I'll start by saying I didn't pursue a solution or refund with the host or Airbnb because I am familiar with how complaints regarding situations like mine are handled, so I cut my losses and chose not to risk losing my reservation and being left with no roof over my head during my stay in Paris. Not only was I not traveling alone, I was doing so for consular affairs, so the main reason I chose this location is its convenient proximity to the Embassy. With this review I am simply looking to inform other potential future guests.
Steve was my host. I stayed from May 3rd to May 6th. Upon inquiring about the apartment's specific location, Steve seemed almost too eager to have me complete a reservation. I did a few hours later, and immediately got what looked like an automatic message with details on how to get into the apartment, and asking me about what times I intended to check in and check out. Communication was overall ok, until the day of check in, when Steve didn't respond to my informing him of my arrival.
Unfortunately, that was it. Pictures lie (these were either taken years ago, or Photoshopped) and nearly everything else was disappointing, to put it nicely. The place does not meet the conditions or standards Airbnb prides itself on, namely:
- The hall leading to the apartment reeks of cigarettes.
- Window 1 (left) doesn't seem to open (I didn't try too hard, as it is definitely damaged and I didn't want to risk making it worse) and has a damaged curtain awkwardly put together with duct tape that won't hold up, so it stays closed.
- Window 2 (right) doesn't close at all, and lets in cold all day and night (fortunately, rain doesn't come in).
- The bathroom: no support for shower head (pictures lie), shower drain filthy and filled with hair, ruptured pipes. Water will at times drain from under the toilet, and when using the kitchen's water tap, the pipes in the bathroom gush water everywhere. Keep your non-waterproof shoes or slippers off the floor.
- The kitchen: for two people, there's 1 glass, 2 coffee cups, and 1 single expresso cup. Dirty utensils, dirty/dusty worktop (which I had to clean to use), dirty microwave, absolutely filthy seat cushions we refused to sit on. We chose not to cook under these conditions, and chose to order and eat sitting on the bed throughout the whole stay. The kettle works on and off, and we had to purge the coffee machine several times before the water came out clean and good enough to make a decent coffee.
On a more positive note, the bed is comfortable, the sheets and towels were clean despite some stains, and the bathroom seemed clean enough (ignoring the shower drain issue).
In conclusion, I grossly overpaid for what I got, and to add insult to injury, I paid a cleaning fee for cleaning I myself had to do. It's disheartening that an apartment such as this, in a city like Paris, isn't taken care of, and neither are the guests who stay here.