This place was a nightmare from the moment we arrived in Paris. My husband and I have stayed in many Airbnbs all over the world, and this was the worst by far.
We initially asked in advance for an early check-in. René was kind enough to offer a spot to put our bags while the unit was being cleaned. We ended up not needing to check in early, and arrived promptly at 2PM, the scheduled check-in time. The room had not been cleaned at all. I sent René a message, and he called us soon after. He said there was a "misunderstanding" between us, and requested that we leave the unit and "enjoy Paris" so that the cleaning lady could come and we wouldn't be in her way. Despite this conversation occurring well after the check-in time, I tried to be understanding, and told him that we would need to be back by 5 to get ready for dinner. The cleaning lady arrived AT 5 and didn't leave until 6PM. When I messaged René about it, he offered to buy us dinner for the inconvenience, but we felt that his offer did not quite make up for what had happened. René agreed to refund the room charge for that night ONLY after I reached out to Airbnb.
The bigger issue was the one we discovered the next morning. I got cold during the night and grabbed a duvet from the closet. In the morning, I realized that the duvet had an enormous bloodstain on it (it seriously looked like a crime scene). I took pictures, called Airbnb again, and told them we were no longer comfortable staying there. They told me I'd have to reach out to René again if I wanted to get a full refund. He did not respond at all. Thankfully Airbnb stepped in, talked to him, and was able to refund the remaining money we paid.
I'm shocked at all the 5-star reviews. The duvet had obviously been laundered since the bloodstain incident, but no one else complained about it?? It was disgusting, and definitely violates Airbnb cleanliness standards. I hope that it doesn't happen to anyone else now.
Thankfully, we were able to find a beautiful, spotless Airbnb listing the same morning, booked it almost immediately, and stayed there for the remainder of our time in Paris. René's unit might appear affordable, but you definitely get what you pay for. So grateful that our first wedding anniversary nightmare ended on a good note by finding that other listing!