This is apartment is what Americans would call a “sixth floor walk-up.” Overlooking a canal in central Paris and stuffed with books and art, the flat has great potential for charm. It also has some helpful amenities, such as a washing machine and there is even a nice piano. We enjoyed the neighborhood, but we experienced a number of problems during our stay at this listing. Due to what we were told were extraordinary circumstances, the flat wasn’t cleaned prior to our arrival. In truth, however, the failure of the cleaning lady to show can not account for the worn out condition of all the furniture coverings or the stains on every towel, sheet, comforter and mattress pad. The locks on the front door proved so challenging that only one person in our party could open or close the door. Many items, such as the wifi code or cleaning supplies, weren’t easy to find, and we had to search online to learn how to program the washing machine. The host tried to be helpful, but she was only reachable via the AirBnB messaging system, so we often felt lost.