My search for the best Paris apartment rental wasn't easy. I was traveling with my mother and her three friends, and our budget was about $300 per night. I was also looking for a safe, high-end, convenient location right next to the Metro. Lastly, reserving an apartment overseas is always a bit risky, and I wasn't sure what kind of service we would receive. Luckily, with Le Pleyel, all my of our needs were met, which isn't easy for a gaggle of middle-aged Chinese ladies with high expectations.

The apartment has an older charm--it's not new and modern, but it's large and comfortable, with several lovely large windows that open out to Avenue Wagram. There's a tiny lift in the apartment, which can only hold up to 3 people at a time, but it was new and worked fairly quickly. On a small street just behind the apartment, Rue Poncelet, you can find two grocery stores and an open market with fresh produce and bakeries (like Paul, which is a famed and venerable French chain). There's also a well stocked wine shop, Les Caves, and a shop that sells Comtesse du Barry foie gras, where you can buy little tins of yummy foie gras for gifts.

We were about a 1 minute walk away from the Ternes station; you can transfer one stop away at Charles de Gaulle Etoile to basically get on every line you would need to get to all the major Parisian sights. The Arc de Triomphe is a quick walk away, and you can see the Tour Eiffel from the mini balcony.

The area we were in is considered one of the wealthier neighborhoods in the city. While there are plenty of shops on Avenue Ternes, the area overall is quiet at night. Our Parisian friends came over to visit and said we were in a terrific location. They also noted that we got a very good rate for the amount of space we had.

There's a queen bed in the master bedroom, which my mom and I shared, a pullout sofa bed in the large living room, and a twin and double bed in the second bedroom. Everyone slept comfortably. We spent every morning having breakfast together in the dining room, after buying fresh fruit from Rue Poncelet. We used the washer/dryer a couple of times and once for the dishwasher. All were in working condition.

We had a couple of small hiccups with the shower, which had trouble draining, and the cordless phone, which ran out of battery power. However, our contract at Paris Sharing, Carsten, was really responsive, and we were able to take care of both problems easily. Apparently, there's a trick to the shower to prevent drainage issues.

Finally, the last bit--the service! The folks at Paris Sharing, particularly Carsten and his intern, Yi-Ching, were phenomenal. My flight was delayed two hours, and in a mad panic, I called and e-mailed the Paris Sharing office to inform them that I would be late to check-in. I got an immediate response from Carsten, who said he had already check my flight number and would be waiting in the apartment when we arrived. He was extremely friendly and kind and offered to send his Taiwanese intern, Yi-Ching, who spoke Chinese fluently, to assist my Mandarin-speaking mother and friends, as I was leaving earlier that week and wouldn't be there to checkout. My mother praised Yi-Ching for her warmth, courtesy, and professionalism.

Upon returning home, my mother discovered she had lost one of her passports (she has dual citizenship), and Fay at Paris Sharing returned to the apartment, searched through it, and found the passport. I was so impressed with the quality of service even after we'd returned home.

I can't recommend Paris Sharing enough and will be reaching out to them for future Paris rentals. In fact, I have a friend who is seeking a rental for an upcoming family visit, and I am highly recommending Paris Sharing and Le Pleyel.

Oh, and the Paris Sharing website is very user friendly and convenient. I read the terms and paid for the rental in about 20 minutes, and then everything was set!