Post by annette on Jan 16, 2009 17:03:14 GMT -5
My 3 friends and I rented the Marais Rooftops 2 apartment through France for Rent on our last trip in October 2008 (franceforrent.com/maraisrooftops2/index.shtml ) It was perfect for us, and a pleasant experience from beginning to end.
Upon arrival at the airport, we were instructed to phone our greeter, Stephane, who arrived at the apartment at the same time we did. He provided us with 2 sets of keys and gave us a complete walkthrough of the apartment, showing us how everything works, and didn’t leave until all our questions were answered. He is with “My Genie in Paris”, a concierge service, and was conveniently able to sell us our 6-day museum passes, so no waiting in line for that! He offered to purchase any tickets we needed for the week for concerts, tours, etc. His cell number was provided in case we had any problems day or night. He was very pleasant to work with.
The apartment itself is nicely decorated in soothing shades of lavender, blue and neutrals with quality furnishings, and is well maintained and spotlessly clean. It consists of a nice sized living room with open kitchen and adjoining dining area; 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms—the master bedroom with a very comfortable queen bed and adjoining full bath (tub/shower, sink, WC). The second bedroom has 2 very comfortable twin beds (can be made up as a queen) and it’s own bath—large shower and sink in one room with separate WC, washer and dryer right across the hall. We were provided with 6 or 7 complete sets of fluffy towels (washcloth, hand towel, bath towel), and clean bathmats. There are also many Paris guidebooks, phrasebooks, etc. in the apartment, as well as a nice notebook put together by the owner with recommended sights, restaurants, etc.
The kitchen was a nice size compared to other kitchens I’ve seen, and included everything we needed—lots of glasses, dishes, utensils, serving pieces, cutlery, pots & pans, towels, etc., and was stocked with the basics—dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, hand soap, trash bags, paper towels, salt & pepper. There is a good-sized refrigerator, full dishwasher, electric stovetop, microwave, coffee maker, electric kettle and toaster.
The living room and master bedroom look onto a quiet, private courtyard, and the second bedroom windows view the nearby rooftops. A few nights those sleeping in the master bedroom were able to hear talking in the courtyard, but it wasn’t loud or troublesome, and the apartment was otherwise very quiet—we didn’t hear neighbors creaking floors or doors shutting. It is located on the 3rd floor, accessed by small elevator or stairs.
Included free of charge with this apartment are long distance phone calls to the US and other countries (plus wireless internet, but we did not bring a computer this time). This in itself saved us hundreds of dollars (of course, if we had been paying for the calls, we would have kept them shorter!
). One day the phone was not working, but one call to Stephane (on our cell phone) and he helped us reset the computer modem and we were back in business.
This apartment is located on the quiet one-way street of rue Chapon in the 3rd arrondisement. Nearby businesses included wholesale accessory retailers (mostly purses & jewelry). The adjacent streets are home to more wholesale retailers, a few small restaurants, two bakeries, pharmacy, etc. The nearest metro stations are Réamur Sebastopol (lines 3 & 4—5 minute walk) and Arts et Metiers (lines 3 & 11—3 minute walk). We found the Arts et Metiers station to be the most convenient (read easiest to find our way home from!), with the bonus of 2 ATM’s located along the way. Three bus lines run along the nearest cross street as well. The Pompidou is a 6 or 7-minute walk south.
(below are pics of the street entrance and the street)
The rental process was very easy, and Emeline provided excellent service via phone, always with a cheerful “Bonjour!” She was very helpful and prompt in answering my email questions. While based in the US, Emeline had personally viewed this apartment (as well as most other units represented by the company), so was able to answer specifics about it with first hand knowledge. A few questions required a quick check with the owner, but she was happy to do so. The rental agreement was sent thru email and faxed back. A 50% deposit was due upon booking, with the remaining 50% due about 6 weeks before occupancy (all done with credit card). A personal check for the security deposit ($500) was required 3 weeks prior to occupancy, and this was fully reimbursed within 2 weeks of returning home. It was all very easy and glitch-free. I can recommend this agency without hesitation, and would love to stay in this apartment again the next time we need 2 bedroom accommodations close to the city center.
Upon arrival at the airport, we were instructed to phone our greeter, Stephane, who arrived at the apartment at the same time we did. He provided us with 2 sets of keys and gave us a complete walkthrough of the apartment, showing us how everything works, and didn’t leave until all our questions were answered. He is with “My Genie in Paris”, a concierge service, and was conveniently able to sell us our 6-day museum passes, so no waiting in line for that! He offered to purchase any tickets we needed for the week for concerts, tours, etc. His cell number was provided in case we had any problems day or night. He was very pleasant to work with.
The apartment itself is nicely decorated in soothing shades of lavender, blue and neutrals with quality furnishings, and is well maintained and spotlessly clean. It consists of a nice sized living room with open kitchen and adjoining dining area; 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms—the master bedroom with a very comfortable queen bed and adjoining full bath (tub/shower, sink, WC). The second bedroom has 2 very comfortable twin beds (can be made up as a queen) and it’s own bath—large shower and sink in one room with separate WC, washer and dryer right across the hall. We were provided with 6 or 7 complete sets of fluffy towels (washcloth, hand towel, bath towel), and clean bathmats. There are also many Paris guidebooks, phrasebooks, etc. in the apartment, as well as a nice notebook put together by the owner with recommended sights, restaurants, etc.
The kitchen was a nice size compared to other kitchens I’ve seen, and included everything we needed—lots of glasses, dishes, utensils, serving pieces, cutlery, pots & pans, towels, etc., and was stocked with the basics—dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, hand soap, trash bags, paper towels, salt & pepper. There is a good-sized refrigerator, full dishwasher, electric stovetop, microwave, coffee maker, electric kettle and toaster.
The living room and master bedroom look onto a quiet, private courtyard, and the second bedroom windows view the nearby rooftops. A few nights those sleeping in the master bedroom were able to hear talking in the courtyard, but it wasn’t loud or troublesome, and the apartment was otherwise very quiet—we didn’t hear neighbors creaking floors or doors shutting. It is located on the 3rd floor, accessed by small elevator or stairs.
Included free of charge with this apartment are long distance phone calls to the US and other countries (plus wireless internet, but we did not bring a computer this time). This in itself saved us hundreds of dollars (of course, if we had been paying for the calls, we would have kept them shorter!
). One day the phone was not working, but one call to Stephane (on our cell phone) and he helped us reset the computer modem and we were back in business. This apartment is located on the quiet one-way street of rue Chapon in the 3rd arrondisement. Nearby businesses included wholesale accessory retailers (mostly purses & jewelry). The adjacent streets are home to more wholesale retailers, a few small restaurants, two bakeries, pharmacy, etc. The nearest metro stations are Réamur Sebastopol (lines 3 & 4—5 minute walk) and Arts et Metiers (lines 3 & 11—3 minute walk). We found the Arts et Metiers station to be the most convenient (read easiest to find our way home from!), with the bonus of 2 ATM’s located along the way. Three bus lines run along the nearest cross street as well. The Pompidou is a 6 or 7-minute walk south.
(below are pics of the street entrance and the street)
The rental process was very easy, and Emeline provided excellent service via phone, always with a cheerful “Bonjour!” She was very helpful and prompt in answering my email questions. While based in the US, Emeline had personally viewed this apartment (as well as most other units represented by the company), so was able to answer specifics about it with first hand knowledge. A few questions required a quick check with the owner, but she was happy to do so. The rental agreement was sent thru email and faxed back. A 50% deposit was due upon booking, with the remaining 50% due about 6 weeks before occupancy (all done with credit card). A personal check for the security deposit ($500) was required 3 weeks prior to occupancy, and this was fully reimbursed within 2 weeks of returning home. It was all very easy and glitch-free. I can recommend this agency without hesitation, and would love to stay in this apartment again the next time we need 2 bedroom accommodations close to the city center.
hahahha