15 minute walk to the Gare du Nord where you can catch the Eurostar to London or the local RER trains to major airports.

We found many of the local cafes and restaurants were not as crowded or expensive as the more tourisy places at Montmarte or the left Bank. Around the corner is the Rue des Martyrs market which is great for all your food shopping with butchers, bakers, patissiers, cheese shops and a supermarket. The proprietor of the cafe on the corner greeted us every morning by shouting out our regular order of coffee, hot chocolate and croissants, which my two teenage sons loved.

The only downside of the apartment is that it is on the fifth floor without a lift. This was no trouble for my sons but I'm glad I only had to make the climb once or twice a day! When we arrived Laurent invited us to use the lift that services his apartment (which adjoined ours) so we didn't have to carry our luggage up the stairs.

We spent two weeks at the apartment and all in all it was a fantastic home base for our Paris sojourn. Modern, warm and inviting. Highly recommended.