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Apartment rental- VIP #180 or #174
Hi, not posted on this board before, mostly St john, usvi. Anyway, I love Paris and am excited to return this summer with FF tickets at the same time as my son is on a student trip there, so we can meet up for a day together, then spend the rest with just my husband. I have looked at hotels, really liked the Hotel College du France, however its booked for our dates June 13-19. So, now I have either HOtel De notre dame (upper floor superior) or Hotel Residence Henri iv (standard room). To complicate matters more, I am now considering two available apartments closer to the Seine than the Residence Henri. They are Vacation in Paris #174 and VIP #180. Would love any input. We are not so worried about a/c because we are open windows type of people.
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_180.htm http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_174.htm I love the look of these apartments and they'd save us nearly $100 a day. I'd just love any input about the apartments or the company vacation in paris. Merci! |
The locations are good for sure and the rates are reasonable. I personally think #180/St Michel looks more comfy/spacious, w/ the separated sleeping alcove.
If it is an issue, they are both on the 3rd floors (4th floor US) w/o elevators. |
Thanks, janisj. #180 is 30 sq meters with no a/c, closer to the metro and $140/night. #174 is 24 sq m with a/c, farther from the metro and $150/night. Really I thought the prices were fantastic compared to the type of hotel I could get for that price.
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I think they look okay. A lot of people like staying in that area. At least the second one says it overlooks a courtyard, rather than the street, so that might help the noise. I think that street could be quieter than rue Dauphine, it's a small street with no main stores on it in that area that I know of (rue Seguier).
Several folks have talked about that company on here and said they had a good experience with them. You could search for their name if you want to read those posts. |
#180 would be my choice. I like the separate sleep area, it has a couch to also sit on,#174 doesn't show any other seating and I would want to see more pictures of it as well. One thing that I am not crazy about in 174 is that the fridge is opposite the bed and if it turns on and off all night that would bother me, but really, both look great for the price and I agree with you, you get a lot more for less money in an apartment or you get a ton more for the same money as a hotel!
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We've used VIP before and enjoyed the service. We paid in advance, in dollars to the company in New Jersey and they sent us the key to take with us to Paris. Had a fuse problem with the water heater (discovered on sunday a.m.) and called for repair. On monday a.m. 8 I believe, the agent and two electricians were knocking at the door to make repairs. Were done in about an hour and the agent was apologetic. I'd recommend them to anyone.
Good luck and enjoy. |
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hi, thanks. I have already checked on that first one and its taken for when we are going to be there.
Here are our final choices: http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_122.htm http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_180.htm http://www.parisattitude.com/apartme...umProduit=1762 http://www.vrbo.com/20279 The vacation in paris 180 would save us enough money to cover our breakfast and lunches and they have an easier reservation process, so 180 and vip122 are our top choices at the moment, although I love the view from paris attitude 1762! |
The apt with the river view seems to be right over the (possibly busy )road!
For what they charge you can get a one bedroom with VIP !!! |
Where did you end up staying? I have a hold on VIP #180
Thanks |
kitagirl, we stayed in #180 in May for 6 days. The location is good if you don't mind the 3 flights of stairs;;) There is a trick to getting the electronic key to work which was not clear in our instructions. We were lucky that someone, possibly the cleaning crew from our apt. saw our struggle and showed us where to position the key. We were also given the code to put in and that was my next step to getting into the place. I haven't posted a review on VIP because I had a few minor disappointments regarding the appartment itself but not with VIP. I wanted to give myself some time to "think" about our stay. This was my second rental in Paris with them and they are a good company to work with. Deborah
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DeborahAnn, this is our first trip to Paris. You mentioned a few minor disappointments.
Would you mind sharing these? I'm not a very picky individual, but I don't want to be surprised! I have till Monday 10AM to make my decision. Thanks for letting me know about the electronic key system. |
kitagirl, if you decide to stay here I can give you very specific things to do regarding the front door so you don't have the problems we did upon arrival. To get into the actual apt you have to go through very precise motions with two different locks, which was very tedious.
We would stay here again just because it is so conveniently located. You will be a short block from the Seine almost equal distance between St. Michel and Pont Neuf. One of the problems we had was there was not hot water in the morning during most of our stay. My husband does not take long showers and yet I had to put up with cool water most mornings and one day cold water. Not a big problem but not exactly comfortable. We have stayed in Paris many times and have always liked this area. The interior apartment is quiet, it overlooks a not pretty courtyard and right now the windows have scaffolding in front of them. I have no idea where the workers were, we could hear them but thankfully never saw anyone standing outside our windows so privacy was not an issue. Most of my disappointment was with the furnishings of the unit and from what previous guests have written the owner is not responsive to renters suggestions for improving a stay. Don't count on the TV working which in many cases is not a problem for us but there was a one day train strike planned on the day we were using the train and it would have been helpful to know what was happening beforehand. Don't expect a well furnished kitchen accessories or dishes, nor a comfortable place to eat. There is a very small side table that is supposed to be the dining area. We had to surround this with another stacking table with a tray on top and use the buffet across the room to hold even the simplest breakfast foods. Small annoyances like no wine glasses, the only coffee maker for fresh brewed coffee is a very small French press, barely more than enough for one person, not enough bowls, no colander or anything to drain washed fruits and veggies which we love to buy and eat. Just small things that kept it from being a wonderful stay for me. These things didn't bother my husband so he thought the place was fine. There are not any boulangeries near this apt. so if your idea is to pop out in the morning and get some fresh breakfast croissants it probably is not going to happen. There is a Champion store close to stock the apt. The location is what makes this a good apartment, just a couple blocks from the metro and RER B & C is worth putting up with some disappointments. If I can answer any more questions about this apt please let me know I thought the apt was fine, Ron would say good, it just wasn't great;;) Deborah |
kitagirl, forgot to say that the bed was very comfortable and there was good closet and storage space for clothing--a very important feature ;;) Deborah
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Deborah, it's those small inconveniences that are remembered the most. The reason why
we're staying in an apartment is to have the kitchen to prepare our meals and cut down on meal expenses. There will be the four of us and we may have to take turns eating! The boys will be disappointed with the non-working TV. That is always one of the first questions I'm asked when making reservations. However, they would be happy with the idea of not having to write in their journals due to lack of seating. Did the shower have a curtain? Was the shower head attached to the wall or a handheld? I didn't know what a WC was so I had to research that. It would be nice if there were pictures of the bathroom on the VIP website. I was also looking at VIP #72. It's a one bedroom in the Le Marais area. I've read nice things about the area. That apt may be more appropriate because it has more space and I want some privacy from the boys! Thanks |
Last September when six of us were in Paris together, one couple stayed in #174. They said it was very, very small studio and the bed, although a double, was quite small (they are not large people).
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oops--old thread, sorry.
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kitagirl, the tv was in the bedroom area, a 13" not flat screen. The tv is set up for a system called Alice, which we could never get to work. The shower head is removable because the one morning it was too cold to take a shower I used it to wash my hair!! There is not an oven in the unit so all cooking is done on a two burner stove top. The only food prep area is a very small space between the sink and the burners. Do you want me to email you the pictures we took of the apt?? The space was fine for two people but it would seem crowded with your sons. More space would be better for a 5 day stay. Deborah
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kitagirl, #180 has a shower stall, the bathroom is small. I looked at #72 VIP. It certainly has a better kitchen and it states that there is a dining table---a real plus if you want to have breakfast together. Having a separate toilet would be convenient with 4 people sharing the space. Being near the Pompidou is not a plus to me but I'm guessing the neighborhood is fine. You can get more info by starting a new post about the location of #72. Hope this helps, Deborah
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DeborahAnn,
Looking at your pictures would be a plus. How should I get my email to you?? I will start a new post about #72. Thanks, Kitagirl |
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