There were definite positives to JM’s apartment. The location was great—less than five minutes from a number of metro lines—and it was so nice to have a well-equipped kitchen for our stay!
There were, however, a number of things that could be improved upon. First, the check in process was a bit opaque. JM had sent an apartment document six months prior to our visit (when we made our booking), but didn’t let us know that it also included important checkin information, such as the door code. As a result, we were waiting outside the door for 15 minutes, waiting for JM to respond to our texts; finally, we used Skype to call her Taiwanese phone number.
Second, it would have been appreciated if she had simply dropped us a line to notify us that the building was undergoing major renovation. We could not open any of the interior courtyard windows, and when I was sitting on the toilet, construction debris fell through the vent above the toilet onto my head. I get that this isn’t JM’s fault, but it would’ve been nice to know that the construction was happening.
Third, the shower in the bathroom was draining very, very slowly. We had to take very quick, on-and-off, military-style showers to prevent the shower from flooding the bathroom.
Fourth, most generally but most importantly, we didn’t get a sense of welcome or accommodation from JM. I don’t think JM lives in Paris, or possibly even in France; her aunt, who speaks only broken French (and I don’t think any English), manages the check-in and check-out process. As an example, JM was quite curt with me when we arrived an hour later than expected due to getting stuck in terrible traffic on our way from the airport; I was surprised by her attitude because we kept her constantly updated about the traffic situation. And when we asked if we might be able to leave our luggage an hour later at the apartment, we got a quick, short, “no.” I don’t fault her for having other guests coming in, but she seemed completely unwilling to work with us to find a solution at all.
If JM can fix the shower issues and learn to be a bit more welcoming, this would be a great place to stay in Paris.