Luxury Holiday Villa rental with Private Pool - Near Montelimar, Rhone-Alpes Reviews

“Home away from home”


We had a fabulous time and found the house just right for us, Montelimar is a very relaxing environment, and the area very convenient to access some great places to visit – there’s plenty more for us to see and do there. We found the house homely and functional. Dealing with Brian (the owner) was a pleasure and made the organisation of our holiday, and therefore the holiday itself, so much more enjoyable.

“Home from home”


Brian the owner provides a very personal and professional customer service. All of our email questions and phone calls received an immediate and well informed reply. The house is decorated and furnished to a very high standard and the kitchen/cooking facilities are second to none. It was particulalry pleasing to find small items such as tea bags, coffee, sugar, oils, spices and all cooking ingredients were readily available. We really did feel that we were staying in a friend's house which gave us an immediate sense of calm and familiarity. There is a small parade of food stores a short 3 minute walk from the house where we bought croissant and fresh bread each day, a wonderful cheese store, butchers and fresh fish and the most wonderful fresh vegetable and fresh fruit store that also sells high quality locally produced wine. The golf course and restaurant is well worth a visit, as is Pont d'Arc, the Gorges de l'Ardeche and the beautiful town of Chateauneuf du Pape. One of the many benefits of staying in this typically French house is that the location provides something for everyone. You can walk into town, take one of the several cycles and explore the French countryside, play a bit of golf or simply enjoy the fine food and wine. La belle vie!

“Everything supplied for a comfortable stay”


The house is absolutely beautiful - the photos don't do it justice- and very well equipped. The large and fully-enclosed garden was a great bonus as we had our small dog travelling with us. What really made for a great stay however was the focus on comfort ie antique bedsteads but very comfortable new mattresses ensuring a good sleep, and the thoughtfulness of the welcome - access to the car and fully maintained bikes, as well as ample towels, loo rolls, kitchen towel, washing powder etc and loads of games, cds and dvds. Little things that make a big difference to the overall experience! We loved the area and barely scratched the surface of it in a week - would like to return.

“Great place to stay for doing lots.”
Reviewed 31 Aug 2012

We've recently returned from two weeks in Portes de Provence and had a whale of a time. The owner - Brian - is a very easy person to deal with and very helpful. His communication before and during the booking process was excellent (in fact it was so good we were suspicious, sorry Brian) and his directions to the property were spot on. We were an extended family of six and a dog. Two forty-somethings, two twenty-somethings and two teen children; so the house suited us very well. Downsides were: - pool cover was missing (we were expecting this, as it had been damaged duing a storm and was due to be repaired) which possibly contributed to the pool temperature ~22°C air temp ~32°C - no loo in the en suite for the master bedroom (I actually didn't find this an issue but the other half grumbled) - house had not been well cleaned prior to our arrival (lounge hadn't been touched) Aside from these, fairly minor points, we loved the place. The barbecue outside is so good for al fresco dining; it's simple to use and close to the large table outside, so when we ate at home, we were outside nearly all the time. The wi-fi was dearly loved by the children, including the older ones, who found the ability to use Blackberry messenger so important to keep in touch with peeps at home vital (so much for going on hols and sending a postcard) The house itself, is 10 minutes walk from the centre of town and we walked in pretty much every day; for the children, this was a godsend, as whilst the older two prefer peace and tranquility the younger ones seem to like noise and chaos, so they were off to town every day. Although the house is on a busy road, it is set far enough back and has such good double-glazing, that we couldn't hear traffic noise in our bedroom with the windows closed. It's a good idea to close the windows to stop the bugs and the fan/air conditioning worked very well at keeping the temperature pleasant. The kitchen is well-enough equipped for cooking (could do with plastic tumblers for the pool and a microwave - about 30 euros from the large Carrefour) and all the appliances worked well. The owners supply a vast amount of useful information about the locale; places for sight-seeing, places to shop and eat and a convertible car (which we didn't use) in the garage. We went to lots of places suggested and they were all as described. There's a river with a path just across the road, perfect for walking the dog. This was the 5th villa we've stayed at in the south of France and it's location makes it great value for money. We will return Brian, everybody had a great time and thank you for being so helpful and phoning us whenever we sent you a query.

“"Beyond my expectations, Great Location, Definitely will be back"”


We stayed in this magnificent property early last month and used it as a base to take some memorable photographs and to play some holiday golf. The House is very sizable and is perfect for 3 or 4 couples or a large family. The way the House is designed it is possible for each person / couple to have their own space. It provides good value for money and has its own small pool and substantial garden. There is a barbeque and an excellent kitchen so we spent many glorious evenings eating outdoors and enjoying the warm nights and the privacy which the house provides. Local Shops and supermarkets are very close and it was a joy to collect our fresh fruit and bread daily. The town is a ten minute walk and there is an excellent array of shops bars and restaurants. However, we found that because the house was so comfortable, we tended to want enjoy it and did not venture out to as many restaurants as we had expected. Every second day, we set off on the bikes with our cameras and took some great shots of the surrounding countryside which enabled us to capture the ambience and character of central France. There is an excellent golf club – Domaine de la Valdaine within a 10 minute drive from the house. The golf course is well set out and provides a good challenge to the holiday golfer; this course is not as busy as the typical Spanish / Portuguese courses so we had some very relaxing rounds. The course has great practice facilities and a wonderful restaurant. Puygiron is a hilltop hamlet 5 miles from Montelimar. You can see the town of Montboucher from the golf course, while the Drome Valley and Ardeche Hills must be explored by those who want to see the fields of heather, sunflowers, vines and many other crops when in season. A twenty minute drive takes you to the village of La Garde Adhemar which has a beautiful square, a quaint walled herb garden and the church of Romane St. Michel. Slightly further afield is the town of Arles where Van Gogh spent some time; Chateauneuf du Pape and of course Avignon which is just 50 miles away. All in all, we had a wonderful time and we will definitely be back and we only managed to take in a fraction of what the region has to offer.

“Lovely old house, great location, close to local town, and high quality golf club.”


This was a beautiful old charming house with all modern conveniences. Modern kitchen, new swimming pool, beautiful outside dining area, comfortable living area with four bedrooms and further sleeping area in the attic. Functional storage area in basement. The house is located about 10 minutes walk to the local town which is very french. Lots of interesting little streets, nice restaurants and some pubs. There is one high quality golf club a short 10 minute drive from the house. A fair but challenging course very enjoyable to play. Overall a lovely place to stay.

Perfect location for sightseeing,sunbathing,tasting the real France!”


We had previously stayed in rural parts of France,so were slightly anxious about staying in a town. No need!. The house was spacious,comfortable and peaceful.We are a family with 3 children aged 3 years to 13 years. Everyone loved the pool. The older ones and adults loved the short walk into town to shop,especially on market days. The even shorter walk to nearby breadshops, fish shop,cheese shop,outstanding grocers and carrefour was a vast improvement on previous holidays,when we had wasted nearly half a day traveling to complete each food shop! We enjoyed visits to the gorges of the Ardeche,dipped our toes in the Mediterannean South of the Camargue region, delighted in seeing wild flamingoes here also!,Shopping and sightseeing in Avignon,(yes,we sang the song on the bridge!), and Arles.We also managed to see a stage of the Tour de France VERY close up! Thank you for the use of this very special property. So much left for us to do,that we hope to return soon.