Hélène was pretty easy to communicate with, though I had to ask twice for the check-in instructions, ultimately getting them about 20min ahead of time.
At the top of 4 flights of a typical windy, crooked Parisian staircase you’ll find a small, bright, modern apartment, tastefully decorated & well equipped (no electronics though, forget TV or WiFi). If the stairs were not reason enough to pack light, there is absolutely no space to store your belongings in the flat, all the closets are full Hélène’s stuff.
Unfortunately, the check-in instructions were wrong. When I first showed up, the construction crew working in the courtyard had the building door open so I didn’t need that code. I later found out the hard way that Hélène sent me the wrong door code, stranding me outside for several hours in the middle of the night until a neighbor came home. Hélène was unreachable until much later the next day, and unapologetic, refusing to refund the first night.
Overall, I’d stay away