Good news... you can stop looking for a place to stay in Paris because you've just found the perfect apartment in a great location!
We spent 4 nights at Vanessa's place and loved every moment.
I booked this for my wife's 50th birthday, so naturally wanted it to be special, and it didn't let us down!
I was originally looking for something very central, and was therefore interested in places that were advertised as having a view of the Eiffel Tower. But oh my God, Vanessa's apartment must have THE best view, it really does feel like it's IN the living room....! Like any photo, the pics Vanessa has used really don't do it the justice it deserves - this isn't Vanessa's fault, just that photos never really do justice to views in my opinion. It feels like you could reach out and touch it....!
The rest of the apartment was great too - beautiful, modern and spotlessly clean on arrival. In the spirit of not leaving a totally biased review (which I'm tempted to do because we simply loved it!), I would say the apartment is on the small side. Not too small by any means, we had all the space we needed (and we had spent 4 nights elsewhere before Paris so were travelling with a big bag and hand luggage too) - but if you're looking for a big space this is the only thing that might not make Vanessa's place perfect. But it's been cleverly designed and there's ample storage space etc - we loved it!
And DON'T be put off by the fold-out sofa bed - my wife can be a bad sleeper at times, but the sofa bed wasn't an issue at all and we both slept really well on it.
Even in its central location it didn't feel at all 'touristy', less than a minute walk from the front door we were in the middle of a bustling local community with all the amenities you could want (local supermarkets and other shops, cafes / bars and restaurants, cash machines, the Metro and, of course, beautiful French boulangeries and patisseries!). We truly felt like we were in 'real' Paris! But in the apartment it was blissfully quiet - and that view too....!
Vanessa was the perfect host too. Great communication after the booking and was very careful to make sure we knew exactly where we were going on the day of arrival, with a friend meeting us personally at the apartment when we arrived, who took care to make sure we had everything we needed - including a bottle of fizz that Vanessa had left in the fridge for us for our arrival, and a personal card wishing my wife a happy birthday and us a happy anniversary. Perfect!
We also exchanged messages throughout our stay - not for any problems, but because Vanessa was genuinely keen to make sure we were having a good time. This was a lovely touch and really made us feel like we were staying at a friend's place, not just 'customers'!
Overall, Vanessa definitely deserves her 'Superhost' title, and her apartment is both stunning and conveniently located. Both I and my wife loved it, and would definitely return / recommend to friends (which we have already done!).
So stop looking and book now, you won't be disappointed! :-))