This was kind of a disappointing experience. After my booking, within the week before my arrival, both me and my bf tried to call, message, email the host many times and received no respect until the day before check in. During the whole time, Habib's phone was off, whenever we called, it could not go through at all, always to straight to the voice mail, making us kinda worried about our arrival since it was an 'instant booking' and not 'self check-in'. when i first heard back from Habib by Airbnb message, he said he was away so there was no network that's why he only just saw all our attempts to get hold of him the day before check-in. Since he finally replied to me, we were kinda relieved by the last minute. However, once We arrived in Paris and at the apartment (we tried to reach him again on our way to the address many many times, yet again his phone was off and all my messages had no reply), we rang the door bell and knocked on the door, no reaction. We assumed nobody was in the apartment and we couldn't get hold of our host. Naturally we were worried.
An hour later, I suddenly got Habib's message saying "OMG i just woke up", "I went out last night". He kept saying we can leave our luggages there while he sent a cleaner to the apartment and check in later during the day but I saidI wanna check in when it's clean ONLY. After quite a negotiation, we agreed for us to check in at 4pm, but our check in time was supposed to be 1pm. It was a three hours waste of time filled with concerns, worries and waiting, and of course, suspicion.
At 4pm sharp, we arrived back outside the apartment. After knocking, calling him and waiting outside of the apartment for another 10mins, when we could clearly hear movement of cleaning inside, Habib himself called my bf back and finally opened the door. We were surprised it was himself cleaning and not the cleaner as he messaged me "the cleaner is already on her way". Then he appologised and said he had a guest staying for 10days and he totally forgot we were coming, the cleaner was not available so last minute so he had to do it himself. AND he said he had ear plugs on so he couldn't hear us knocking. But the truth is, there is no ear plugs seen anywhere in the apartment nor on him, the apartment is a few square meters big, there is no way he couldn't hear us (even with ear plugs) and he already told me the cleaner was on the way. So the only explanation is, he's lying. He was sleeping here himself. I am beyond surprise how someone this unreliable can have so many good reviews. I was only staying 1night and He made me waste half a day