Jean-Michel,
I am unable to post the following on Abritel.fr because it is a bit too long, but I wanted to share with you my review of your flats and your service (both outstanding!). As I told Jean-Gabriel, next time I visit Paris I will surely rent from you again!
Here is my review:
I cannot say enough good things about these flats and about Jean-Michel, the owner, and Jean-Gabriel, his son.
I set out on a search for a flat big enough to accommodate 3 of us and first found the Lafayette flat. Much to my chagrin, that flat had already been rented, but Jean-Michel was kind enough to let me know that the other two (Printemps and Louvre) were available for the dates I was looking (Thanksgiving week). Jean-Michel mentioned that they could be rented together or separately and could each accommodate 3-4 people. Upon discussions with my travel partners, and because the flats are adjoining, we came to the conclusion that the best thing would be to rent them both -- giving me and my partner and our travel buddy privacy when we wanted.
Although I have rented out several flats in my travels, there’s always a bit of hesitancy when doing so. Jean-Michel laid all of my worries at ease. He answered all of my questions thoroughly and was always available when more questions arose. He described the flats perfectly to me and was kind enough to even reserve them for a period of 3 days whilst we made our minds up.
I have been lucky enough to have been to Paris on multiple occasions, so I know the City pretty well. My partner and our friend had never been to Paris, so I tried looking for a place that was centrally located, manageable for a first-time visitor. And, there’s no better situated flat! Sitting on the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, facing both the l’Hôtel de Ville and Notre-Dame de Paris is a fantastic place to be … and a fantastic view to have every day. The Métro was just outside the door, giving you access to all of the underground system. Across the Seine (a 5-7 minute walk) was the RER system giving you access to the airports, Versailles and other destinations outside of Paris.
The flats are also at the crossroads of Le Marais and Les Halles, giving you ample choices for shopping, sightseeing, walking and eating/drinking (which comes in very handy late at night as the Métro closes a bit too early for my liking (around 12 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends) and there are very few cabs available late at night (a Parisian friend of mine mentioned that cabs don’t like to take small fares at night, they’d rather sit out and wait for the big fare or simply go to the airport/train stations and wait for fares there)).
Both flats are very well-appointed, each with their own ensuite WC and bath/shower. Each also has a small kitchen, allowing you to cook at home when you tire of eating out. There are several Monoprix and other small grocery stores allowing one to get any necessities one needs. All towels, linens, cutlery and dishware were spotless. And the welcome basket with cookies and wine was fantastic.
All in all, this trip to Paris was simply amazing, made much more so by the fact that we enjoyed the flat so much. I communicated to Jean-Gabriel on the last night that whenever I return to Paris I will be sure to re-let these flats.
Merci!
Always / Siempre,
George