Beautiful location, this family was very happy here

Guest: Kate (Arlington, Massachusetts, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/05/00 Review Submitted: 11/10/11

It's been a long time since my family (husband, daughter, mother, and I) stayed here--it was in 2000--but we loved every minute of it. My daughter lived in the pool for the entire two weeks of our stay. We had the upper level but made friends instantly with both sets of people who rented the flat below us. Because we got lost coming in, we were too late to shop for food, and our downstairs neighbors kindly invited us to dinner with them. We enjoyed walking to the small farm stand below the house and picking out warm-from-the-vine tomatoes for our daily salads. Shopping for food at the Bandol markets and shops was a dream come true for me, and we also visited the Calanques often. It was so easy to drive to other villages, too--we spent a day in Aix, roamed around the entire area, and ate many spectacular lunches at beachside restaurants. The home itself was quirky, but it a way we loved--the old olive tree just about reaching into the master bedroom, the tiniest washing machine I've ever seen (but it worked and we used it almost every day; it was lovely to hang the wash out on the line and find it dry in no time, thanks to the hot dry air.) My daughter (who was 10 at the time) and I took ALL of the recommended walks around the villa--amazing views from each one. We also took several boat tours of the area, each one more beautiful than the next. We loved having breakfast on the patio and looking out at the sea while we planned our day. One of our favorite places to visit was nearby Cassis with its charming harbor. I would definitely return if I could ever afford the airfare from Boston!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, age 55+.

This Place Is A Dump!!

Guest: Kendall (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/28/11 Review Submitted: 09/30/11

There is a reason the owner has posted only one blurry photo of the interior of the house and none of the exterior! The place is VERY sub par.This was my first time using VRBO and I guess I expected, at the very least, honesty about the (sorry) state of this property. In an email to me, the owner described the house as "well appointed." This could not have been further from the truth. What was not disclosed to me prior to renting is that that minimal investment has been made in the upkeep of the house in over 40 years. Small plants are growing out of the roof tiles by the front door and years of dust coats the outside stucco (it probably hasn’t been painted in 20 years). The inside is dank, depressing and cluttered like old Grandma Betty's house (complete with cobwebs and cracked spines on an old record collection). The property is approx. 100 meters from a major road, so deep into the night you will hear the loud rumble of trucks driving by, and even worse, the piercing screech of scooters tearing down the road. There is no air-conditioning, so you must sleep with the windows open and toss-n-turn in the heat and noise. It was SO bad that we wanted to leave after the first night, but suffered through three since we had fully paid for the week. The furniture has been there since the 60s, including a filthy box spring, a gold velvet headboard, and a lumpy mattress with a piece of plywood underneath (for "spinal health" I was told)! Every chair in the place is dirty, torn or has cigarette burns. There was even an attempt to camouflage one of the old couches with an orange tablecloth "throw." I only wish I could attach photos to this review! When I complained to the owner that the conditions were unacceptable, I was told I was getting an "authentic Provencal experience." When we arrived the caretakers informed us that 20% of our deposit would be withheld for cleaning. Though I do not have a problem with this in theory, I believe any extra charges should have been disclosed in advance. In spite of this, we thoroughly cleaned prior to departure...even washed the sheets. The owner neglected to leave us the passcode to the wifi so we had no internet access. I requested a full refund of unused days (since I felt conditions had been grossly misrepresented). The owner did send me a small refund, which I guess was better than nothing. My advice: keep searching on the internet. You can find a MUCH nicer place than this to spend your vacation in Southern France.

Owner response: Having successfully made a fool of herself in a first "review" of August 10 Ms S continues her revenge rampage with this sanitized Version no.2, removing some of the more ridiculous stuff. The quotes below are from Version 1. Comparing,the reader may judge the meaningfulness of the rantings. Is a Version 3 coming? Background: Ms S arrived a day late, keeping our caretakers waiting all afternoon and night. Left the place a mess; caretakers kept 20 percent of the damage/cleaning deposit for the extra work, apparently infuriating Ms S. Only third time in 12 years caretakers did this. Ms S began complaining about everything and demanding her money back, including the day late. I generally try to keep up good relations, so I used a daily rate and returned the rest. Her reaction was to demand more money. I politely and definitely refused in a final email of August 9. The poisonous first "review" came on August 10. Quotes and Responses: "only one blurry photo of the interior of the house and none of the exterior!" Five pictures are posted. One shows view, others interior or exterior, what else? Can send lots more. "There are small plants growing out of the rooftiles" Ms S been climbing on the roof?? Naughty "dust coats the outside stucco" Dust the OUTSIDE of the house?? Unnecessary, Mistral does a good job.(Version 2 wants the stucco painted!) "old record collection" Sorry Ms S doesn't appreciate. "approximately 100 meters from a major road " This is the road to the next village; not a major road, distance considerably more than 100 meters, rarely used by trucks, certainly not at night. "No air-conditioning…" AC is rarely installed or necessary in Provence. We do not and did not promise AC to Ms S. " There was one couch…" The living room is large and has TWO couches. In her blind fury, Ms S decided not to see the new, modern one(photo). "Though charming, she and her husband spoke NOT ONE WORD of English. If you do not speak French, you may want to be aware of this." Never heard this one before. In France,how about trying a few words of French? " did not have passcode" Passcode is available, just ask. Don't want it lying around. Conclusion: For air-conditioning, perfect sterile surroundings, and everybody speaking English, not for you. For a nice country house with pool, lavender at the door, in one of the most beautiful spots in Europe, come to us.

Recommended for:

Charming Provencal Accomodations!

Guest: Martin (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA)
Date of Stay: 09/25/07 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

My wife, a friend, and I stayed in this home in the Fall of 2007. Enjoyed the home and the area tremendously! Dealing with the owner and caretaker was painless. I cannot disagree more with the previous (negative) review. Home was not 'new' but wasn't expecting it to be. We had such a marvelous time there that my wife turned to me and remarked, "I could easily imagine living here!" I couldn't agree more! BTW, my French is 'tres peu' at best and we had no problems communicating with caretaker! Maybe the other reviewer just had a bad attitude... I hope that we can return and stay there again!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, age 55+.

Wished it could go on longer

Guest: Jennifer H. (-)
Date of Stay: 06/10/05 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Dear Leo, We had a wonderful week in Bandol--only wished it could go on longer. Thanks again for the opportunity to stay in your house, and for the help in finding restaurants, calanques, etc. We tried L'en K on Friday, and thought it very nice. Regards, Jennifer H.

Recommended for:

Best location among a very good set

Guest: Barrrie and Sonia H. (-)
Date of Stay: 06/02/06 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Hello Leo: We arrived back in Calgary on Tuesday after our one month vacation in Europe. We wanted to let you know that we enjoyed staying at your property very much [probably our best location-among a set of very good properties] . Bandol and the area will have a lot of great memories for us and we managed to try most of your suggested tours and tips and none disappointed us. Maybe the next time we visit , we will bring our golf clubs and play the course not far from you -it looks like it would be a nice one. Once again , many thanks for fitting us into your schedule and hopefully we can visit the area again in the not too distant future. Best Regards Barrie and Sonia H.

Recommended for:

Tasted Turbot

Guest: The C's (-)
Date of Stay: 09/20/06 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Hi Leo, I wanted to let you know things worked out well with your place in Bandol (we were on to Holland and England for a week after our stay there). The Baldacchinos were very nice and helpful...Mr. B's turbot (I think it was) that he cooked on the grill and gave us half of for lunch one day was one of the best meals we had on the entire trip! The folks at the store down the road were also kind to us (he had some good and updated restaurant suggestions that we enjoyed) as well. I'm not sure when we'll have the luxury of getting back to France in the future but we'll certainly keep Bandol in mind if and when we do. Best regards, Glen and Rachelle C.

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Note of Thanks

Guest: Marcia E. (-)
Date of Stay: 05/03/09 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Subject: note of thanks Leo, Just a quick note to thank you for your generosity and kindness during our visit to your lovely home. We enjoyed our stay to the point that it was nicer to stay put than do daily sight seeing as we had originally intended. It was so good to relax and enjoy the peace you have created in that space. We had a long and tiring journey home, but arrived without incident. As we return to our "everyday" lives, we will keep that week of delightful color and sunshine in memory to carry us forward. A Bientot! Marcia E.

Recommended for:

Beaute' de cette Maison

Guest: Mme. G (-)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Bonjour Monsieur, Comme convenu, j'ai verse ....la somme pour la location du mois d'Aout. Il fait en ce moment un temps superbe et j'ai pu apprecier la beaute de cette maison. Bien cordialement,   Monique G.

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