When I'm in Paris

Nowadays value is king, and vendors all across the world are lowering prices to meet customer’s expectations in an economy where there seems a little less money to go around.

As in other markets, searching for the lowest price and the deepest discount has become the focus for many in the search for vacation and business apartment rentals in Paris.

And the good news is, there are great discounts to be found in the market, if you know where to look.

There is, however, a darker side to the rush for value and discounts.

French tourism offices have been flooded with complaints from unwary visitors who have found themselves in discount apartment rentals in Paris with plumbing problems, lack of hot water, broken fixtures, and hosts of other issues with seemingly no recourse for service or help.

The recession has hit the Parisian service industry hard, and a few rental agencies in Paris have even gone bankrupt.

This means less trusted agencies to choose from, and more individual owners with little or no experience renting their apartments. As an added complication, less trusted agencies means less “tried and true” apartments to go around, which also drives traffic to offerings from inexperienced single owners.

When it comes to fly-by-night agencies and individual apartment owners, the issues are twofold:

1) Lack of a service network dedicated to helping tenants should any issue arise, and

2) Lack of experience in how to help guests have a comfortable stay that doesn’t interfere with their plans in Paris (amenities, professional and timely greeting and check-out, professional cleaning and linen, etc.).

The watchword should be “caution.”

- Be aware of prices that seem too good to be true
- Don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions about location, amenities, and whether there is a dedicated service person in case of any issues
- Be sure they have a reputation of some kind, including full contact information, testimonials and that the renter has some sort of business history

As with most things in life, remember “you get what you pay for.”

With a little caution, every visitor to Paris should be able to strike a happy balance between value and the necessities to make their stay in Paris a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.

Welcome2France.com, Paris’ leading apartment rental agency to the United States, is pleased to bring you this series of articles and to answer any questions you may have.