An unforgettable Adagio week-end in Paris

Dear Susan and Tom,

John and I just got home from Paris last night and we enjoyed a fantastic city breaks in Paris! We can't any more to post this review and to tell you what we've discovered during 5 days in this incredible city which is Paris!

After lots of internet research to book an hotel for 5 days, I came back from my business trip to Brussels (where I’m still monthly going to the European Commission), with a funny ad from the Thalyscope Magazine promoting the aparthotel concept: apartments ready to live in with hotel services for 4 days and more stays. It was “Adagio City Aparthotel” brand, a quite new brand apparently, which has aparthotels in Europe.

This advertising was saying that you can come with your habits and live at your own rhythm in the aparthotel.

I told John about it, and one evening at home, we’ve been on the Adagio website (the address is www.adagio-city.com if you want to have a look). We spent lot of time on it to discover the concept and each Pars address because there is 12 Adagio in total in Paris!

After virtual visits, pictures, and a great surf on www.adagio-city.com, we finally choose the “Adagio Paris Tour Eiffel” aparthotel because it was just 10 minutes walking from the Tour Eiffel, the perfect place to stay when you come to Paris!

We were so impressed with our hotel choice that we want to tell everybody about Adagio!

Furthermore, by Eurostar it’s just so quick to come from London: 3 trains, 3.30 hours!

The 1^st one: Eurostar train: from St Pancreas to Paris Gare du Nord Train Station.
2^nd train: RER B from Gare du Nord to Saint-Michel Notre Dame station.
3^rd train: Subway Line 10 from Cluny la Sorbonne (beautiful station) to Charles Michels.

The staff were so friendly, helpful and available all hours of the day and night to answer to all of our questions, to advise us on the district, the nearest shops, and on what to discover around the 15^th district close to the aparthotel.

We had a studio with hardwood floors and a couch, and a bed that came down from the wall. It was the most comfortable mattress! Between that and the warm comforter and soft pillows....it was hard to get out of bed each morning to go and visit Paris! The only bad point was the obligation to be 24/7 with the air-conditioning, as the building is an “IGH” Immeuble de Grande Hauteur, it’s impossible to open the window. Quite a shame during 5 days…

We had a bathroom with very modern decor and a kitchen very well equipped with all the conveniences of home (microwave, sink, refrigerator, utensils, pots, pans, etc - even a dishwasher!). It was just perfect for John and I, because we didn’t want to go to restaurants or fast foods all the time ( Paris is great, but Paris is an expensive city!), and in this way, we cooked at any time we wanted. That's why the aparthotel concept is a really good alternative to your budget! Having breakfast and dinner in your flat during 5 days is quite interesting financially! The good solution as well to enjoy great “cafés” and “terrasses” for lunch time during visits!

After some grocery shopping to a supermarket where you can buy everything from clothing to gifts to groceries: “Monoprix” of Beaugrenelle Shopping Centre (19 rue Linois) we’ve prepared on the 2^nd day, our favourite meal: baked potatoes with tuna and cream (I’ll give you the recipe next week!). We found this great store in the “Practical Info” guide which was in the apartment: the complete guide for your stay in the aparthotel, explaining everything you want to know about the apartment, services, the district. A very helpful guide when you’re coming in a city you don’t know!

From our room, we had a imposing view of the Eiffel Tower and an overview of Paris and its finest monuments, as well as the River Seine. It's just an incredible panorama of Paris, and so crazy to see the sunset from the apartment!

On the 3rd evening, Tom prepared all the dinner with candels, flowers bought from the market (St Charles Market, tuesdays and fridays from 7am to 2.30pm, 2 minutes away from Adagio), with typical French food as "Foie gras", "escargot" and Champagne, it was just wonderful! Lots of souvenirs and a great lovers evening in front of the winkling Tour Eiffel for the dessert!

The aparthotel is in walking distance to the Metro, which takes you everywhere. If you chose to stay around the hotel, there are plenty of shops, cafes, bistros, restaurants, boulangeries with French croissant : un délice to start a visiting day!

Things to see, things to do:

• The Eiffel Tower, the Champs de Mars and the Trocadero.
•  Strolls along the banks of the Seine or in the Parc André Citroën.
  
• Shopping in the avenues of the 15th arrondissement and the rue du Commerce.
• The Palais de Chaillot which houses several museums including the Marine Museum, the Chaillot National Theatre, as well as the worksite for the future City of Architecture and Heritage.
• The brand new museum of the Primitive Arts (Quai Branly).
• The Palais de Tokyo devoted to modern and contemporary art.

Each evening, after a long day walking accross Paris, we went for relaxation to the fitness area with swimming pool and fitness room available from 6.30am to 10pm! A good way to have a zen break!

To conclude on our adagio stay in Paris, we can tell you that we liked the best was the autonomy, the independance we had in our aparthotel and the services available at the reception desk. We loved being able to sleep uninterrupted, have dinner at 10pm and enjoy the city at our own rhythm! Apartments are really fully equipped with their own vaccums and brooms and if you need fresh towels, you just have to ask the front desk and they will gladly replenish your supply. With the free internet access and the Business Center (which never closes), we stayed connected via e-mail with our families and when sent them pictures!

We had such a great stay at this Adagio Aparthotel and such a wonderful trip to Paris. It was such a pleasurable experience from the aparthotel concept that we didn't know before! We love this aparthotel and highly recommend to Tom and you if you want to have a lovers city breaks in Paris or wherever in Europe!

Indeed, the staff told us that Adagio City Aparthotel has a European network with aparthotels in Brussels, Berlin, Wien, Rome, Basel, etc, for business or for leisure travel, so I'm sure that you'll guess where I will go for my next business trip to Brussels: Adagio Brussels Centre Monnaie, at the heart of the European Capital!