We went a few years ago and had a place all booked. Then the govt cracked down on private rentals and the landlord cancelled on us. Not sure if this is still a problem but I remember it was a huge deal at the time. We found a wonderful hotel at the last minute and because it was my first time and I was travelling alone with my kids, I was happy to have the very helpful hotel staff to assist.

I seem to recall someone here (mtn, maybe?) had a recommendation of a great looking Paris apt I contemplated using next time. Hopefully they will chime in.

True. Make sure the rental is legal.

https://bonjourparis.com/apartments/i-know-paris-vacation-apartment-rental-legal/

The last time I came back from Paris, my seatmate was an American firefighter who had been staying in one of those charming AirBnB apts at the top of an old apartment building, with a lovely view out over the city. It wasn't so lovely when the building caught fire and there were no fire escapes. He had managed to get the other people in his apt out by carrying them over a neighboring roof, but if he hadn't been trained… He showed me the video he had taken with his phone and it was terrifying. This was in 2015 so perhaps it was one of the events that caused the govt crackdown.

He mentioned to me that even in the US, many short-term rentals completely lack even a kitchen fire extinguisher or a second-story emergency ladder.

We used Air BnB and stayed in a converted factory in charming Canal Saint Martin last year and loved it. It was a bit quirky but very roomy and spacious. We were in Paris for 8 days and spent half in the Latin Quarter and then our DD1 joined us from her immersion program and we spent the rest of the time in CSM. DH and I have been to Paris many times and felt we should stay in the center for the benefit of my DD2 and DS who had never been, but after the obligatory rounds there, we wanted a neighborhood.

PS I have been using Air BnB for about 5 years in the US and in Europe. I have only had great experiences. Three suggestions. Only stay in properties with at least 12 reviews, and read each of them carefully. People are not as harsh reviewing someone's home as they are reviewing a Hilton, so look for very gently worded criticisms or cons and take note. Also, figure out where the place is exactly and walk it with Google maps. That way you know the neighborhood. Lastly, if you want a near-hotel experience, there are many companies that own and manage AirBnB's and you can tell they are companies by the name and the number of listings they have. You have less risk of things being in ill repair or not clean, but less character. We stayed in such a place in Seville, Spain. The finishes felt like a (very nice) hotel, but it was a 3br 3ba with full k and laundry, and the bldg had tons of character. I personally still prefer private homes but it is a good option too.

Also, www.booking.com has quite a few apartments for rent in European cities.

I always use booking.com, and while I have not been to Paris, it found me very nice apartments in Rio plus an apartment in San Diego that I will be renting at the end of the month for the World Bromeliad Convention. There is always a cleaning fee attached, and so it's not worth it unless the stay is long enough - we'll be in SD for four days, but we were in Rio for two weeks.

I've not yet used Air B&B but plan to look into it. Palm Springs has an initiative on the ballot next month regarding restrictions of Air B&B, and this will affect the price of real estate there and in neighboring Cathedral City, which the restriction would not affect. Anyway, it is good to check out regulations ahead of time.

We rented this exact apartment when we went 3 years ago. It was gorgeous and the manager was super nice. Super close to the eiffel tower on a charming street over a cafe. We didn't use the kitchen for much but it was so nice to have the space to spread out (not to mention a washing machine to wash our clothes). It was a walk up but the building did have an elevator. I would definitely rent this place again if we ever return to France. http://www.holidays-europe-rentals.com/rentals/allrentals/paris-vacation-rental-256345/

As mentioned above, make sure your rental has a 13 digit registration number. Paris is the middle of a heavy crackdown on short-term rentals, even professionally managed ones. You can also search in at TripAdvisor/Arbritrel/Flipkey (owned by the same corp) or the Booking.com/Homeaway/VRBO group (owned by the same corp).

Sorry I posted and got super busy without a chance to check back. I really appreciate all the advice and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated. Will be spending this coming weekend putting it all to good use. All parties have booked their flights now so we have firm dates which will make it easier when trying to find a place.

That apartment looks like a really good deal lkplatow. I couldn't help but check it immediately and looks like it is not available at all.

Bummer - you are right - it's not available as far out as I clicked. I wonder if they took it off the market or found a full time renter. They do have other apartments though and I would definitely recommend them as a management company -- they included a driver who picked us up at the main train station as part of the rental (we came in on the Eurostar from London) which was great since we would have had no clue where we were going. And then the manager met us at the apartment when we arrived to let us in and show us around. I don't know if they pick up at the airport or not but it would be worth checking into. Also, the apartment had nice touches -- they left coffee, wine, laundry soap, etc -- and it was absolutely stunningly decorated. If one of their properties meets your needs and is available, I'd go for it!

Mtn, can you give an example of "by the name" in "there are many companies that own and manage AirBnB's and you can tell they are companies by the name"?