Marion’s place is small but sweet - perfect for a single traveller or a close couple. It was like staying at a friend’s place, not hotel clean, but much more homely with very nice, personal touches to the decoration.
Marion arranged key exchange for us and was very quick to reply to any messages and questions we had, and also kindly left us a bottle of wine.
The apartment is in a traditional French building - terraced, on the 4th floor with no elevator (but this was no problem, and actually gives a more authentic feel to the place) and single glazed windows. With the heating on we were fine in March, but perhaps in winter it might be a bit cold! The windows overlook a small, quiet street and the only noise we experienced was from rubbish collection early in the morning.
The best thing about this place by far is the location - a three minute walk to the metro station Blanche, which despite being next to the Pigalle district feels very safe and friendly. This offers great connections to all the main attractions in the city within about 20 minutes. It is just off one of the main streets of Montmartre (less than one minute to walk, but still very quiet) - the rue de Abbesses, where there are lots of really nice bars and restaurants. Walking to the Sacre Coeur took us less than 10 minutes and was not as strenuous as I expected! Montmartre is a lovely, traditional district and suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of mobility, although being on a hill there are a lot of sloped areas, uneven ground and steps. However, there is a funicular from the bottom of the steps by the Sacre Coeur for those who don’t fancy the stairs!
We found a lot of lovely, local restaurants within 5 minutes of the apartment, with fantastic food and much better value for money than any of the places we ate in the centre of the city.
This place was ideal for a quiet night’s sleep, then going into the city sightseeing and coming back to Montmartre for dinner. Would definitely recommend!