Charming 18th Century Country Home with Pool & Beautiful View of the Luberon!

We had a very relaxing week at l'Etoile - both in the cool of the house and down by the pool and in the summer kitchen. We felt very French in the Provencal surroundings and enjoyed the views across olive groves and vineyards towards Roussillon and the hills behind.

Roussillon itself was a great bonus both as the nearest place to visit (charming and quirky) and to shop in (to our surprise the various food shops were open even on Sunday morning and all were excellent and friendly). The village was particularly useful to us as it was unseasonably hot during our stay and we had a small baby with us, so we did not go out and about on day trips and visits as much as we had expected to - in fact, it was very tempting to stay put in the comfort of the house!

The house manager, Karima, and her team were delightful and helpful, and we found that nearly everything had been thought of for us, or was readily available and easily explained. Steve, the house owner, could not have been more friendly and ready to answer questions both before and during our stay and his 'house book' with information and instructions was invaluable.

The only reasons I have not given five stars throughout my review are that we were slightly bothered by noise from the road down the hill when we left the windows open at night (it was very hot...), and had expected it to be quieter. Also, we had not appreciated that there would be several other houses in the immediate vicinity and that their occupants would have to drive between the house and the pool and the summer kitchen for access. Again, not really a problem - most of the houses were unoccupied while we were there, though one had dogs that barked (one of which visited us several times!) and another had building works (quiet ones) during the day. But this might have been more of an issue if we had had small children rather than a baby?

Also, one thing I had forgotten was that June evenings are longer and lighter than in, say, July or August, so the light from the sun lingered in the West. In many ways this was lovely - sitting out on the warm evenings was a highlight - but it did mean that it was not really dark even by the time we went to bed! I think later in the summer would be better for star gazing...

Overall, everything was very comfortable, the kitchens were easy to use and well equipped, the bathrooms were definitely 5*, and we enjoyed our stay enormously.

We just spent a week with our kids (10 and 12) and my parents in law at l'Etoile. The house was everything we had hoped for and so much more. Looking at the beautiful pictures in the listing it may be hard to believe they really do the place justice, but they really do. The setting was great: very close to both Roussillon and Gordes (a 10-12 minute drive to either). The location itself was very quiet and peaceful - there are some other nearby houses, but otherwise you're surrounded by olive groves and wineyards.

The house is divided in to two buildings - the main house and the pool house/summer kitchen. We adored the summer kitchen and spent almost all our time at the house there. There were several parasols and very comfortable lounge furniture, plus a killer view!

The house was well equipped and all the furniture and amenities were high standard and very comfortable. My husband in particular enjoyed the Nespresso machines!

The one thing I would say is that I probably would not stay at this house with toddlers. The stairs down into the summer kitchen do not have a railing and the stairs in the main house are spiral and though they have a railing are very open and could be difficult with an exploring toddler.

Finally, to boot, the host was very responsive and helpful.

My extended family recently visited Provence to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday and had the joy of staying at L'Etoile.

Having visited the area before, we knew we wanted to stay near Roussillon and L'Etolie was the perfect location to see all the near by villages and even make a day trip to Marseilles.

The house was even more charming then described, with everything needed for all of our generations of guests. The kitchen, pool and bedrooms were fully equipped and the perfect balance of functional and charming. We ate out at the nearby restaurants that were delicious, but also cooked and enjoyed meals at this beautiful home.

Stephen was an excellent host, extremely responsive and ensured we had everything we needed for our trip, even delivering bicycles for us to ride during our stay. We couldn't have asked for a better trip.

We look forward to coming back!

We drove to l'Etoile from the Nice area and stayed there from Sept. 29 until Oct. 13. It was a wonderful experience. The owner has prepared a booklet describing in detail what you need to know about the property including how to run the dishwasher and washing machines, how to get to the separate summer kitchen with pool, where to go to find the best markets and restaurants in the area and much more. The bedrooms were spacious, the beds comfortable and the supplies throughout the house were plentiful and well thought out for guests. The owner was quick to reply to our email questions on two occasions. The surrounding fields of grapes and lavandar are beautiful as are the flowers and olive trees surrounding the summer kitchen. The nearby towns of Gordes, Roussillion and Apt provide lots of options for shopping, dining and exploring. This is a top-notch place to stay in Provence.