by Heather Cassell
Arriving in the dead of night, the tiny street that makes up one side of a triangle on sections of Rue la Fayette and Rue du Faubourg Montmartre in the Grands Boulevard neighborhood for a moment we were lost and confused upon arriving at our hotel.
Approaching the building it looked like all of the other businesses along the quiet street, closed for the night, rather than a hotel or apartment building, which is what we were expecting. The metal roll-down door was closed. This was our introduction to Cosy’s Apartments Cadet (7 Rue Cadet, +33 1 75 00 18 44, . cosys-residences.com) in Paris, France.
Upon closer inspection there was a door to the right with a doorbell and call box to the front desk along the side of the door, but we didn’t have to fumble around to figure it out.
We heard our names called from somewhere in the night. Our friends were drinking across the street at Snoobar Restaurant / Les Saveurs du Moyen Orient (14 Rue Cadet), a Lebanese hookah bar and lounge, waiting for us. One of them was already walking toward us with the key to the room to let us into the building.
As soon as we dropped our luggage into the room, we joined our friends for champagne at the Snoobar Restaurant. We quickly learned that the owner’s wife, Liz, was from Chicago. She immediately recognized we were Americans and befriended us. She was very friendly. Having lived in Paris for a while, she gave us insider tips to be on the lookout for against pickpocket scams in the touristy areas of Paris.
“I want you ladies to have a good time in Paris,” she told us before disappearing into a private room of the bar where a private party was happening.
Liz and her husband provided great service in a very friendly and fun atmosphere. After a long day out on the town during our stay we often ended up having our night-cap in the lounge.
In the morning light Cosy’s Apartments Cadet and the street was completely different. Bakeries, cafes, restaurants and shopkeepers rolled up their graffiti metal doors, pulled out tables and chairs to clothing and bags out onto the street to reveal a quaint sweet neighborhood.
The staff downstairs at the apartments even changed. Girls sat behind the front desk rather than the young men who occupied the position at night. They greeted us in English, but responded to those of us in the group who wanted to practice our French warmly and enthusiastically. Particularly one girl, whose name I failed to get, was happy to assist me with improving my French as I spoke to her in my childish broken French phrases and reading off what I wanted to say through the iTranslate app on my iPhone.
The Apartment
The apartment was modern with an open floor plan with four rooms: two bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, stove, basic dishes, utensils, and cookware. The bathroom and toilet were separate. It was very clean and came with a flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi. It also overlooked the courtyard providing us with a morning view of Paris waking up.
The beds, including the roll out bed, were very comfortable. So we awoke rested for the coming day.
There were things that came loose in the bathroom fixture covers and the shower head kept sliding down the poll. This was the only part of the hotel that made us feel like we were staying in budget accommodations. However annoying these are minor things the hotel will hopefully fix.
Overall, the room was very comfortable and cleaned daily by housekeeping. We felt very much at home.
The Location
The Cosy’s Apartments Cadet was nestled in the 9th arrondissement in a section that is inhabited by a Middle Eastern and Orthodox Jewish community. During the day it’s filled with restaurants, cafes and shops, but at night it comes to life with bars and night clubs.
It’s also only several blocks away from the Grand Boulevards where shopping, restaurants and cafes fill the busy street and a nearly direct line to the heart of Paris where everything a tourist wants to see: the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Sacré-Cœur and much more.
We couldn’t asked for a more comfortable and enjoyable stay in Paris. The Cosy’s Apartments Cadet is an affordable place for couples, families, couples, and groups of friends to stay.
THE FLUFF
Cosy’s Apartments Cadet, 7 Rue Cadet, 75009 Paris, France. +33 1 75 00 18 44. . cosys-residences.com.
RATING: 3 = Aqua
(5 best – 0 worst: color code: 5 = midnight blue; 4 = black; 3 = Aqua; 2 = orange; 1 = gold; and 0 = green)
TYPE OF LODGING: Apartments
CHECK OUT: $ = Under $100
(Lowest price for a single night in a standard room during high-season)
WORTH THE SLEEP?: zzz = Like being at home
SWEET DREAMS: We felt welcomed by the staff whom made us feel at home and we liked that we were in a diverse neighborhood filled restaurants, shops and a vivid nightlife.
VIBE: Casual, youthful, and welcoming.
SCENE: Families, couples, and groups of friends called the apartments their temporary home in Paris.
LOCATION: The apartment is near the center of Paris making it easy to get to all of the sites and shopping in the city during the day and dining and clubs at night.
ROOM: Modern and with minimalistic decor with an open floor plan each room can be seen from the front door. Our room was a spacious junior bedroom that comfortably accommodates a group of four and snuggly accommodates a group of six.
BATHROOM: The bathroom is spacious with two sinks and is separate from the toilet, which is next to the bathroom.
AMENITIES: The room comes with a semi-equipped kitchen with cookware, dishes and glasses, flatware, stove, microwave, refrigerator, flat screen TV, cable, and Wi-Fi.
To book your stay at Cosy’s Apartments, contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel in association with Travel Advisors of Los Gatos at 415-517-7239 at .
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