Hotels are no longer your only option for accommodation when travelling, and renting an apartment is becoming an increasingly popular choice for city breaks. Although they give you the freedom and privacy of having your own pied-à-terre in a new city, you can lose out on many of the benefits of staying at a hotel. Until a recent trip to La Réserve Apartments in Paris, I didn’t buy into the ‘home away from home’ idea; holidays offer a rare break from our everyday lives and should be special, so wouldn’t you want your accommodation to be something beyond ordinary?
‘A different vision of luxury’ is the calling card of La Réserve Apartments and it perfectly summarises all that they are about, combining the advantages of having your own private space with all the best bits of staying in a luxury hotel. So, unless you live in an incredibly luxurious apartment, in one of the chicest cities in the world, with views of iconic landmarks, and have your own chef, concierge and butler service on hand, then La Réserve is the perfect answer to home away from home holiday living.
Many will recognise the name from the five-star La Réserve hotel in Paris famous for its opulent, Belle Époque style interiors. Owned by Michel Reybier, La Réserve Apartments are the sister brand to the La Réserve Hotel. While Reybier’s emphasis on service-driven hospitality has been carried through to the newer apartments, the style of delivery is very different.
Arriving in Trocadéro you would have no idea that a complex of 10, five-star apartments lie behind the classically Parisian Haussmann-style facade – there are no over-sized plant pots by the door, no enormous flags with the words ‘La Réserve Apartments’ emblazoned on them declaring the hotel’s location, there isn’t even a doorman in a heavy winter coat and hat. Behind the large black doors, is an effortlessly sophisticated, bright hallway with a chequered marble floor, large mirrors and elegant white orchids: a hint of a hotel lobby but noticeably more private and serene, likely due to the absence of a waiting area or adjoining bar. Upon entering, I was quickly met by the concierge who quickly checked me in and showed me to my private apartment: a three-bedroom duplex on the fourth floor with breath-taking views of the Eiffel Tower.
Entering the apartment, my eyes were immediately led to the living area; light spilled in from the windows illuminating three great sofas and, at the back of the room, light danced off three crystal decanters containing whisky, brandy and vodka. On the other side of the seating area is a large wooden table that can be used for dining or hosting meetings; depending on the purpose of your trip. Across the hallway you have your own fully equipped kitchen which comes with a fridge full of small snacks and drinks. The entire apartment has a sense of refined simplicity; plush soft furnishings are juxtaposed by sharply cut, dark wooden pieces to give the apartment a sense of well-designed, modern luxury. If during your trip you are hosting a party or business meeting, or if you simply dislike the way the rooms are laid out, you can have the furniture moved to suit your needs.
Up the curving, block stone staircase, on the second floor, there are three bedrooms all with en-suites. The master bedroom has its own walk-in-wardrobe and a large, marble-covered, en-suite bathroom. You can judge the standard of a hotel by the quality of their bathrooms and La Réserve Apartments did not disappoint. One of the perks of staying in a place so unashamedly luxurious is the quality of their bathrooms; it may not be something that occurs to you when booking a rental, but choosing La Réserve Apartments means you get hotel-quality towels, gowns and toiletries, rather than towels that have been put through the washing machine at high temperatures over and over again.
Dragging myself away from the apartment, I spent the afternoon exploring the south bank of Paris, walking down past the Eiffel Tower and on to the Rodin Museum. There are many destinations worth a visit nearby: art lovers should head east to Place d’Iena where you’ll find The Guimet Museum, housing one of the biggest collections of Asian art in Europe, and the Palais de Tokyo and Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. If you’re more interested in Haute Couture that high art, the nearby Avenue Montaigne is like the Louvre of fashion and is home to Dior, Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci; La Réserve can arrange for a personal shopper to guide you through the busy street. If you visit in the spring or summer, borrow La Réserve’s bikes, have a picnic made up for you and spend a lazy day in the Bois de Boulogne.
I returned from my wanderings to find a bottle of Michel Reybier’s own champagne and a box of macaroons from the nearby Carette patisseries left in my apartment by La Réserve’s manager, Facira Mercenier; the perfect way to end an evening in Paris and further proof that the staff at La Réserve will go beyond the call of duty to ensure you have a memorable stay. Paris is known as the city of lights, and watching the Eiffel Tower as it lights up with thousands of sparkling lights at night from the comfort of your own living room, really brings that saying to life.
The next morning, after a long sleep in the incredibly comfortable bed, I woke and went downstairs ready to cook my own breakfast only to find it already beautifully laid out for me. I strongly believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, particularly when you have a day of sight-seeing ahead of you, and having your cereal and fresh patisseries laid out with silver service really qualifies this belief.
All the staff I met while staying here were exceptionally friendly and eager to help in any way possible; they are all committed to giving you exactly what you want and will help you personalise your stay to suit you as much as they can. Having staff on hand to help you with any small problem is one of the major benefits of staying at a hotel in a foreign place; they can help you with directions, getting tickets or even with things as simple as losing your door key. This is obviously something missing from many rented holiday apartments, but not at La Réserve. The team consists of a 24/7 butler and concierge service and a personal housekeeper who, as well as cleaning your apartment twice a day, can do your food shopping for you. If this isn’t enough, you can also request a personal shopper, tour guide, private chef, or even a babysitter.
Address: 3 Avenue d’Eylau, 75116 Paris, France
Phone: +33 1 53 70 53 70
