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Review 1973: @homeAbroad Paris, Mazarine 3

www.iloveparisapartments.com

Recommended
Review by Brian from CA

1bed/1 bath apartment near St. Germain, Paris

When

February 2006, 7 nights

Location

The apartment is very well located on the Left Bank -- a 3-minute walk from the Odeon Metro and 10-minute walk from the St. Michel RER (and direct line from the airport). Several pedestrian-only streets with myriad shops are just around the corner. The area always felt safe and comfortable.

Nearby Amenities

Two excellent boulangeries (Kayser and Paul) are just steps away. A well-stocked grocery (Champion) is around the corner. Innumerable brasseries, restaurants, sidewalk creperies, etc., are also nearby.

The House/Apartment

The building is nothing special from the outside, accessed from a courtyard off the street. The apartment is accessed from an outside (but covered) staircase serving two units per floor. There did not appear to be more than 6 to 8 apartments in the building. Mazarine 3 is VERY quiet, with no street noise and only the faintest of noise from the unit above.

The unit has a "living room" of about 150 square feet with an adjoining galley kitchen. The bedroom is about 100 square feet and is entered from either the living room or bathroom. The bathroom is about 50 square feet, with access from both the bedroom and living room. The living room windows look out on the courtyard.

Garden

No outside area.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

The apartment was very clean and in excellent condition. The living room has a sofa sleeper, two armchairs and a dining table with four chairs. All the furniture was quite comfortable and in good repair. For 2 adults and a teenager, the living room never felt crowded; there was enough space for everyone to sit in the room at the same and "spread out." A small flat-screen TV with cable channels is nestled in the cabinet adjoining the fireplace, as well as a high-speed Internet modem and router. (The wireless router did not work with our computer, but the apartment came supplied with a lengthy Ethernet cable that allowed us to use our laptop anywhere in the living room.)

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

Very, very comfortable bed with nice linens and soft pillows. The room has a small closet for hanging clothes and a cabinet with modest shelf space and a drawer. For three people traveling with a week's worth of clothes, it was fine. The room is tight, with no bedside tables and just one bedside lamp.

The bathroom was spotless, with a good-size shower and excellent water pressure.

Kitchen

The galley kitchen is quite small; it is almost impossible for two people to be in it at the same time! But the appliances -- fridge, range, dishwasher, toaster, coffeemaker, microwave -- are all there, as well as a nice set of cookware, dishes, etc. For a cook who needs a lot of counter space, the kitchen will be a challenge, but it's more than adequate for heating croissants and coffee in the morning or preparing a light meal in the evening.

Problems or Bonuses

No surprises -- which was the best surprise.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

We received nothing but helpful service from Lisa, the U.S.-based rep for the agency. Michel, the onsite person, met us promptly at the apartment and spoke good English. He also responded promptly when we had trouble initially establishing an Internet connection and figuring out how to use the cooktop in the kitchen (the controls were, shall we say, minimalist). The rooms are a bit smaller than they appear on the Website -- but that's typical of just about any interior space (apartment, hotel or house). The rooms are still big enough, and nothing was misrepresented.

We paid 170 Euros a night, plus a 50 Euro cleaning fee for the week. No security deposit required.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

Definitely recommend. Attractive, clean, comfortable apartment; excellent location; reliable onsite representative; helpful U.S. representative. We could not have been happier and would book this unit (or perhaps another offered by the agency) again.

Things to do in this area

Explore the 6th Arrondissement and Latin Quarter, ranging from Aux Bon Marches department store to Luxembourg Gardens to St. Michel. Visit the neighborhood boulangeries at least twice a day!

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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