Léa is a great host! She was very attentive and picked up the phone immediately when I didn’t know how to find the right name on the electronic doorbell. We asked her questions on several occasions during our stay, and she was always quick to respond.
The apartment is beautifully and tastefully decorated, with a mix of European style furniture, modern art work, stacks of books, and some African touches, like fabrics used in decorative pillows, art work etc, reflecting the area’s multicultural vibe. (I bought some beautiful wax fabrics in the shops in the area).
The apartment is spacious, especially the living/dining room, and has a separate bedroom with a double bed (don’t expect king size - this is a beautiful old building, so a king size bed would barely fit there. It’s more like a queen size, I would guesstimate). The bed is comfortable, though a little soft for my liking, being used to a very sturdy mattress.
The kitchen is fairly small but it’s laid out efficiently and is well-equipped, so you could cook a full meal there without any issues if you wanted to. We did have issues cleaning up, because we couldn’t find any dish towels... perhaps an oversight in the last cleaning session.
Speaking of cleaning - the apartment was very clean! I have severe dustmite allergies, and I did not have to take any extra medication while there, which is very rare when I don’t bring my allergy covers for the bedding.
The bathroom, like in most homes from this era, is tiny - it’s built into what for American homes would be a smallish walk-in closet. I’m a little over 5’8” and I’m about a European size 44 (American size 12 to 14), and I can imagine if you’re much bigger, you’d have problems maneuvering between the toilet, the tiny sink, and the door. The shower works well. Of course, in a building this age, you don’t have much room to work with. We did have an issue with the toilet seat that was caused by the previous guests, and unfortunately Léa had not been able to fix it before we arrived. She was very open and apologetic about it, and we didn’t mind too much. She mentioned that she was meeting a contractor on the day of our departure to discuss improvements for the apartment, so I imagine the place will be even lovelier for the next guests!
The apartment is a wonderful reprieve from the busy city. It is located close to a very lively shopping area with lots of international shops and a small market. The latter unfortunately does cause some trash to be left on the street in the area, which is a shame, because the buildings are lovely on the inside. But don’t let that deter you from staying at this lovely apartment! The shop keepers and the people in the area were all very lovely and welcoming, and the place is only about a 10-15 minute walk from the Sacré Coeur and Montmartre. I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be the next up-and-coming neighborhood in Paris.