Hotels - Aquarelle or Apollo Opera?

Hello !

While there is a lot of info online, I'd like to know if anyone has had any personal experiences, with either of these places. Aquarelle is in the 11th arrondisement, near Place de la Rebublique while Apollo is at the 8th arrondisement, near Metro Rome. Apollo Opera has received a lot of poor reviews on travel sites...would be good to hear from someone who has stayed at/knows of these 2 places.

Also, any advice as to which of these areas would be preferable considering:
a) Safety while walking around at night
b) Ease of commuting to main tourist areas (tour eiffel, louvre etc)

Thanks!
Apu