House with character

This is a beautifully presented, spotlessly clean and well-equipped apartment in a really pleasant neighbourhood, a short walk from the centre of Aix. It is bright and airy, and with two terraces, each getting the sun at different times of the day, there is always somewhere to sit and enjoy the beautiful garden, in the sunshine or the shade.

The owner, Martine, is a lovely lady who lives downstairs and she couldn't have been more welcoming or helpful. She provided us with a lovely little starter pack on our arrival, including apricots from her garden and home-made jam. She made great recommendations for excursions and even wrote out directions for us. When we mentioned we were interested in the festival, not only did she provide us with a full programme of events she also gave us tips on getting cheap tickets. She really went out of her way to hep us make the most of our stay.

When I became ill, she made an appointment for me with her own doctor. She then drove us to the doctor and also to the hospital where she waited at least three hours in the waiting room with my husband. She even drove back to the apartment to get our phones. We are so grateful for everything she did for us. She really was fantastic!

This is a great holiday home with the ideal host. We are already making plans to go back.

We were made very welcome by Martine the owner who lives below the apartment. 2 large bedrooms and one small one with large sitting/dining room and separate kitchen. 2 large patios suitable for eating/drinking outside with one at the front and one at the back so that the sun is on the back in the morning and on the front in the evening. Easy walking distance to all the Aix shops, festival events and restaurants. Highly recommended.

It was a privilege to live in this lovely Provençal home for six weeks and watch spring unfold in the beautiful garden below. Martine HONORAT is the consummate host, attending to every need we expressed, making accommodations for unanticipated situations, ensuring that everything functioned optimally throughout our stay. We were there to work rather than to vacation, but when we had moments to see the sights we found her a wellspring of information that she graciously shared. Our one regret is that we didn’t get to spend as much time with her as we would have liked to!

The flat is indeed spacious and very comfy with antique furnishings but newer mattresses and fine linens. We had family visiting at various times during our stay, with up to four adults sharing the house quite comfortably. There is a double bed (not a queen) in the back (east) bedroom, a twin in the small room just next to that, and two twin beds in the front (west) bedroom that can be made into a king. The arched windows and doorways throughout are very attractive, and the heavy wooden front door with its 1930s iron work is just exquisite. We enjoyed the flat screen television and its 3 HDMI inputs. Our ROKU brought from the States worked flawlessly, and if you are a subscriber, Netflix offers a nice selection of French movies and television shows. The WiFi is strongest in the living room, making streaming on various devices unproblematic.

The parking space outside the garage is shared, so if you are going to have a car, be prepared to coordinate comings and goings with Martine. She made this a perfectly painless process for us, for which we were most grateful. Also, be aware that the gate is sized for smaller cars. We switched from a rather wide Peugeot 2008 to a smaller 308 partway through our stay and found the later much easier to maneuver. Except for those days when you want to go out of town, a car is really not necessary. Most everything one could want to see or do is within a 10-20 minute walk, and there is very regular bus service for getting from one side of town to the other. There are two car rental agencies (Sixt and Europcar) just a few minutes’ walk from the house on the Boulevard de la République.

Just to clarify one little thing we were expecting to find because of the earlier reviews: There is now no dryer. Laundry must be hung on the folding enameled metal rack which can be moved from one terrace to the other to follow the sun.

Merci infiniment, Martine!

The home in Aix is beautiful with lots of room to spread out. It is decorated in classic French style with antiques and most amenities a visitor would need. Washing machine, drying rack, iron and ironing board. The kitchen was very complete, so cooking was easy. Cookware, tableware and even some spices. The large terraces were pleasant to sit on or for drying clothes. The gardens are beautifully cared for with blooming plants to lend color. Martine the owner is a charming cultured lady. She is available but not intrusive. We even went on an afternoon adventure to the Luberon one day. Center Ville is about 15 min walk, some of it through a beautiful garden. Two girlfriends stayed with me for 2 weeks. There's plenty of room for 3 but I would suggest a mirror in each bedroom so the 'girls' could put on makeup or blow dry hair and not need to be in the bathroom for these things. Over all I would strongly recommend Martine's home for a peaceful stay. I would go back again. Thanks Martine.

My husband and I rented the house from Martine and had family guests who stayed a total of two weeks of our three-week stay. The house is large by European standards with three bedroom: one with a king bed, one a queen and the third had a twin bed. All bedrooms had more than ample storage space and large windows to let in the glorious Aix sunlight. The one bathroom consisted of a large shower, ample sink and surround with the toilet. It also had a nice window to let the shower steam out even though there was also an exhaust fan. Storage in the bath was more than adequate for five people. For those who use wash cloths, those were provided also as were bath and hand towels. The kitchen was fine for our needs with a four-burner stove and oven which we used only occasionally to cook a few dinner. Pots and pans, dishes, utensils for cooking/baking were also plentiful. I would suggest buying some plastic wrap/aluminum foil if you like to cover any leftovers with those, however, storage for leftovers was provided. An upgrade on the coffee maker would be an asset. The living room/dining room were spacious and very comfortable. I greatly appreciated the family heirlooms in the dining room. They were quite lovely and added to the ambience. If you like TV, there is one in the living room offering basic French-speaking channels. We didn't miss not having English-speaking ones, however, since we were always out to the center of Aix which was only a ten-minute walk away. Some great restaurants in Aix are Mitch (ate two dinners here), La Bouchee (ate three dinners here!), Il Etait use Fois (two dinners), Le Petite Verdot, L'Opera, and Le Bouddoir. If you have a car, you're in luck because parking is included. You will also be able to drive to many different, wonderful sites such as the Gorge;, Loumarin, Bonnieux, Gordes (the prior three are Peter Mayle country!); Sainte Victoire--great hikes of varying degrees of difficulty; Marseilles--see the coastline; Nice, etc. The owner, Martine, is one of the best assets to this rental. Martine lives below, but she is only helpful--very helpful--but never intrusive. I want to mention the front and back terraces, also, since you can enjoy breakfasts on the back terrace and have the sun and evenings on the front terrace with sun (or not as there is an awning which you can employ). The street, by the way, is very quiet. I'd love to go back soon. I would definitely stay here again. Thank you, Martine!