Opera Vendome 2

Bonjour Bernard
I had a fantastic week in Paris staying in your Vendome 2 apartment in June 2010. A friend stayed there two years ago and reccomended the apartment. It was so good to be met at the front door by Bernard and taken up to the apartment and given a run down on eating, shopping & the metro. This was my third trip to Paris and the location of 22 Avenue de l'opera is great as most of the big attractions are in walking distance. I will be telling any friend travelling to Paris that this is the place to stay.

The Opera Vendome 2 was a great central location in Paris for my husband and I to stay for 5 nights. The apartment has a good sized bed that was very comfortable and full bathroom with plenty of hot water. The place was spotless and we had no problems at all. There was no ac, but in May there was no need for it at all.. the floor to ceiling windows were perfect to leave open at night since the place looks onto a courtyard and is very quiet. The kitchen was also great to have. We shopped at the Monoprix grocery across the street and brought things home to put in the fridge. There is a great place (Chez Paul) for breakfast every morning with fresh croissants and then the metro right across the street at Pyramides station and another metro about 5 minutes up the road at Opera.
We never met Bernard but we communicated easily with him via email and had no issues paying up front since he emailed us a contract. Overall, if you are looking to stay and live like a local, this is the place for you. I was skeptical but enjoyed staying here much more than in a hotel and would def. stay again!!

Een prima appartement op een locatie die zeer centraal en tegelijkertijd ongelooflijk rustig is.
Alle comfort aanwezig, uiterst prettig persoonlijk getint. Het voelt in alle opzichten als het huis van vrienden in plaats van een gehuurd appartement.

Bonjour Bernard!

We had a lovely stay at the apartment OPERA VENDOME 2 during New Years. The apartment was charming, quiet & clean. Location was perfect. We'll definitely be recommending your apartments to family & friends. Take care!

Kim

Just to join all that was previously said about the appartment and Bernard himself. The location, the quality of the building and the appartment itself are STUNNING. We could not think of a better way to enjoy every day spent in Paris - everything you might need is in the walking distance and if not - metro is just across the street. We recommended it to all our friends, who planned to travel and will do so in the future. After staying in Opera Vendome 2 no place will be good enough for you:)

Not ever having stayed in Paris we were pleasantly surprised to arrive at Opera Vendome 2.. Arriving quite late in the evening Bernard was there to meet us at the bus stop and couldn't be more helpful or charming. The location is just fabulous and I felt very safe & comfortable in the apartment and in the surrounding area...It felt like home for a week .. we couldn't have asked for a more comfortable or affordable apartment...would recommend to anyone, and would definately stay again if/when in Paris.
Julie & Ian Davidson

Hi Bernard,

Why do we stay with you in Avenue de l’Opéra when we are in Paris?

Firstly it’s price.
In dealing directly with you, the owner, we are able to avoid dealing with intermediary parties who add absolutely no value but add directly to our costs.

Secondly it’s convenient.
We let you know when we want to stay and it’s booked!

Thirdly, it’s the apartment itself.
It’s quiet. Being on the inner courtyard means that we have no street noise – not that Avenue de l’Opéra is very noisy. A number of the other tenants in the building are professional, so they’re only there in the day. Many other residents are owners or long term residents of Paris, hence, facing on the inner courtyard there are none of the noises that unfortunately arise from international visitors who are enjoying Paris for the first time! In fact I didn’t tell you that we had to take the battery out of the clock that is so well displayed in your You Tube view of the apartment! The ticking kept us awake!
It’s the right size for us. The bed/living room has plenty of space – not like some in Paris in which you have to walk across the bed to get out or to get into the plastic cubicle called a bathroom! There is more than adequate hanging and storage space – very important or my wife – and good solid hangers too! The bathroom allows us both to fit in without complaint and the shower gives a good flow of water! Sue also does enjoy her bath! The kitchen is the right size to enable us to prepare breakfast and make our picnic lunches (thanks to the proximity of Monoprix). As you know, we have tended to use our stays in Paris to enjoy restaurant food, so we have not needed to use the adequate facilities to satisfy Sue’s desire to exercise her culinary skills.
It’s bright and well appointed. There is plenty of light through the two sets of double doors to the balcony – not that we have ever sat there – too busy getting around Paris. So it’s very pleasant to sit in the room in the morning or when we come back from an outing, or even to sit with a couple of friends for an aperitif before dinner. The furniture is good and the bed very comfortable and not too soft or hard.
It’s architecturally appealing. It’s nice to think about the family that must have owned the building originally – who was it that paraded up the grand staircases and took the open elevator? But it is a bit worrying that you commented that at one stage the CIA occupied it! We have never found any bugging devices!

Fourthly, it’s the location. With our interest in food it is so nice to be able to walk to Le Grand Véfour in less than 5 minutes, and to Le Meurice, Aux Lyonnais, and across the river to Ze Kitchen Galerie in less than 15 minutes. But also, with the Pyramides Metro right at our door it’s so easy to reach any of our favourite Bib Gourmand restaurants very quickly.
It’s also very nice to be able to stroll out your door to the Louvre, the Rivoli, the Orangerie, the Seine, the Opéra and Galeries Lafayette and even to stroll back from the Champs-Elysées amid the celebrations when France beat the All Blacks in the World Cup!
Also being within a short walking distance of Hôtel Drouot had its excitement as we noted a “possible” Picasso that went for € 200 last year! However, my wife better appreciated her purchase from the nearby Rue Vivienne’s Jean Paul Gaultier boutique to which you drew to her attention!

Finally, it’s you.
It has been wonderful to make your acquaintance over the last few years and to meet the children and your wife. It has been so nice to discuss with you our love of France and the various Departments that we have visited. We now feel that we have a good friend in Paris!

George & Sue
Sydney
Australia