Wow! We spent 3 nights at My Veranda, and wish we could have stayed longer. What a spectacular space!
Our family of 5 arrived and were greeted by Augustin's friend, Anthony, who gave us a tour and answered any questions that we had. He was kind and friendly, and made us feel very welcome. There was fresh fruit in the kitchen as well as Evian and Perrier in the refrigerator -- a very nice touch for arriving travelers. We had a few questions throughout our stay, and we were astonished at how quickly Augustin and Anthony responded. Response was instant via the Airbnb portal. We speak no French -- all responses were in English.
The flat is spectacular, even better than the photos. Everything is brand new, with modern design. The space is huge, laid out on two levels. The first level is about 20 stairs up from the street entrance and contains 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, modern kitchen, large dining area and a very homey conversation pit. A spiral staircase leads to 2 additional bedrooms and a full bath. The four bedrooms are each comfortable and private. The 3 queen/double beds and linens were like a five-star hotel. The two twins in the 4th bedroom were great for our kids. Two large bathrooms are adjacent to the bedrooms, and each has a large walk-in shower with wonderful rainforest showerheads and basin sinks. The third full bath is located in a separate hallway for unmatched privacy, and also has a full shower. There is no tub, which did not affect us, but might affect someone requiring that amenity.
The entire apartment is tastefully decorated with designer flair. Modern electronics and lighting are featured throughout. If you are not European, make sure to bring your adaptors. We did not do any significant cooking while we were there, but there is a large gourmet kitchen and a huge dining space...had we stayed for a week, this would have been a great place to cook and share meals any time of day.
Access is by 3 separate lockboxes/codes, so you never have to worry about security or taking keys with you when you venture out.
The apartment is on a quiet street, very near to two Metro stops (serving lines 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11), so it is easy to get anywhere in Paris. It is just 2 stops from Gard du Nord, so only a 5 minute Metro if you are arriving via Eurostar. We ate 3 dinners in the neighborhood, two over by the Canal Saint-Martin (we heartily recommend La Marine), and the third in Le Republique. Unfortunately, since we visited in August, many of the local businesses, including some wine bars, boulangeries and brasseries closer to the apartment were closed for summer holiday, with signs on the doors indicating an August 26 return. We imagine that once summer holidays pass, the neighboring streets would be signfiicantly busier. There was a very nice wine bar on the corner just steps away from our entrance, and a cute bakery across the street.
If we return to Paris, we will certainly stay at My Veranda, and unconditionally recommend it to anyone. Merci, Augustin!