As well as our hotels, the Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche group has a couple of apartments on offer for those who want to try a different Parisian experience: one large luxurious apartment on the Left Bank and one small designer studio just by the Pompidou Centre. And now we’ve finished our third apartment! In a cool area by Paris’ only canal, we’ve called it (obviously) The Canal Apartment Paris. Here’s the guided tour…

photos : JasonW

It’s a two-room apartment that has been completely renovated, with quirky details to give the place character. There’s a lot of restored furniture, old traditional French objects and – to prove that we have a sense of humour – a hint of kitsch. Here’s a quick tour..

The living room is big and bright and has a sofabed so that the apartment can sleep four people if necessary. There’s a surround sound system which plays Blu-ray discs (yes!), a proper sit-down table for eating dinner and even a working fireplace (we plan on providing wood to burn when the weather gets properly cold).

One wall has a selection of various images on it (a work in progress), and the striped wallpaper on one wall glows in the dark! (Don’t worry, it’s safe…) Some old vinyl 12″ are lined up against one wall, together with a miniature record player. If you like early nineties divas and deep house, you’ll be in heaven. If you don’t (understandable) you can always use the iPod dock that’s integrated with the stereo system.

The bedroom has a proper double bed with smart reading lights, vintage bedhead and wallpaper that we fell in love with as soon as we saw it.

The stone tiles were hidden under concrete, which was itself under a carpet. Now restored, they look impressive, like something out of a castle! The lamp that looks a little like a tree adds a nice touch in the corner, and the chairs are period and have been restored with new fabric.

This is the tiny entrance to the apartment that includes an art déco coat rack that has been brushed off and varnished.

This is the kitchen, complete with all mod cons: cooker, oven, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, refrigerator… The lino has wine corks printed on it and the plaques on the far wall have been re-purposed from the Hôtel Ferrandi, currently closed for renovation.

The bathroom has two doors, one from the hallway and one from the bedroom, so two couples sharing can each reach it without disturbing the other. Opinions diverge on the 3D Alsation and rabbit picture above the radiator, but we think it’s hilarious!

The apartment also has free broadband Internet access, cable TV, central heating and double glazing. Hopefully, you’ll be really comfortable.

And what about the area? Well, the canal Saint Martin is a beautiful, picturesque part of the city, not far from the Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord (for Eurostar, Thalys trains to Europe and direct links with both of Paris’ airports). It’s a wonderful area to stroll around, especially on Sundays when the surrounding area is pedestrianised. There’s also a large park nearby, loads of great restaurants, and lots of designer clothes shops (including a cavernous Agnès B, large American Apparel, APC…). There’s also an amazing boulangerie that won the award as Paris’ best last year (in the GaultMillau guide). You may remember that we told you about it here.

This is the view from the window followed by a few shots of the canal.

And here’s what the apartment looks like when you’re chilling out in the evening.

And that’s The Canal Apartment Paris! You’ll find a shorter description here on our site, together with a link for booking. How handy!

And as a bonus to thanks those who have read our article right to the end, here’s the video tour with the wonderful Erykah Badu as the soundtrack. Enjoy…