We absolutely loved Bertrand's apartment in Le Marais. The kitchen was very modern with new appliances. The large kitchen table was great for sharing pastries and espresso in the morning, and for organizing travel plans in the evening. The living room was exceedingly comfortable with large windows overlooking the busy neighborhood. The bathroom/shower were updated. We slept very well each of our five nights in the quiet bedroom. Despite some record cold in Paris, the apartment was comfortably warm in part due to well insulated new windows.
The apartment is ideally situated. You can walk out the door and visit cafes, restaurants, shops just minutes away. Of course, Le Marais is a great neighborhood for exploring. Go down one street and visit Place des Vosges; go down another and visit Place de la Bastille. It's an easy walk to Norte-Dame Cathedral or to the Latin Quarter. But the biggest plus about the apartment's location is that the St. Paul metro station is only a block away. The M1 line quickly takes you (or easily connects you) with all the major sites in Paris.
We had no trouble making arrangements to get into the apartment. Bertrand's friend Felix met us right on time. Overall our stay at Bertrand's apartment could not have been better!