One small thing before we start: if you came here to check whether the apartment is available on your dates and to book it, please go to this link. If you’d like to learn about the apartment based on my own impressions, read on.
It’s no secret that rental apartment prices in Paris went up a lot in the last year. The main reason is that COVID took quite a few rental apartments off the market, since during the pandemic they were rented out long term. Add to that the war that the city of Paris is waging on Airbnb apartments, and renting an apartment to tourists has become a complicated and expensive business.
COVID aside, the Airbnb model has plenty of drawbacks, and lately, because of falling demand, owners have started charging all sorts of absurd fees that make booking an apartment plainly not worth it.
Still, even these days, with a bit of luck, you can find a few bargains. Mine came along, of all places, on a flight to… Marseille.
It all started in November 2019, when I decided to take a two-week trip to Provence. On the flight to Marseille I sat next to a nice guy named Udi, and we got talking. I told him about Francophiles Anonymous, and he told me he was in the middle of renovating a few excellent apartments in Paris that he planned to rent out to tourists.
When the plane landed we went our separate ways and I pretty much forgot about that conversation, until one day, a few years later, my phone rang and Udi was on the line. He told me the COVID pandemic had disrupted his plans a little, but now that the pandemic seemed to be behind us, he was finally about to finish renovating the apartments, and he asked whether I’d like to check out the first one, which had just been completed.
The truth? Udi couldn’t have called at a better time. Usually, when I come to Paris on my own, I stay in hotels, because I like having a front desk at any hour of the day (and, of course, the rooms getting cleaned).
This time was different, because I was planning to come to Paris with my parents, and the price of two hotel rooms was very high (quite a few hotels raised their prices, both to recover some of the money they lost during COVID and because they have less competition now that many apartments have left the market).
So when I heard about the apartment’s location and price, I didn’t have to think too hard, and I booked us a stay in September 2022.
Why rent this apartment?
An unbeatable location
Let’s start with the apartment’s amazing location (7 Rue Royale). It’s less than a minute’s walk from Place de la Concorde, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the best locations in Paris.
The first reason is that you’re within walking distance of several wonderful museums:
- Hôtel de la Marine: right on Place de la Concorde, a minute or two’s walk from the apartment.
- Musée de l’Orangerie: about a five-minute walk from the apartment.
- The Louvre: about a ten-minute walk (or even less if you walk fast).
- Musée d’Orsay: a 15-minute walk from the apartment.
- La Galerie Dior: about a 20-minute walk from the apartment.
- Musée Rodin: also about a 20-minute walk from the apartment
The second reason is how close you are to plenty of Paris attractions you can reach on foot. Here are just a few examples:
- Jardin des Tuileries: a few minutes’ walk from the apartment.
- Champs-Élysées: since the avenue starts where Place de la Concorde ends, it’s also just a few minutes’ walk away.
- Église de la Madeleine: about a 3-minute walk from the apartment (and the same goes for the food attractions right next to it).
- Les Invalides: about a 20-minute walk from the apartment.
- Eiffel Tower: about a 35-minute walk from the apartment.
And if all that isn’t enough, Place de la Concorde has 3 metro lines:
- Line 1: easily takes you to the Arc de Triomphe and La Défense (heading west) or to the southern Marais (heading east).
- Line 8: takes you to Les Invalides (if you don’t feel like walking there), the Opéra Garnier, the northern Marais and more.
- Line 12: easily takes you to Montmartre and Montparnasse.
An elegant, pampering Parisian apartment
Now that we’ve covered the simply wonderful location, let’s talk about the apartment itself. I’ve stayed there twice (so far) and really enjoyed it both times. It’s a 75-square-meter apartment on the second floor of a 19th-century building (there’s an elevator), behind an elegant wooden gate and a small courtyard. The first thing you notice, even before you walk in, is the almost total quiet, thanks to the fact that it sits behind the street front and a courtyard.
The apartment has a living room that leads to the bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, a separate toilet and a shower room. Since it’s a large apartment, it can easily sleep a couple with two small children, or two couples. In short, it can easily sleep 4 to 6 people.
As you can see in the photos, the design is classic Parisian: parquet floors, a fireplace, white wall panels and so on. There are plenty of drawers and closets for storage, the bathrooms are very well equipped (there’s even a towel warmer) and in general it’s very easy to feel at home there. The kitchen has everything you’ll need too, and needless to say, there’s WiFi in the apartment.
The bed is very large and comfortable, so much so that even Louis XIV would have felt at ease there with a mistress or two (just saying). I didn’t try the sofa beds because I didn’t need them, but I believe they’re comfortable too.
Another thing I noticed is the big TV (the size of a small movie screen) in the bedroom. Personally, I’m out sightseeing all day, and when I get back to the apartment I crash into bed and fall asleep, but if you’re traveling with kids I’m sure you’ll appreciate that screen (it’s a smart TV, of course).
Oh, and one last thing I forgot: the whole apartment is air-conditioned (no small thing, because unlike hotels, a good share of Paris apartments have no air conditioning).
In short, you’ll find everything you need here for a perfect stay!
VIP service you won’t get in any other apartment in Paris
In my opinion, one of the biggest drawbacks of renting an apartment is that there’s no front desk (unless you rent in an aparthotel), and in practice you’re pretty much on your own and have to rely on your host to meet you on time, hand you the key and be available for every question and request.
Here, on the other hand, it’s a completely different story. Udi and the people who work with him want to give you a complete experience that saves you headaches. They’ll pick you up at the airport (for a fee), help you with anything you need and even help you find tickets for Paris Saint-Germain games (for anyone interested).
I really enjoyed the warm service I got, and I felt as if I were staying in a hotel, with all the advantages of an apartment.
A private driver to pick you up at the airport
One of the unique things Udi offers is a private driver who will pick you up at Charles de Gaulle or Orly airport.
As you can see in the photo, it’s a big, luxurious and very comfortable car (my parents, sitting in the back, felt as if they were already in the apartment’s living room). But beyond that, Udi’s driver is simply a lovely person. When he took my parents back to the airport (I stayed in Paris a few more days), it turned out there was a problem with the flight, and he stayed with them until it was sorted out and my parents had gone through security. I thank him from the bottom of my heart and warmly recommend him.
Price of an airport transfer, both ways: 140 euros (or 70 euros each way).
Wait, so how much does all this cost?
The apartment rents from 490 euros a night. True, it’s not cheap, but it’s 30% less than any apartment of this size, quality of equipment, service and location you’ll find on Airbnb (feel free to check for yourself). Also, if you’re a big family that wants to stay in the city center, you’ll see that it isn’t a high price at all compared with the price of (at least) two hotel rooms in the same area.
And there’s a little bonus too: Udi agreed to give every Francophiles Anonymous reader a free SIM card with a data plan, so you won’t have to waste time and money sorting out SIM cards and getting connected. The bonus applies not only to this apartment but to all of Udi’s apartments (details about them below).
If you’d like to book the apartment, all you have to do is go to this link.
If you need a slightly smaller apartment, or the price is a bit high for you, read on.
More apartments in Paris that might suit you
As I wrote at the start, Udi has a few more apartments that are smaller and cheaper. I haven’t stayed in them yet (I hope to on one of my next visits to Paris), but I can certainly say from the photos that they are very well equipped (and of course they come with the same VIP service I enjoyed in the apartment on Place de la Concorde).
You’ll find the full list of all his apartments on the apartments page on my site.
Frequently asked questions
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