We have been here 5 days now and are really happy we rented an apt vs staying in a hotel. The apt really gives you a sense of what it would be like to live here and what the buildings are really like inside.
We have really enjoyed having a kitchen. It's been nice having a fridge to store drinks and some basics. The kitchen has also allowed us to not have to go out to eat for every single meal. We make coffee every morning and I run across the street for croissants. We have also brought baguette sandwiches back to the apt for lunch...although we are still buying sandwiches, we would likely go to a restaurant for lunch if we were in a hotel. So, our only big expense for meals has been dinner.
A surprising thing that I actually enjoy is not having daily maid service. Since we tend to spend our mornings in the apt, it's nice to not have to worry about feeling like you are holding the maid back from getting her work done. And, I kind of like tinkering in the apt, tidying up and don't mind making the bed. Again, it gives you a sense that you are living here for the week. There are extra towels in the apt so we don't need them to be refreshed each day. If you want more of a true getaway without any type of chores and a real escape or a luxurious spa type of trip, then an apt is not for you, but if you want to get a sense of what it would be like to live here, then I highly recommend it.
For us, this apt was a great value and we have no regrets. Although it was expensive, it was worth it for us and how we like to travel...very casually, unscheduled and we tend to spend a good amount of time in the room....lazy mormings with our coffee updating our blog and relaxing evenings after dinner. I suppose Joe and I are more homebodies (especially me) so we're ok if we miss seeing all the sights. With my everyday "scheduled" life and long work day with the commute, I really like just sitting around the apt and taking my time to get the day moving. The ability to just have a leisurly day and take the day as it comes really is the "vacation" for me. The thought of planning each day to make sure we see this or that exhausts me and ends up feeling more like work (which is why 2 day trips were enough for us). So, I guess it really depends on what you are looking for in a vacation.
The "risk" of renting an apt with Paris Pefrect is that you have to pay a deposit when you book it and then about 90 days before your trip, you have to pay for it in full. After a certain point, you can't get your money back without paying a hefty fee and as the date really gets closer, you can't get your money back at all. So, they recommend travel insurance (which we didn't get). The nice thing about paying in advance is that by the time we got here, almost the entire trip (airfare and apt) was already paid for. I like how everything was included in price...taxes, fees, wireless, phone calls. You would end up paying almost the same for a hotel (when you add up everything and if you get room service (which we typically do) the bill really goes up).
So, I would say that if you were to book an apt with this company, you should probably be as sure as you can be about the trip. And, if you are worried about the risk of something happening and not being able to come, then travel insurance makes sense. We meant to do it, but then as the trip got closer we decided to take a chance that we wouldn't need it and fortunately it worked out. Also note that the cost of travel insurance goes up as the date of your trip gets closer so if you are going to buy it, it's better to buy it when you book the trip. So overall, the risk of not getting your money back or the cost of travel insurance is the only downside of the apt and this is where a hotel is better, but for us we would take this risk again (but maybe get the travel insurance).
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