Check in:
There was a slight inconvenience during check in, as the cleaners had not come yet to tidy up the previous guests. We were hoping to check into our Airbnb and take a nap immediately as we had traveled 12 hours to get there, but we waited for the cleaners, left our luggage and explored the city for a few hours while they worked. Numa was very accomodating and understanding during this time, and immediately refunded us one nights accommodation as an apology! That was very kind of him and it made up for the small inconvenience in our eyes. The keypad was straight forward, push to enter. Foyer with another door leading to the stairs. Once you're up the stairs, you get your key from the neighbor, Mdm. P, who is the sweetest little old lady!!! She doesn't speak English, but that did not matter. We dropped the keys off with her when we left.
The apartment:
Exactly as described! Very eclectic, beautifully decorated and very Parisian! Older, but clean. The best way I could describe our stay was "Parisian". We felt like we were locals, living in an apartment. The floors were a bit creeky, but it's an older style apartment, so we knew that going in. It wasn't an issue for us. Keeping in mind this is someone's home, you know your neighbors still get up and go to work in the morning. The walls are thin and you can hear alarm clocks + chatter, but the neighbors are respectful and quiet during sleeping time! A lot better neighbors that I have had in Vancouver! The evenings were so quiet for such a bustleing neighborhood! I swear I couldn't hear a pin drop, it was so lovely. The blackout curtains really helped with our jetlag. We were able to sleep it off in one day. Oh, and the bed is REALLY comfortable!!! I will say, if you're a big TV buff, there is French cable, but not many (we couldn't find any) English shows, and it's not a Smart TV (it may be - but we couldn't find Netflix!) so it was better for us to watch TV shows on our tablet in the evening in bed. Not a deal breaker in any way. Numa already was very clear that there is no lift - the stairs are killer and steep, but totally doable if you're in relatively good shape. There's only 86 steps, so if you go slow and steady, it's no problem!
The kitchen: small but functional! It had everything we needed to cook breakfast, lunch and dinners no problem at all. It was lovely having a decent size fridge. Bonus was having espresso every morning in the Airbnb. I couldn't find a pair of scissors, but I probably just gave up too early and wasn't a big deal. Something I really appreciated was the heat + hot water - no problem at all with heating in any way. In fact it was really quite cozy and wonderful to come home to a warm apartment after a long day walking the streets of Paris.
The bathroom: beautifully recently renovated bathroom with washer, tub, sink, and shower. Was decorated well with candles and inscents, always smelled so beautiful! The water pressure in the shower was great, and we never ran out of hot water. The tub was on the smaller side (meaning it could only fit one body to take a bath) but I think this is very standard in Paris! We were lucky to have a bathtub at all, but definitely best solo.
The neighborhood: Located in the 5th Arrondissement, right off of Rue Mouffetard! Very convenient location, a few hundred meters from Place Monge subway station. You are across the street from lots of super markets (we went to FranPrix for everything), and restaurants on Mouffetard. Highly recommend going to Au Petite Bistro - their escargot + frog legs are to die for! Paris is a walking city, so don't be alarmed when you have to walk 25-45 mins to the closest big tourist attraction such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc. No matter which arrondissement you stay in, you will need to walk a decent amount to get to any attraction. For example, this Airbnb is only about 10 mins from the Pantheon, 20 to Notre Dame, and 45 to Eiffel Tower. All depends on what neighborhood you like. The 5th is a wonderful arrondissement! Loved it.
The host: communication was clear and easy. Numa spoke English, so that was very helpful and was available any time through Airbnb messages or phone.
Overall, I would recommend this Airbnb to a friend.