NOTE: Our cancellation policy is one of the best you'll find anywhere. Please see the last paragraph in this description for details.
THE BEST ROMANTIC HIDEAWAY IN THE MARAIS. That's our goal, and judging by over 150 POSITIVE REVIEWS, we hope we have succeeded. (TripAdvisor will not allow us to upload the many reviews from our main site. Please contact us to read them!) We go out of our way to make your stay easy and trouble-free.
FORMERLY A 17TH c. ARTISAN'S WORKSHOP!! 17TH c. STONE WALLS AND BEAMS, with double FRENCH DOORS onto a 17TH CENTURY GARDEN COURTYARD. The old world charm combines with modern amenities, a high quality bed, a luxurious bath, and a well-equipped kitchen to make an ideal Parisian retreat.
AN EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET GARDEN APARTMENT, you will forget that the center of Paris is just outside, and feel as if you are in a country cottage watching the birds out in the garden. The exceptional quiet means GOOD SLEEPING on the high quality bed that's been fit into a French antique, hand-crafted frame.
RENOVATED BY A DESIGNER with international travelers in mind, the result is a successful amalgam of old world charm and modern style. The apartment consists of one big room that serves as bedroom and living area, a separate and fully equipped kitchen, and a full deluxe bath. In the main room and bath are beautiful exposed stone walls, and the original thick oak beams are exposed on the ceiling as well.
DETAILS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. The floor has wide oak boards in the main room, with a welcoming antique killim rug, and antique stone tile in the kitchen and bath. Throughout there are clean lines and harmonious touches of color, giving a very aesthetically pleasing, peaceful ambience.
QUALITY BEDDING. Hand carving graces the antique bed frame, while the bed itself is brand new and of the highest quality. For bedding, there are down and synthetic comforters, 100% cotton blankets, 100% cotton sheets, and six French pillows. The exceptional quiet of this apartment will further enhance sleep. The sofa is large and comfortable, and hides a comfortable full-sized bed should it be needed. An antique Paris bistro style table sits by the window for meals (expanding to seat four) and a wooden table serves as a small desk.
WIFI -- AND LOW TECH, TOO. The high speed WiFi works flawlessly. Hidden away is a flat screen TV with more than 40 digital channels including CNN and BBC, and a DVD/CD/MP3 player with radio. There is an iPhone compatible alarm clock, a phone, and an answering machine. There are dozens of Paris guidebooks. You will also find classical, jazz, and other CD's, many DVDs (including classic Paris movies), a library of interesting books, and reading lamps.
A VERY WELL EQUIPPED KITCHEN, AND MORE. The kitchen has lots of charm and modern appliances: a full-size oven, four burner stovetop, built-in refrigerator with freezer, microwave, toaster, hand mixer, and coffee maker. It is also well-equipped with all utensils for cooking and eating. The bath is beautifully done with deluxe modern fixtures, a large bathtub, a deluxe shower (it's superb!), and both a washing machine and dryer tucked away in a closet. A hidden extra is a double-size hot water heater, so you should not run out. There is also a hair dryer, iron and ironing board, and vacuum cleaner. All linens, towels, and soap are supplied.
AN EXCEPTIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD. Steps away on the corner, you will find the wonderful open air Marche des Enfants Rouge, recently renovated but on the site of the oldest market in Paris. Rue Bretagne has its own offering of excellent shops including butchers, bakers, traiteurs, wine, fruits and vegetables, and right on the corner one of the best fromagers (cheese shops) in the city. There are also two supermarkets conveniently nearby. The neighborhood is chock-full of antique shops, funky designers, and art galleries on the narrow streets. There are many great little restaurants and cafes with terraces, as well as charming Parisian parks.
IN THE CENTER OF PARIS. The Picasso Museum is literally just around the corner, as is all the rest that the Marais has to offer, from the magnificent Hotels Particuliers (17th century city mansions), many housing museums, to the famous Place des Vosges. You can easily walk to Hotel de Ville in about 15 minutes, and then Notre Dame and the other major sites along the Seine. The Pompidou Center is also right close by. There are several Metro stations nearby, and bus lines that run through the Marais.
SAFE AND SECURE. The apartment is very secure: To get in the building requires both a code to get in the main door and then a key to get through an iron security gate. The door of the apartment itself has a high security lock. The windows have security blinds that close tightly over them if you want to leave for any length of time, and the windows themselves also have locks. In short, there are more security features than you need! Especially for this lovely, safe and quiet upscale neighborhood.
WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE YOUR VISIT A PLEASURE! We will answer whatever questions you have before you arrive, and provide detailed instructions for getting to the apartment. The day you arrive, someone will meet you, help with your luggage, and show you into the apartment. We accommodate early arrivals and late departures. We also routinely organize taxis for the day of departure -- they come right to the door to pick you up. In the apartment, you will find loads of guidebooks, other information on Paris, and a binder full of detailed information on the apartment, the neighborhood, and more -- where the best bakery is, nearby restaurants we recommend, how to get a taxi, where to park, and so on. We are happy to help make reservations for you. If you have any problems in Paris, we'll try to help. Our goal is to help you live in the neighborhood like a local French person -- an experience you would never have in a hotel -- while minimizing hassles and maximizing your enjoyment.
CANCELLATION POLICY. TripAdvisor does not offer an option that reflects our policy, which is one of the fairest you'll find. So, to make it possible, we need to select "Super Strict" which means they give the money to us, and then we'll be able to give you the benefit of our policy as reflected in our Rental Agreement, which is this: Foremost, we will happily refund 100% of any nights that we are able to re-rent! We think this is only fair. And that applies no matter when you cancel. Of course, the more time you give us, the more chance we'll have to refill the dates. Fortunately, our apartment is quite popular, so that means we generally have good luck doing so. For the dates that we are not able to refill, the amount refunded varies progressively between 90 days and 30 days in advance. That means there are no "cliff" dates to worry about that you often find elsewhere. (That is, others have policies whereby you get 50% back up until a certain date, but wait one more day and you get 0%.) Again, we think a progressively decreasing refund is more logical -- and better for you, since often cancellations are hard things to judge! You may need more time, such as to hear back from a doctor, before you can know if you need to cancel. So, this gives you the flexibility you may need. And again, it only applies for the nights we can't refill!
Keywords: Vacation Garden Apartment Paris Marais - Large Studio