A lot of you have asked me to submit a report due to issues that you had or concerns because you are going.
We were told the same thing that everyone was-there was construction in the area but it would not impact the stay. One of our bags was %26quot;delayed%26quot; in ATL, so we were just running to the apt to take a nap on the first day. I will spare you the directions and getting in, because that was a fiasco in itself but purely our fault.
Well, as we walk in, the apartment was dirty, but we got there kinda early, so we just called to let the mananger know and we grabbed another blanket, spread it over the bed, and laid on that for a nap. But we wanted to sleep with the beautiful view that we rented it for, so we opened the blinds first.
BIG SHOCK! There were 2 cranes in the way, 10 stories up, so the crane operator%26#39;s seats were looking right in the window (it was Sat so no one was in it) However, it was foggy and rainy, so it really didn%26#39;t faze us at this point because you couldn%26#39;t see anything anyway.
We laid down and feel asleep, waiting on our call for our luggage. Well, sleep wasn%26#39;t in the plan for us. We were woken up after less than 30 minutes to the sounds of a drill in the elevator shaft. This was the only thing that truly made me angry-this was not told to us at all and it had been going on since March 30th.
So then we got up and got a good look at the apartment (the cleaning lady was on her way). It was actually bigger than what I expected from my knowledge of Euro-style apartments. It is actually a quaint apartment, very cozy, but I do not recommend it for more than 2 and a child. It had the murphy bed, which is very hard, but I like that in a bed because I have a bad shoulder so it makes it easier to lie flat. The bed has a small shelf next to it with a lamp that works to the touch-this lead to many laughs for us because I would reach for my phone or to get something and turn the light on.
The sofa does pull out but we loved sitting on it watching t.v. in French and English and Korean and Japanese. You could still see out the doors to watch the Eiffel light up. The kitchen is small but fully stocked and the washing machine really does clean and almost dry your clothes. We laid them out and hung them on the hanger and it saved me a lot of time when I got home.
The view from the kitchen is unbelievable as well.
However, the bathroom was always cold. I do recommend when you take a shower there, you close the door and get dressed in there and everything. Which, so long as they are doing construction with the cranes out front, no worries unless you want the workers to wave at you like they did me when I forgot they were there. Thank goodness I am not one to really be prudish or I would have gone home at that point. After that, the guys would wave at me and call me beautiful American. They even bought me a chocolate waffle when my hubby and I walked in that area.
I do recommend this apartment, even with the cranes in the way. The view is really spectacular and we used the cranes as a way to figure out where we were when we went to the Eiffel and the Arc.
I spoke with them at length when we returned. They were very apologetic and they will be making sure that I have a great trip when I return and stay with them again. I will probably choose the same apartment, unless we take my mother in law and kids.
The biggest problem I had was the daily elevator construction-7:30 every morning. This is why I complained like I did. The cranes were not great, but it was not something that I couldn%26#39;t get over.
I loved the apartment-my hubby and I are in our late 30%26#39;s, and we like the cozy and it was not something that wasn%26#39;t hard to roll with because we were just happy to be there and the apartment really was worth the money that we paid. It is safe, convenient, clean, and easily-accessible. It has everything close by you could need and it was again-such a spectacular view. I truly did not notice the cranes after a couple of days and with an ATM around the corner, being across the street from the TGV, being 3 blocks from a metro, and having the Monoprix and GREAT restaurants close by, it was a small thing to us when I got so much more than I bargained for in the surrounding city and the super nice neighbors in the building who were always quick with a Bon Jour and a smile. This was not something I could have gotten in a hotel for the same price, and trust me, I work for a major hotel and even with my discount would have not gotten all of that.
Yes, I will not lie, it was annoying with the cranes but we got over it pretty quick. The only thing we did not like was the elevator construction. It was still a great apartment-they should have addressed it with us first, but knowing now, I still would not have changed my mind.
Feel free to email me and I will tell you specifics if you need.
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Thank you so much for the detailed report!
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thank you so much for your %26quot;review%26quot;! after accidently stumbling across the fodor%26#39;s %26quot;ramblings%26quot;, i%26#39;ve been agonizing over whether to stick with this apartment--already have it reserved for dec., with offer of refund. since we are pretty easy going and will be thrilled just to be in paris, it sounds like a %26quot;go%26quot;! your thoughts have been sooo helpful--thanx again!
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We stayed in VIP #42 the last week in March. We were warned about the building being under renovation.This place is also marketed as having a great view.
We debated about it for a bit and then decided the apartment had other amenities we wanted and that we could live without the view. When I spoke to VIp about this theyoffered a discount. Which sealed the deal for us.
We arrived to a building covered by scaffolding. However, we still had a good view by looking through the scaffolding. We heard absolutely no construction noise. So all in all we were happy with the apartment.
As you said, at those prices what can you get in Paris that even comes close to perfection?
My only complaint was that our apartment was a little further away from Rue Montorguiel than I would have liked.That%26#39;s not VIP%26#39;s fault. I need to hone up on my map reading skills.
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We returned two weeks ago from Paris. We leased VIP #69 in the Marais. I wrote a report about it previously on Tripadvisor.
My complaint was that we were not notified that the elevator was under renovation...and had been for quite sometime before we arrived - and continued until after we left. We weren%26#39;t notified at all - and definitely would have packed lighter. We%26#39;d planned on 15 nights and since there was an elevator and we weren%26#39;t traveling from place to place - we decided to each bring a larger bag. (I have a chronic ligament problem in my feet and that meant my husband, alone, had to carry the bags up three flights of circular stairs and down again when we left). Yeah - wah wah. (sorry).
I don%26#39;t hold the VIP administration responsible - I hold the on-site manager who, apparently, did nothing to alert the US office.
But, as you said with the cranes thing - we got over it pretty fast. It was a nice apartment and we had a great time. I just wish that there was a little better communication between the on-site management and the US administration.
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As I said, we are pretty easy going. I did read the other posts by former guests and the current ones, and I do understand their problems and I would have really had a hard time dealing with it as well, especially if it was a once in a lifetime event. I am fortunate to be able to go back soon.
I agree-it was a great deal, I got a discount, and it was a really wonderful experience overall. The vacation was great!
If you are a very precise person and it needs to be perfect, then DO NOT get this apartment! If you can be flexible and make sure to do your homework to get the best deal, then I highly recommend it.
I don%26#39;t want to cast all blame on the apartment manager or owners because by the same token, I feel that VIP did bear some of the responsibility to it. But they made it right. And it was great!
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BUMP!
A lot of posts right now for apartments!
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