The location is lovely: We enjoyed being in a neighborhood rather than a more touristy area, and of course the views are spectacular. Watching the Eiffel Tower glitter at night did not get old. Accessing the flat from the street is a bit complicated, but we were provided with clear instructions, including photos, that made this a smooth process. The flat itself was comfortable and clean.
Now for the critiques: The flat is quite small, smaller than it appears in photos; this was not a problem for two people on honeymoon, but might be for others. It was also relatively light on amenities. For the price point, one might expect to have coffee in the flat, shower products provided (we used what we'd brought, supplemented with hotel samples left behind by others), and overall a little more attention to welcoming travelers. These things were not terribly problematic, but again, for the price point, we expected a more hospitable set-up.
Additionally, we happened to have planned our trip to Paris during a peak of the transit strike and associated mass protests. We knew that we would have a more complicated trip than we had originally anticipated, given that the metro was mostly closed and the streets were clogged, as well as that some public attractions were closed (including around 25-30% of the Louvre). A planned day trip out of Paris would be impossible, since the trains were not running properly. Even getting into the city from the airport was far more time-consuming and expensive than it would ordinarily be. At the time we flew to Paris, large demonstrations were happening; protesters were being tear-gassed; police officers patrolled the streets wielding automatic rifles.
Travelers were canceling or postponing their plans left and right; this was our honeymoon, and we very much wanted a stress-free journey. We reached out to the host to inquire about rescheduling our trip until springtime -- he had already been paid and we were not trying to cancel, be refunded, anything like that. We simply wanted to find new travel dates. He was entirely unaccommodating, insisting that a) we could not reschedule and b) if we were to cancel, he would retain all of the money he had been paid. VRBO was no help either, saying that the decision was solely his to make.
We went ahead with the trip and made the most of it, but that exchange certainly did not get things off on a good foot.
Pros: Charming flat, great views. Cons: Overpriced; surly host.
