January 19, 2012 by Genevieve Sandifer
Winter blues got you down? Nothing a quick trip to Paris can’t fix!
Seriously though. Winter is winter in Paris too, but when you can while away the days eating delicious pastries and drinking café crème or mulled wine in a cozy café, it’s easy to become fond of the rainy days too.
Haven in Paris is offering up to 25% off in most of our Paris and London apartments, so making the jaunt over doesn’t have to break the bank. Or just use the money you saved shopping the sales – after all, they run until February 14!
Check out all of our February special offers here, or contact us now to let us do the work for you.
PS: and wouldn’t this make the most darling Valentine’s day retreat…
Written by Genevieve Sandifer for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Homes | 1 Comment »
December 23, 2011 by Genevieve Sandifer
As this wonderful year draws to a close, we can’t help but be grateful for all the amazing things we experienced in 2011:
All of this, thanks to you dear readers! Is there something you would like to see more of in 2012? Drop us a line to let us know!
On behalf of the HiP Paris team and our gloriously talented contributors, we wish you warm and happy holidays, and a fantastic new year full of love and success.
All photos Courtesy of Carams. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
April 20, 2011 by Maggie Battista
I searched for a while for my job at Haven in Paris, a role that finally combined my passions for hospitality, travel and writing into a true mash-up of, to put it mildly… utter joy. My passion for almond croissants has been totally fulfilled too. Regularly.
In a single day, I can spend equal parts discussing Paris with prospective visitors, luxury flats with their owners and all things French-inspired via this very blog. Would you like to love your job this much?
Haven in Paris is searching for our next team member, a Sales & Service Specialist based, ideally, in the Boston area. If you like Paris, luxury apartments and all things French-inspired, this may be the perfect job for you too. You must like sales and customer service too. Oh, and croissants.
Learn more about our available Sales & Service Specialist role now. (I’m kind of kidding about the croissants. Kind of.) Please email your resume and cover letter to careers@haveninparis.com.
Written by Maggie Battista for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Parisian Living, Travel | 5 Comments »
March 21, 2011 by The Kitchn
Haven in Paris and Apartment Therapy’s cooking and kitchen blog, The Kitchn, recently came together to discuss the differences between French and American kitchens. We were thrilled when The Kitchn decided they wanted to feature some of Haven in Paris’ kitchens on their fabulous and oh-so-inspiring blog! Already one of our favorite reads, we’re sure you can imagine our delight in sharing our Paris apartments with The Kitchn’s wonderful readers… We’re happy to share the article with you today here. -Geneviève
Oh, Paris! How I would love to scoot over there for a day or two this Valentine’s weekend! Paris is a classic destination for lovers, and with very good reason. The light, the romance of the city, and above all the wine and food make it such a wonderful place to wander on a romantic weekend. But if, like me, you won’t be visiting Paris any time soon, here’s a bit of eye candy and some thoughts on what makes a Parisian kitchen different from the average American kitchen.
These thoughts are from Maggie, a member of the team at Haven in Paris. Haven in Paris is a lush little collection of Paris apartments for rent — all quite beautiful and tempting. We chatted a bit about Paris kitchens, and how they tend to differ from American kitchens. These are all things to be aware of if you are indeed lucky enough to spend a Valentine’s weekend in a real Paris apartment! Continue Reading »
Posted in Design, Homes | 5 Comments »
February 25, 2011 by Maggie Battista
Entrance to Chateau Raissac, Beziers, France
It’s still cold in New England and we’ve managed to get another light coating of snow this week. When it’s this cold, there’s really nothing else to do but daydream of warmer times… in France. Remember when I did that last month? I shared my little trip to Mont Saint Michel, where I was amazed by the towering abbey on the ocean.
This time around, my thoughts are drifting further south, way south, down to a tiny town near the coastline. This time, I didn’t just SEE the towering almost-other-worldly structure in the distance. This time, I got to LIVE there. Erica, the founder of this very blog and my very favorite company (where I also work), whisked her team away to the Chateau de Raissac in the small city of Beziers, just a short drive to the Mediterranean, to unwind, do a bit of brainstorming and meet the fabulous couple who own the chateau and run a local vineyard of the same name.
What do I remember?
I remember getting to know the friendliest little dogs who stood watch over their enormous home. The structure was astounding and unlike anything I had ever seen. I’m typically not a chateau sort of lady, but as I kept whispering all week to my colleagues, “I could adjust to this.”
Entrance to Chateau Raissac
The tower that was home to my blue bedroom at Chateau Raissac
Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Homes, Travel | 15 Comments »
January 28, 2011 by Maggie Battista
The rooster, the emblem of France, as a door knocker and a friendly neighborhood dog keeping watch (mksfca, Ian T. McFarland)
This time last year, I was packing up my life to move to Paris for three months. I remember the butterflies spinning inside me as I made my way to my first Paris apartment in the hours just before sunrise. I was nervous, but delighted to finally live the French life.
Navigating the maze of cozy streets, shopping for my basic necessities (mainly cheese) daily, and assembling effortless meals in my tiny kitchen, I can understand why living in your very own Paris apartment is the quintessential American girl dream. There’s really no other drug better than living in Paris (except for maybe living in New York City, but that can be battled out over here.)
However, renting just the right apartment for you can be quite a process and one with its share of potholes, especially if you do what I did for part of my stay abroad: I rented one of my flats online, sight unseen.
Now I may approach this with some bias, as I do work for Haven in Paris (a boutique vacation rental company) and we recently discovered that someone, pretending to be the owner of one of our flats on Craig’s List, very nearly scammed a couple people who by chance found us before putting down any sort of deposit. But I want to write this with as much objectivity as I can muster. And since I always rent apartments when I travel, I felt compelled to share some of the wisdom I’ve gained from first-hand experience.
Even Parisian window latches are beautiful (artistfriendship)
First, you should take note that there are anywhere between one and four sometimes-lovely people involved with an apartment rental. There’s the renter – that’s you. There’s the owner who actually owns the apartment, but they often hire the agent to do all the nitty gritty. The agent typically manages the rental process and greets you at the flat. Sometimes agents also list their flats on vacation rental sites or Craigslist and sometimes they have their own web sites. (For your information, Haven in Paris is actually an agent, with exclusive rights to rent our owner’s properties and we’ve used all the previously mentioned venues to match renters with our apartments.)
Finally, there’s the most dreaded member of this process, and one I hope you never encounter, the scammer. They pretend to be an agent or an owner, but really lie by attempting to rent you the most amazing Paris pied-à-terre for just a few Euros. Oh, glorious Craigslist, please forgive me but scammers usually hang out on you.
Unfortunately, scammers are rampant these days. They’re showing phony apartments on vacation rental sites, classified sites and on made-up agency sites. In fact, scammers tend to steal photos from legitimate agent sites only to showcase them elsewhere, usually for an unbelievable price.
Fortunately, a scammer never tricked me, but they’ve hoodwinked too many people, including a dear friend who contacted me moments before she sent off hundreds of Euros. Luckily I got to her in time, so here are a few bits of advice to consider before getting tricked: Continue Reading »
Posted in Travel | 11 Comments »
December 6, 2010 by Maggie Battista
Photographer at Musée Rodin, courtesy of Karigee.com
Life is incredibly busy for the ladies of the HiP Paris blog. Not only do we run this little corner of the world where we ramble on all things French, but we also spend our days helping our clients experience Paris like a local via our boutique vacation rental business, Haven in Paris. Business is booming and we need help with all the fun stuff. That’s where you come in, hopefully!
Haven in Paris is searching for one or two interns to support our corporate objectives through social media. In other words, to share the Paris love! We’re looking for a lot, but we’re sure you can send us some strong candidates through your network of friends, family and fellow bloggers. Do you mind passing this on to possible candidates (preferably, in the Boston area)?
Photos of Paris, France, courtesy of Karigee.com
Haven in Paris / HiP Paris is looking for social media interns to share the Paris love via all sorts of social media. The ideal candidates may be asked to perform some or all of the following duties:
Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 6 Comments »
September 10, 2010 by Maggie Battista
Last Spring, Maggie was lucky to spend some time in Haven in Paris’ gorgeous Rue du Bac 2-bedroom. A relative newcomer to Paris, she made the most of her expat status by seeking out the hidden gems her wonderful neighborhood had to offer. She shares a few of her favorites with us here…
I adopted the Saint Germain neighborhood up and down Rue du Bac as my home away from home earlier this year. Eventually, to my delight, the neighborhood started to adopt me in return! After seeing my smile amidst the sea of scowls over and over again in the long lines in their shops, the local merchants actually started to smile back, even if it was ever so slightly.
Each vanishing grimace assured me it was okay to start feeling at home. And I did, quickly. As an American girl in Paris, I knew the quickest way to appear even remotely French would be to build up my arsenal of Parisian necessities, all within the few blocks around my apartment. To that end, I hereby share what I think every aspiring local Parisian woman needs:
Continue Reading »
Posted in Homes, Parisian Living, Shopping | 15 Comments »
April 19, 2010 by Maggie Battista
All photos by Maggie Battista, except where noted
The volcanic eruption in Iceland has changed my (and likely your) travel plans pretty dramatically. I was supposed to be back with the husband in cold and rainy New England but am instead stranded in bright and sunny Paris. Despite feeling pretty helpless, as you may imagine, I am not getting much sympathy from friends and family. Taking the bull by the horns, I have decided to make the most of every extra moment in this perfect city. I’m sharing my five-step plan with you, with the hopes that it may help those of you also stranded in Paris or anywhere in Europe.
1. Revisit your favorite restaurant and hope for a sweet homecoming. I’ve visited some fabulous restaurants during my stay in Paris, only to be warmly welcomed (most of the time) upon my second visit. The staff at Le Miroir, Glou and, especially, Le Pure Café have been attentive, sweet and delighted by my return visits. However, I only just discovered my favorite restaurant in Paris a few days ago. La Laiterie Sainte Clotilde (64 Rue de Bellechasse 75007 Paris, Tel: 01 45 51 74 61) is a little neighborhood joint, only four blocks from my flat, run by an unlikely duo – she’s an experienced grandmother-like host, he’s a young, cool bartender/server. Together, they run an efficient, candle-lit, warm diner that whips up nine seasonal comfort dishes (three entrees, three plats, three desserts) and easy, affordable wine. I felt so at home here, so much so that I’m hoping a return trip will ease my travel plan pain. If it doesn’t, I’m pretty certain a return trip to my favorite Paris wine bar, Le Baron Rouge, will do the trick. Wine cures all ills, right?
Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Shopping, Travel | 6 Comments »
April 18, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Don’t you just hate it when a volcano explodes and ruins all your travel plans? Us too. Then again, Paris is not such a bad place to be stranded. If you’re in Paris and looking for a place to stay, you’re in luck! Due to the European travel ban, Haven in Paris has some great last-minute availability, and we’re offering a number of special offers over the next few days / weeks.
Feel free to browse our portfolio at the links above, or contact us at info@haveninparis.com or by phone at 617-395-4243 with any inquiries.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Posted in Travel | No Comments »
Dave Bloom; Rafael Garcia-Suarez; Maggie Battista
Mauvais Garçons Marais 1-bedroom
