2-room loft with a private terrace in the heart of the Marais, Paris

Charming apartment in the heart of the lively Marais district. Although it's in the middle of a popular district, the apartment was quiet and peaceful. The lower level has a comfortable living room, a small kitchen, and large dining table. Just outside, there's a cozy and private eating area within the apartment courtyard. The upper level has two small bedrooms with limited storage, and a rather cramped bathroom. Beds were comfortable. Getting upstairs is a bit dicey with the metal stairs. They look cool but are terrifying to use. I do not recommend this spot for families with children younger than 10, due to the stairs. The apartment lacked a few basic amenities that would have contributed to a more enjoyable stay. There was a "welcome bag" with a small roll of toilet paper, dish detergent, etc that got us started until we could go out and buy more. We missed having a bath mat, and were surprised by the meagre allotment of threadbare towels for an 8 night stay (4 tiny bath towels, 1 hand towel, and 1 kitchen towel for 3 people). We did get more towels, after a couple of requests. Prior to our stay, our interactions with the management company had us concerned that we had gotten tangled up in a scam. Messages in the VRBO inbox went unanswered, but we did get emails (discouraged by VRBO for communication, I think). We received 2-3 lengthy, boilerplate emails demanding lots of travel details and proof of our own insurance. The message claimed that the additional insurance was required by French law, which we learned is not true for vacation rentals. The emails threatened that we might not be able to gain entry if we didn't comply. Since we had already paid in full at this point, it felt like a bait and switch. Although I replied to the first message, I continued to get similar emails asking for slightly different information, which further supported the impression of a scam. Eventually, we realized that the management company is mostly renting to longer-term occupants, and their communications are aimed at that type of renter. However, their emails and the many rules outlined in the apartment binder don't really address requirements for short-term vacation rentals. Once we actually checked into the apartment, all of the interactions we had with the management team were personable, pleasant, and helpful. Overall, we found the apartment to be a perfect place to stay, but communication from the management company could be improved.

Wow, location, location, location. Gorgeous apartment in a wonderland location. Close to shopping, restaurants, markets, museums, galleries. We could’ve spent the whole vacation just in this neighborhood, there’s so much to see and explore. The apartment itself is beautiful and well appointed. This is an excellent place to stay in Paris, and we would love to stay here again.

Location, location, location. The Marais (or thereabouts) is fantastic. Cafes, bars, restaurants, shopping all around the corner yet the apartment is a quiet and comfortable resting place. (It's in an old mews.) We had a hot water glitch and they were out within minutes to fix it. (I forgot to have them check the glitchy flush of the toilet.) They do communicate through a third party, but it's legit and everything worked out well. A treasure and we would return.

The apartment is spacious and located in a great neighborhood. The apartment is large. However, as you see in the photos, there are very narrow metal stairs going to the bedrooms without any railings. I was nervous about my kids falling every night. Outside the bathroom the landing is very narrow and again, there is no railing so high risk for falling. I'm not sure how this is allowed in Paris! I would not recommend this apartment for anybody with mobility issues (as the stairs are dangerous) or anybody with small children. There is construction going on next door, so every morning we would wake with very loud banging starting at 8 am and continuing through the day!. The beds and sheets were comfortable, but the pillows were small and uncomfortable. There were duvets provided but in the hot summer, we didn't use these. The bathroom is small but has everything you need. The washing machine buttons are broken but someone put a chopstick there which you have to push hard on the broken piece to turn it on. We did not use the kitchen to cook so can't comment on functionality there. The hosts were not available for the duration of our stay and did not respond to messages at all. We had some trouble with working the washing machine and I asked about umbrellas in the property but did not get any response. We ended up buying some umbrellas and left them in the unit. Overall, I would recommend this apartment only for the size and location. I would not stay there again. I use property management sites a LOT and this is the least responsive host I have ever encountered. No assistance with transport, non-responsive during our stay, and did not check on us once to ensure we were able to get into the unit.