If you are considering this listing...
PLEASE READ & BE ADVISED.
This is a very lengthy but hopefully informative post. I am writing this to alert any potential guest/s of my experience @ this property with (host)Merveil. Note, they were made aware prior so this will come as no surprise.
I am a world traveler & have stayed in many Airbnb's & have never written 1 negative review until now. To be honest after this horrible experience I didn't have the energy or desire to detail out everything. However I felt it was my obligation to inform others so you have all the facts prior to booking. You make your own educated decision after reading. One thing is certain, I never would have booked here if I had all these facts prior. I hope this helps you so you don't feel duped like I did.
DETAILS:
-Apt is in Les Halles(2 nd Arrondisment) & not "steps from the Louvre or Notre Dame" as advertised. Google it. It's actually a 10 min car ride or 25+ min walk. *I know because I walked to both.
-Apt advertised A/C in 3 rooms. *A/C never worked. Temps were 105, 103 & high 90's during the stay. Host(Merveil) did provide fans but 4 did not function properly. They sent a/c repairmen(very disruptive) twice but they could not fix any unit. We were told all 3 units needed replacement & we would not have a/c the entire 8 days. *Merveil offered a minor discount however there is no amount of $ that can cover the cost of not sleeping for a week. Plus having to have your windows open 24/7 while looking into other's apts + vice versa made it all the worse.
-Apt advertised elevator. *Elevator never worked properly. After my luggage got stuck the 1st day & I had no one to assist me I decided to never risk that again. Know it is VERY, VERY old, tiny(1 person), makes creaking noises, gets stuck between floors & is unreliable. We had to walk up/down 63 stairs w/a 73yr old every day & night for a week. *Important...If you have any physical limitations this is a HUGE problem.
-We were told apt was on the 2nd floor. *It is actually on the 4th floor(63 steps up/down a winding, narrow, dirty, creaky, wooden staircase).
-Another guest commented on a sewer smell coming from the shower drain. I can confirm that. It was actually so strong we had to keep the door open at all times. *Not ideal w/3 guests + during summer when it is sweltering hot increasing the pungency inside the apt-gross!
-There was the same although not as strong sewer smell coming from the sink in the kitchen.
-There was dark mold/mildew inside the sink & shower. I removed what I could with a tissue.
-Host(Merveil) states on their website that their properties are similar to that of a 5 star hotel experience, I 100% disagree.
-They also state they are available at anytime. This is not true.
SAFETY ISSUES:
-Host(Merveil) seems to run 3 rental properties in this building which looks to be a commercial building & not residential. One of their other apts is next door to this one. Building does not seem to have any other residents other than host's (Merveil) 3 rentals for temporary guests. There is a directory in the entrance w/names of businesses this is why I believe it's commercial. Note, after 6pm M-F + all day S/S no one is in the building.
-At night it's very spooky, pitch dark & quiet. The building is ancient & has peeling paint on the walls & dust everywhere but the apt is semi renovated & well decorated(one of the only decent things). Important lighting issue: I reported non-functioning light bulbs that were missing from the wall fixtures in the stairwells + they were never fixed. We used our flashlights on our phones every night to see. PLEASE BE ALERT & AWARE, especially if you are a solo female guest.
-The building sits between 2 tall residential buildings so you are sandwiched between them on each side of the apt. No view of street or back courtyard. Safety issue: you(& others) are looking directly into apts & most have windows open in the summer so you see + hear everything. *I never saw a fire exit or any fire escapes anywhere, fyi.
-Bolted safe had been removed from original place on the wall & was sitting on shelf when we went to retrieve our items the last day(very odd). I had to contact host(Merveil) to come to the apt to open because it would not take my code(also very concerning). Luckily it had everything inside but I 100% felt something shady had happened. Especially since we had had so many others (repairmen(2) & Merveil reps(4) in & out during our week stay.
SCARY Incident:
-My 3rd day @ 3:25am I was awoken to a very loud constant banging noise (sounded like possibly someone stuck in the old elevator banging to get out or banging on one of the metal doors). This was directly in front of my apt door & I heard 2 men speaking in French & then they placed a phone call to a female. I messaged host(Merveil) & Airbnb (there was no immediate response until late morning) & my husband. Music began around 4 down the hall & they remained outside my door until 4:20am. Important: the apt does not have a peep hole so it was impossible to see what was happening. THIS was beyond scary + totally unacceptable. Host(Merveil) never did anything to ensure I felt safe then or for the remainder of my trip. *We never found out what happened & never felt safe the remainder of our days.
Bottom line, if you decide to rent here you've been properly informed.