Hi All,
We are planning a return trip for seven days in Paris, can you recommend a really good apt/gites site to search? Our last experience with an apt (which was a personal referral) was unsatisfactory: extremely NOISY neighbors. Not sure how to avoid this problem: I feel like tourist apts are all fatally flawed in some way.
Can you recommend an apt for 2 adults-4 adults in Arr 6 or 8?
Or can you tell me about some wonderful apt/hotels in Paris? Not sure if they have these, but we have found these are terrific in NYC.
Many thanks!
Josie Posie
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1632 posts
Budget, budget...to splurge or not to splurge, that is the question...
I would advice against just using Airbnb, which is now filled with lots of fake or self-censored reviews. Do consider booking.com because only actual guests can leave reviews. I did stay at a fantastic place several years ago, but the owner told me that some American tourists trashed his place and he no longer rents it out.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2014 posts
Booking.com lists a lot of apartments in Paris. Use the filter to select “apartments.” I’ve also had good results
with VRBO ( Vacation Rental by Owner)
when the cleaning fees are reasonable.
Posted by
OP
SFO
124 posts
Thank you for these tips...I share your opinion of AirBNB, the service fees of 20% for "use of the platform"., this service fee may not show up on tab presented by the owner, but I have read that it can appear as a separate charge on your cc account..WOW. Air BNB has branched out everywhere. VRBO is owned by Expedia.
Appreciate the tip on Booking.com: have booked with them and they seem to target the value minded, which is good. Would appreciate any smaller, less consolidator sites that provide apts with some guarantee of quiet!
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1632 posts
I worry about smaller consolidator sites which may provide either bad service or surprise charges. I like booking.com's customer service. I called them when I was locked out and was connected within one minute of hold over the phone. On the other hand, when I called Hotels.com or Travelocity.com for problems with my hotel or airline booking, I was on hold for more than 45 min--before being connected to somebody who couldn't even speak English.
Posted by
Paris
10201 posts
One brand of aparthotels that are present in France is Citadines.
I have no experience of them.
Posted by
Panguitch, Utah
2703 posts
The other brand of aparthotels is Adagio:
Posted by
Florida
211 posts
Guest Apartment Services has been around along time and is reputable and I have had good experience with them.
Posted by
92 posts
I disagree about all apartment rentals for tourists being flawed. Had an excellent apartment through an owner's own website in 2008 but more recently a perfect experience with http://www.parisvacationapartments.com in 2018. All their apartments are approved and legal. They will send you the registration number on request.
Posted by
Panguitch, Utah
2703 posts
They will send you the registration number on request.
That is not the way the law works. Legal apartments must have the 13 digit registration displayed as part of any online advertisement. Anyone, not honestly including the registration number as part of an online advertisement and only sending it out on request, is hiding something.
The rental laws in Paris have change dramatically since just last year when the city won a final appeal from Airbnb and is now doubling enforcement efforts.