132 - Urban Beautiful Montorgueil

The booking came with serious management problems, and the gym that was advertised as available turned out to be for owners and staff only. The accommodation itself was far below what we expected: water was leaking, the shared kitchen was barely usable, and the faucets were in terrible shape. We weren’t offered any compensation when our stay ended.

I was nervous before arriving because I’d read complaints about broken air conditioning, a damaged sink and lights, a bad bed, and dirt. I even contacted the agency, and although they said they’d fix everything before our arrival, I still worried. Once we got there, though, the place was clean and spacious, including the bathroom and toilet, and nothing was broken. Each room had working air conditioning, which turned out to be a real help since Paris was hotter than I expected. The agency staff were friendly at check-in and gave us shampoo. We also had all the tableware we needed. I’d only stayed in hotels before, so I was anxious about getting into the apartment. The agency gave us an entry code when we paid the deposit. Another code opened the mailbox, where the key was kept. It was easier than I’d expected, even if I would have preferred a number keypad to the height-based system used back home. We were told to tidy the kitchen and take out the rubbish before leaving. After we checked out, we got a notice two days later that the €700 deposit had been released, so there was no issue there. The location was better than I expected. The street wasn’t clean, but it didn’t feel dangerous, and there were several tourist apartments in the building, so we regularly saw other travelers and felt safe. It was expensive, but there were six of us. Even splitting into hotel rooms for two, I think the price would have been worthwhile. I’d stay here again if I return to Paris, and I recommend it.

The apartment’s location near the metro and Paris sights was the one good thing. The stay itself, from October 17 to 21, was awful, and the place looked nothing like the listing photos or description. I wouldn’t recommend booking it. We had to strip and remake beds because some sheets were dirty and musty. When we messaged the rental team on WhatsApp, they said they couldn’t do anything. The beds sagged badly, the mattresses smelled musty and seemed at least five years old, and the bedrooms barely had room for suitcases. There were no wardrobes or dressers, just a few hangers on a rail. In the left bedroom, the cover was missing from the outlet beside the bed, which seemed dangerous for small children. The kitchen wasn’t equipped for 13 people. There wasn’t enough crockery or cutlery, and the scratched items that were there were in poor condition. The pans had ruined non-stick coatings, which I worried might be carcinogenic. There were no sharp knives, spices, sugar, or coffee. The dishwasher was tiny, so it needed to run after every meal, and it smelled so bad we could hardly open it. The dining table was too small for everyone to eat together, and the side table fell apart with the slightest touch. It seemed like someone had propped up one leg, and cleaning hadn’t caught it. The bathrooms were in bad shape too. The shower grout was black with mold, and the doors didn’t shut properly, so water flooded the room. The right sink was blocked, while the other sink was cracked across the surface and patched with silicone. The big shower head was so clogged with scale that only a few trickles came out. There were no electrical outlets in the bathrooms, which was inconvenient. The TV remote was broken, and the replacement was too complicated for us to use. Wi-Fi slowed to a crawl whenever everyone was in the apartment. The closet by the entrance was full of rubbish and construction debris. It could be useful to guests with shelves and a wardrobe. I’m very unhappy with the apartment and the landlord’s service. He promised us a luxury place and delivered a dump, didn’t deal with our complaints, and left us on our own. It’s a disgrace to Airbnb and Paris. I won’t return or recommend it.