Les Patios du Marais

Three of us fit comfortably in this lovely little apartment, and we were very happy with our choice. The place was very clean and the beds were comfortable. Just down the stairs there were three small cafes for morning coffee, a boulangerie with all kinds of wonderful pastries, lots of lunch and dinner options, and a wine bar. The Louvre and the Hop o Hop off Bus were within walking distance too.

I enjoyed unwinding on the quiet ground-floor patios with a cold drink after the kids were in bed. Our family of five fitted well in the clean, cozy apartment, and the staff were friendly and helpful when we arrived. There’s a nice little kitchen, plenty of hot water and fast WiFi. The rooms show a bit of wear, and the showers are small for a 6 foot, 200 pound American adult. We could hear our neighbors’ plumbing, but nothing else. Cafes and a small grocery store are about a five-minute walk away. There’s no air conditioning, though that wasn’t an issue at the time of year we visited. My son insists I mention the ice cream shop a minute from the front door.

A great base for exploring Paris, and I wish we’d stayed longer. It’s on a lovely little street with a coffee shop, butcher and lots of other nice shops. When we reported that the kettle had tripped the electricity, the host responded within minutes and brought a brand-new one straight to our unit. It looked as though the previous tenants had overfilled the kettle and water had got into the electronics.

The neighborhood has loads of restaurants and markets, but it was hard to find the place because there was no sign. We also spent ages looking for check-in. The door was shut and there was a sign in French we couldn’t read. We didn’t get the internet details right away, so we ended up going up and down the stairs five times. There’s no elevator, which was a pain with luggage, and we were on the 5th floor. Inside, the rooms were dusty when we arrived and blazing hot, especially upstairs. That part of the apartment is very cramped, easy to bump your head in and hot at night. The stairs are steep and easy to trip on.