Joffrey’s place was very nice! Though I’m leaving blunt review, I would highly recommend people stay here. We were able to walk the entire city from our location (Airbnb to the louvre, opera house, central obelisk, arc du triumphe) or otherwise take the transit (make sure to buy your tickets in the actual metro station even if you’re taking a bus. they do NOT accept coins for payment on board)
Ok here we go:
The check-in process was a bit frustrating. We had asked for an early check-in and were told to message back and they would let us know. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive any follow up response. When we followed up ourselves, we were told to connect when we knew we would leave the airport, then when we arrived in the city, then in another half hour.. Each message would include the same automatic response. We eventually gave up the early check in and had to find a restaurant close by and sit there for 2 hours with our luggage until the 3pm check in. It appears that the Airbnb is run by a team, so i don’t know if they are able to read the previous messages or how the system works. There clearly wasn’t that personal touch you get with other hosts or even at a hotel room. That being said, Joffrey and team got us a private taxi for our trip from the Airbnb back to the airport. We were very thankful for that.
The stay was nice and quiet. The apartment is on the third floor of a cute building that has locally owned fashion boutiques on the ground floor. The shops were closed during our stay (Saturday-Tuesday morning). Aside from some construction happening on the building directly across the street on Monday, we didn’t have any issues with noise.
The street is relatively quiet with those immediately surrounding it quite bustling. There was a lot to explore near by. The street on the immediately left is very lively and has small shops and restaurants and some red light establishments. We had brunch on that street often. The street past that one on the left has a more hipster vibe. You can walk up towards Montmarte from there. The street on the immediate right to the apartment is a main road and has some good restaurants. Immediately north, the metro was a 5 min walk from the apartment . The intersection with the metro had many fast food restaurants including KFC and McDonalds, but also some great street food (there is a crepe place just north of the KFC that is open late). We were unable to hear any neighbouring visitors as well.
The home itself is small, so know that you’re paying for the location (10-15 min walk to the louvre). The living space was approximately 13 feet long by 7 feet wide (not including the actual doorway). The bedroom was maybe 10 by 10? You unlock and lock the door with a key - that’s right you lock yourself in with a key. We found this to be a fire hazard, but didn’t have any issues. You can decide.
The remodelling and the decor is beautiful. They left coffee pods for us that we didn’t get a chance to use (maybe next time!), two large towels, and two smaller towels. More towels would have been nice to have, but we didn’t request any. They have a towel dryer built into the bathroom which was cool. Unfortunately the kitchen sink was stained, the shower water pressure was a bit on the weaker side, and the fan in the bathroom needs a major boost in power. Both TVs have Netflix - thank you! There is no AC but fans for use. There are heaters directly below the tv attached to the wall.
All in all it was a great trip and a great stay. Would highly recommend if you can see past these very small issues!