Upon arrival the huge apartment I had paid for turned out to be down the block in another building. You needed two passwords to get through two different gates, only to walk into a tiny courtyard overflowing with smelly trash bins. Had to step around these to get to your front door. Loud neighbors. Music blasting. TV loud. Shady characters drinking beer & smoking. Right at the first gate. Not hotel guests I don’t think, but regular residents. The apartment itself was divided by a long concrete stairwell, bathroom at bottom, bedroom top. In the middle of the night, sleepy, needing to go to the bathroom I was afraid of falling down the stairs. The views out the windows were not “city views” but opened up to bird droppings on a shingle. There was no way I was staying here five days. I immediately went down the street to the hotel itself, demanded another room, a hotel room. In the hotel. They good naturedly complied, very understanding. I was given in turn a room that was 1/4 of the size I had already paid for a two story apartment. There was no way they were of equal value. I feel like I was ripped off. But I had just travelled across France to get to Paris, was tired, wanted to rest. The new room was a tiny box. The shower sprayed out onto a concrete floor with a drain. No room. Staff downstairs was kind & helpful. The view looked over a pleasant courtyard. Location close to bistros al& bars. But the size of the room and terrible condition/ lay out of apartment was rank.
