Villa Rentals: Americans in Paris

A New York villa rental company specializes in the City of Light.

text by: Kim Fredericks

February 1, 2008

Much like New York has Fifth Avenue, Paris has the sixth arrondissement. The area, located on the Left Bank, offers visitors a sensory feast of bustling sidewalk traffic, art galleries, cafes and the Jardin du Luxembourg, the city’s largest public park. "It’s the place where 90 percent of our customers want to be," says Rita Borges, managing director of Paris Luxe Apartments. Founded in 2002, the New York company manages a collection of luxury apartments throughout Paris, catering to travelers who are short on time but longing to take a vacation that lets them live like Parisians.

The company, which carries a Better Business Bureau seal of approval, enforces a strict set of rules for the apartments in its collection. Its website allows users to browse through more than 50 apartments based on location, size or rate. The site even mentions whether or not a unit has air conditioning. Paris Luxe also includes airport transportation, complimentary museum passes and a concierge to greet guests, arrange dinner reservations and explain the workings of the apartment.

Though staying in an apartment offers a more spacious option, visitors who are accustomed to hotel services may be more comfortable in a hotel, cautions Borges. "With our apartments travelers can live like a Parisian: You can go to the market, cook for yourself and have friends over and entertain in your own space," she says. "But if you want room service and housekeeping on the hour, you might want to stay in a hotel." For those who wish to be immersed in a French lifestyle, Paris Luxe offers an array of apartments that cater to a person’s tastes and vacation plans.

History buffs will enjoy La Fontaine, a 1,850-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment set in an 18th-century carriage house. Available for $12,000 per week (current rates may fluctuate in accordance with the euro), the home features original beams, vaulted ceilings, traditional French wallpaper and fabrics, and a collection of antiques from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries that make it popular with romantics, says Borges. "Details like the traditional French wallpaper matching the bedding remind you that you’re in Paris," she says.

The 1,500-square-foot Aimee ($16,000 per week) displays the owner’s personal collection of African artwork. The home rests above a first-floor restaurant, Le Bon Saint-Pourcain, which will send a chef to prepare meals for guests in the apartment.

Less spacious but just as dramatic is the 1,230-square-foot Bizet ($4,800 per week), a two-bedroom apartment tucked into the arches of the Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris, built by Henry IV in 1605. Bizet is within walking distance of the National Picasso Museum, the Musée Carnavalet, Notre Dame and the Seine River. "The apartment faces a park across the street," says Borges. "When you open the windows, you feel like Marie Antoinette."

Borges says the Antoinette and Toulouse apartments are the best options for American travelers who want the familiarities of home. Located in the Latin Quarter, Antoinette ($3,998 per week) is a cozy one-bedroom penthouse apartment with views of the Seine River, various nearby dining options and a close proximity to the Louvre. In the same neighborhood, the Toulouse ($4,527 per week), a 750-square-foot one-bedroom apartment, allows for outdoor dining on an open balcony and shopping on nearby rue de Buci and St. Germain. Both apartments are owned by the same American investment banker, who added personal touches such as fine linens, built-in kitchen appliances, espresso machines and air conditioning.