Where to stay in Paris? We want to try again!

Try lodgis.com. The agency takes pictures of everything so there are no surprises, if you know how to read the photos. You even see the toilet. We've used them for several years and have never been deceived. Good luck.

You might be happier in a fine, well-located hotel. Check out Millesime Hotel in Saint-Germain des Prés. http://www.millesimehotel.com/home-en.php

Am I reading this correctly? You spent one night in Paris, then flew back to Seattle?

Pennie, I'd also suggest using a Hotel. Given your location, you might find it helpful to take a drive out to Edmonds one afternoon and peruse the Guidebooks in the Library at ETBD. They contain listings for Hotels and other lodgings in various areas of Paris, including website addresses. That would also give you an opportunity to speak with Rick's excellent staff, and they may have some good suggestions for you (given your medical issues). Hopefully your next visit to Paris will be a wonderful and memorable one. Good luck!

Pennie - we used www.rentalfrance.com and rented the Rue St Paul apartment. The agency was excellent to deal with and I would highly recommend them.

I'm with Eileen - one night and back home because of a poorly decorated apartment? Really? And your husband is willing to give it another try? Really?????

Suggestions. 1) Surprise arrangements often don't work. Consultation with all parties usually works better. 2) Studio apartments often seem cramped for more than one person. A one-bedroom apartment works better unless both people can tolerate really close quarters. 3) Carefully examine the photos of the apartment posted on the website. Discount 25-50%; photos can make things look better than they really are. Wide-angle lenses make spaces appear larger than they are. 4) Read reviews of the apartment or hotel. Get recommendations.

This does seem quite bizarre, I have to agree with a few others. Did you really spend only one night in Paris? Was it not an option to check out and find another hotel before leaving and flying back to Seattle? I would be interested in what your barriers were in that instance. Regardless, I do have a couple thoughts for you. Obviously your accomodations are very high priority and hopefully you have learned to never ever again try to surprise yourself. Always do your research and know what to expect. If the accomodations are not to your liking, check out and find a local TI to help you with something more suitable. Lastly - for your situation I imagine that the typical chain hotels would offer you consistent, reliable standards that you would be used to. A Sheraton or a Hilton or anything like that would be pretty much the same no matter where you went. Same sort of size, decor and cleanliness. Hope that helps for future.

To the OP: If you were actually being serious in your original question here's what I'd suggest. Just check into the George V or else the Hotel Crillon!

Lots of trolls on the Helpline lately, don't feed them.

I'm with Eileen and Steve. Really? Left after 1 day and went home? Been there done the bad rental. We just left and went to an Etap and spent 2 weeks.

One thing is many Parisian apartments are small. As for decoration it is just a matter of taste, so the best is to choose from photos, but make sure the people you will be renting from are professional and check their reputation on the Internet. If it helps, I can tell you this is the apartment I rented a while ago while on vacation in Paris, and it was just superb, exactly as described and shown on the pictures http://www.nyhabitat.com/paris-apartment/vacation/2590 Its terrace is absolutely wonderful, I loved having coffee there. The same site has other bigger apartments, and there are reviews that you can read, I think it has become important to be able to check reviews before renting an apartment, there are so many offers everywhere these days. I wonder if your husband had selected an apartment that had reviews? Personally, this is the first criteria I look for before making any decision.

DNFTT

Yes, DNFTT! good grief...

Thank you for all the suggestions.I know it is hard to believe we stayed so short of time. Traveling with my type of disability can require precautions. Went out to Rick Steve's and we were so impressed at the store and library! Everyone was so great and super helpful. So lucky we live so close. I didn't go into too much detail about the apartment in my post. It was dirty,dark and musty and the bathroom area was not behind any type of door or divider. The toilet was just 4 feet from the bed with a mirrored wall behind it. It was more like incarceration than vacation. Thanks again!

So, Pennie, are you going back to Paris?

The hotel http://www.hotelsophiegermainparis.com/ is a nice sober place with spacious rooms. You have any claustrophobic impression. The area of Alesia is also very safe, there are large streets and avenues so you can walk around without being crowded. There's a tramway at Porte d'Orleans you can take it to go east or west and get a nice view of Paris. You could also try the hotel http://paris-hotel-rochester.com/ it's located between Blvd Haussmann - where you have a lot of shopping and the Galleries La Fayette & the Champs Elysees! You will love this area! The hotel is fancy - 4 stars - and you will like the french style and decorations they have.
Hope this helps you plan your trip and that you have a really wonderful time!