fishee

Does anyone have an opinion on this small studio apt on Rue Princesse in the Latin Quarter?http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacat...als/15852.html
Our other option is the Hotel Jardin de L'odeon for only 101 euro/night but I've heard the rooms are inconsistent and we're checking in a little late so I'm not optimistic about getting one of the nicer rooms. The Rue Princesse studio is less than 300 euros for three nights and the woman seems very nice. Any thoughts or opinions would be great -- need to make a decision after I sleep on it tonight. thanks all.

fishee

There are better pics of the studio here:

http://www.beau-paris.com/_apt/princesse/en_index.htm

AnthonyGA

The apartment is very well located, well into the Latin Quarter on a street that is filled with restaurants, cafés, and clubs/pubs. It is within easy walking distance of the rest of the Latin Quarter and there are several Métro stations nearby. Of course, I can't comment on the apartment itself, but the location is good. Twenty-three square metres is a pretty common size for studios.

fishee

thanks for the feedback GA. Both places seem well located but I'm going to try the more charming looking studio. I'll post if it's as nice as it looks.

shellio

Rue Princesse will be a noisy street in the evenings, with several restaurants and a night club. You may want to determine whether the windows open on the street or on an interior court if you're a light sleeper.

fishee

I believe she said the apt was located on the courtyard although I was initially disappointed to hear this -- no cute windown overlooking the cobblestone street. But it sounds like you're saying that for most busy streets, we should try to stay in courtyard rooms to avoid the noise and forgo the photo opp. winidows?

francophile03

Be aware that 'courtyard' doesn't always mean a cute courtyard that we think of. It is a general term meaning that the room is not overlooking the street. There is usually no nice views only those of the apartment building next door, an airshaft, a wall, etc.

Christina

That street is going to be very noisy -- I think there's some club or disco on it, and the studio is on the first floor, so it will be very noisy on the street. What Francophile says is true -- a courtyard is not necessarily anything but an opening into an interior space, but might be quiter.

Well, it's up to you -- I don't think the apt. is cute as it's very dull and cheaply furnished (the artwork alone would be a dealbreaker for me as I think it is horrendous), but if you think it's cute, go for it.

francophile03

Since Christina mentioned it first, I'll be honest and say that the apartment, while inexpensive and is well-located for sure, is not charming. If I'd to choose between it and the hotel room, I'd choose the latter.

fishee

Actually, I really disliked the idea of being on the courtyard until the poster told me that overlooking the street (which I thought would provide a better view) would be noisy!

While the hotel website has beautiful rooms, I found a picture of their standard rooms on another site (rooms I fear getting since we're checking in at 6:30 pm) that look like a bad Holiday Inn -- industrial grade, bluish pebble-textured carpeting, cheap mirrored closet doors, etc. The studio is simple and tiny, yet at least it's brightly colored and there's no old, dirty carpet. For 260 Euro total for 3 nights I'm tempted to take it... If I could guarantee I'd get one of the nicer rooms at Jardin de L'odeon this would be a no brainer but I didn't want to pay more and end up getting even worse than the apt. Ideally the studio would have better furniture to lounge on and maybe a w/d (although we may not need it anyway) -- but I feel like I know exactly what I'm getting for less than 87 euros a night. I can pay up to 105/night for a better studio but I'm having trouble finding something that offers more and is available at that low rate. maybe someone has?

Ceci

Fishee, I don't know which photos you've seen, but the hotel Jardin de L'Odeon, all of it, was remodeled a couple of years ago. And all the rooms have an Art Deco style, nothing like the typical H. Inn, although not the usual flowery wall paper and frou-frous you usually find in Paris hotels.

There are, if I'm nor wrong, recent photos posted on Trip Advisor, along with mostly quite good, if not rave reviews about it. Same on the Cybevasion web site.

However, obviously, it's your choice. It's you who's staying there, not me.

francophile03

Fishee, is the Jardin de l' Odeon the only hotel choice you have? There are other hotels in the same district for about the same price. I recommend the Hotel Michelet Odeon. http://www.hotelmicheletodeon.com/English--prices.phtml

The hotel has some rooms that overlook the Theatre de l' Odeon; of course, it's not a guarantee but a request. I read that the rooms are a good size for Paris.

fishee

My business trip to London was cancelled so now my girlfriend is just begging the apartment landlord to return some of our deposit. This deposit issue might be one reason why hotels are often a safer bet -- you don't always pay penalties if you cancel in time -- just something to keep in mind when weighing apt/hotel options out there. And I'll never plan a vacation around a business trip again...

fishee

Wanted to leave a report in case someone does a search for this place in the future. After the BF business trip got cancelled, I went to Paris by myself and stayed at the studio apartment Rue de Princesse and it was great. The studio itself was just O.K. -- but it was in a wonderful neighborhood on a tiny side street with cafes, clothing boutiques and restaurants (nice Vietnamese place a few buildings down) surrounding me the second I stepped out the door (or rather, big huge heavy green gate). This was ideal for me since I was travelling alone and liked the active feel of the place.

Despite being in the middle of things, the studio wasn't noisy at all (although I always sleep with earplugs when I travel), and I actually overlsept two mornings in a row. The studio furniture was cheap and the place got very little sunlight but ultimately I was really satisfied for the price 250 euros/3 nights given the great location. I think it was a very good place for a solo traveler, but I would definitely pay more for an apt with better ambience if I were with my boyfriend. If I were still on a student budget, I'd be very happy to stay here as a couple.

I planned on taking a cab to the apt. from the St Germain Michel metro station but by the time I crossed Saint Germain Blvd to get to a less crowded spot to flag a cab, I realized I could already see the cross street I was looking for. It was literally only around a 4 minute walk which was great with my big rolling suitcase.

Having an apartment in such a central location was great. It was wonderful to be able to pop in several times a day to change clothes, take a short nap, make a phone call, grab a snack before heading to a cafe for espresso, whatever. The small kitchen allowed me to leisurely drink coffee the moment I got up, and I was able to buy outstanding cheeses, pates, bread, fruit, pastries, etc. -- I'd never actually cook anything... I loved having such great food for morning and/or afternoon since I never felt like I was settling for mediocre food. The items that I purchased at the charcuteries and fromageries were much higher quality than what most sidewalk cafes and bistros were offering in the afternoons -- and of course much less expensive. I just really enjoy buying food in little markets when I'm travelling, (probably because I enjoy eating throughout the day and I like to snack at night). One potential issue might be the tiny bathroom -- I thought it was cute but I'm a small person (5'3 and 110 lbs) and I think a larger man or woman could be a little uncomfortable in that space. Shower was fine though.

The apt. experiecne was so good that I'll never stay in a hotel in Paris (unless someone else is paying for a room at the Four Seasons.) This particular apt was very comfortable as a pitstop, but it's not the kind of place you'd enjoy just languishing about in for any amount of time. Owners were very nice people, apartment was clean, decent shower, reasonable rate.

fishee

There are several apts for rent on Rue de Princesse so to clarify, the owner's name is Nathalie, a very nice woman, BTW.

Mara

Thank you for that review. I have that apartment down as a possibility for a future trip. However, the website mentions a 600€ security deposit which seemed a bit high.

fishee

Are you sure it's the same place?? (the link to the listing is in the first post). The cost of ALL the furniture in this studio can't be worth more than 200 euro...

If you are indeed talking about Nathalie and Jacques, they are quite reasonable and negotiable. She initially asked for a money order for deposit but I told her the service fees were too high and when I suggested paypal she kindly agreed. I actually paid no deposit at all since we didn't meet up in Paris and they trusted me to leave the balance of my rent in the apartment before I left. Tell her 600 euro is too high and I'm sure she'll work with you, I would never leave more than 100 euro deposit for this particular apt. Good luck and have fun in Paris! I was very glad I stayed in the Saint Germain Des Pres area vs. the Latin district (directly east) which was too much like a college-town given what I was looking for.

lyndash

Thanks for the follow-up report. It is nice to hear the verdict on an apartment/hotel choice. Did the apartment look as it appears in the photos? smaller or bigger? I think a great location and great price for a quick trip to Paris makes that studio a real consideration. Thanks for sharing. lynda

fishee

If you're looking at the pictures on this site:

http://www.beau-paris.com/_apt/princesse/en_index.htm

I'd say the studio felt a bit smaller than what's represented in that wide top picture. But it still felt much larger than an average 3-4* hotel room in Europe.

For instance, I stayed at the 4* Riverbank Plaza hotel in London for a few days prior to coming to Paris. That was a brand-new uber modern hotel (similar to a W) with decent-sized rooms with partial and full views of the river Thames and I was much more comfortable in this little, cheaply furnished studio. The studio had a separate hallway where the bathroom was, a separate space for the little kitchen, and then the bedroom space you see pictured. It really had the feel of an apartment because of these distinct spaces.

As I mentioned before, the apartment got very little sunlight and I don't think you would ever guess that from the web-site pictures. However, this didn't bother me too much since I was in the apt drinking coffee and getting ready in the morning for only around 45 minutes before I was out the door. I'd stop in for around 30 min a couple times a day and I'd return at night to crash on the bed and make plans for the next day. There really isn't lounging furniture -- I did most everything sitting/laying on that bed although I did have my laptop on the table. Another nice thing was that they had a phone for free local calls, making it very easy to call the states with my calling card.

towens322

Is this the same hotel as the Hotel de l'Odeon in St. Germain?