Charming Côte d’Azur Villa and Studio Cottage set in a beautiful private garden, just below the ‘perched village’ of St Paul de Vence, 8 kms from Nice. La Marmotte is a charming Villa with a pool, set in a beautiful and very private garden in a highly sought-after location on the Côte d’Azur. The Villa is within walking distance of of St Paul de Vence and only 8kms from the cultural attractions of Nice on this, arguably the most glittering and glamorous stretch of the Mediterranean coast.
La Marmotte
La Colle-sur-Loup, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Overview
Sleeps: 6
Bedrooms & Bathrooms
1 king size room
1 twin room
1 studio/double room
Rent per week
£2,900 to £3,500 per week depending on the season. Saturday to Saturday.
Detailed break down of price per week
Key features
Main house and studio cottage
Air-conditioning in all bedrooms
Lovely garden
9x3m pool with far-reaching views to the Mediterranean sea
8kms from Nice
Testimonials
The House and Accommodation
La Marmotte is a charming, very private and superbly appointed Villa, comprising a single storey Main House and a Studio Cottage about 10 metres away. Although there are other houses nearby, the Villa is totally secluded and very peaceful, especially at night.
The Kitchen / Sitting Room / Dining Area
The Sitting area – with windows facing south and east, comfortable sofas and armchairs, a large, attractive wood-burning fireplace, satellite TV (receiving English-language channels), video, DVD and CD players, plus a good selection of CDs and some videos. There are English-language books, magazines and a number of board games. The Dining area has a table seating 8 and French doors open onto a south facing dining terrace with a round table, 8 wicker chairs and a retractable sun shade. The Kitchen area is spacious, modern and well-equipped with a 4-ring electric hob, an oven, microwave, 2 fridges, a deep-freeze, dishwasher, coffee machine, etc.
Bedrooms & bathrooms
Bedroom 1
The air-conditioned Master Bedroom with a king-size canopied bed (180w x 200) which can be split into 2 singles. It has fitted cupboards, an east-facing window and French windows opening onto a terrace with a table and 4 armchairs. It’s en-suite has a bath and a hand-held shower, a bidet and a W.C. There is a separate walk in shower.
Bedroom 2
Air-conditioned, with twin beds (each 90w x 200), fitted cupboards and a window facing west. An en-suite (Bathroom 2) has a bath and a hand-held shower, a bidet, and a W.C.
Studio Room
Air conditioned with a comfortable queen-size bed (160w x 200), plenty of cupboard and drawer space, an east-facing window and French windows opening onto a terrace with a table, 2 chairs and a sun umbrella. It has it’s own en-suite Shower Room with a shower and a W.C.
Garden and Grounds
La Marmotte stands in a most attractive garden of 2000 square metres (half an acre), accessed from the road leading to St Paul. High fences and hedges on 3 sides ensure a great feeling of privacy and security whilst the south side overlooks the beautiful valley of La Colle, with marvellous views of the Mediterranean in the middle distance.
The garden is full of colour and fragrance, landscaped with roses, lavender, azaleas and other flowering shrubs, plus cypresses, lemon, olive and even banana trees.
Swimming Pool
The Villa also boasts a lush lawn surrounding the lovely swimming pool, measuring 9 x 3 metres, with a maximum depth of 1.8 metres and Roman steps at one end. It has a slightly saline content (approximately the strength of human tears) to avoid the use of chlorine and to help keep the water crystal clear. There are 6 sun beds.
Location
La Marmotte is tucked into the landscape below the renowned ‘village perché’ (hill-top village) of St Paul de Vence in the heart of the Côte d’Azur. Known as the “jewel of the Nice countryside”, St Paul attracts many tourists in high season and boasts La Colombe d’Or hotel and restaurant, whose walls are packed with original works by famous ‘local’ artists including Chagall, Dufy, Matisse, Picasso and Bonnard – the impoverished young artists sometimes exchanged their paintings for a square meal!
La Marmotte is also a few minutes’ drive from the village of La Colle-sur-Loup which has very useful shopping facilities. There are many restaurants in the vicinity, in various price ranges, many of which are listed in both the Michelin and other gastronomic guidebooks. Nearby, for instance, is a 2-star Michelin restaurant, “Alain Lorca”.
How to get there
Nice – 8kms / 15mins by car
Nice
Things to see and do nearby
Restaurants
St Paul attracts many tourists in high season and boasts La Colombe d’Or hotel and restaurant, whose walls are packed with original works by famous ‘local’ artists including Chagall, Dufy, Matisse, Picasso and Bonnard – the impoverished young artists sometimes exchanged their paintings for a square meal! La Marmotte is also a few minutes’ drive from the village of La Colle-sur-Loup which has very useful shopping facilities. There are many restaurants in the vicinity, in various price ranges, many of which are listed in both the Michelin and other gastronomic guidebooks. Nearby, for instance, is a 2-star Michelin restaurant, “Alain Lorcas”
Tennis
There are 4 outdoor tennis courts in the La Colle-sur-Loup. Booking instructions are given in the house manual.
Golf
La Marmotte is surrounded by golf clubs, 3 of the closest 18-hole courses being Opio-Valbonne (15 minutes’ drive), Biot (20 minutes), and Royal Mougins (30 minutes).
Beaches
There are countless beaches up and down the coast to explore, the nearest being at Cagnes-sur-Mer (about 3 kms down the hill in front of the Villa). La Neptune on this beach has a bar and a restaurant, plus sun beds, sun umbrellas etc.
Horse Racing
Cagnes-sur-Mer has a race course which holds meetings, mainly trotting, throughout July and August.
Scent and perfumeries
Many of the world-renowned scent factories in Grasse encourage visits and on-the-spot purchases, as do the glass-makers in Biot.
Art and culture
One of France’s most important modern art museums is the nearby Fondation Maeght. The chapel in Vence, which Matisse designed and decorated, is also not to be missed. There are a vast number of cultural attractions throughout the Côte d’Azur. Nice, for instance, has more museums and art galleries than any French city other than Paris and also has an Opera House, as well as hosting many other musical events. Two events of world importance each year are the Cannes Film Festival (mid-May) and in the Film Festival’s last week.
Gardens
There are a number of semi-tropical gardens on the Côte d’Azur that are open to the public. Particularly recommended is the Ephrussi at St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a Rothschild villa and garden.
Motor Racing
The Monaco Grand Prix in May.
Additional Information
Arrival welcome and departure: They will be welcomed on arrival, given a tour of the property and shown how everything works, as well as given the code for the gate. Tenants should arrive between 4 and 6 pm on the commencement day and leave by 10am on the day of departure.
Wifi and Broadband: There is a portable house telephone which can be used anywhere on the property. There is also Broadband/WiFi internet access.
Housebook: There is a housebook kept at the house which gives further information as appropriate on all aspects relating to the property and surrounding areas.
Additional entertainment: There are English-language books, magazines and a number of board games.
Music and TV: satellite TV (receiving English-language channels), video, DVD and CD players, plus a good selection of CDs and some videos.
Services included: There is a caretaker/housekeeper who is employed by the owner for 4 hours on one mid-week day. The housekeeper’s husband is employed by the owner to look after the swimming pool and the garden.
Optional / additional services available: the housekeeper may also be willing to wash and iron tenants’ clothes (off the premises), and will charge €12 per hour for any additional hours of cleaning work, or for any other tasks undertaken at the tenants’ request.
Utilities: There is a clothes-washing machine, an iron and an ironing board.
Air conditioning and heating: There is air conditioning and fans in all Bedrooms including the studio room. This is very much an all-year-round house and is, therefore, centrally heated throughout. Wood fires can be lit in the sitting room and Andrzej will replenish the logs as required.
Children: There is a cot, with its mattress and bedding.
Car Parking: the parking area, with an open-fronted garage for one car and space for 2 or 3 others.
Rents
2024
May | £2,900 per week |
June | £3,100 per week |
July and August | £3,500 per week |
September | £3,100 per week |
Easter and Christmas/New Year | £3,500 per week |
All other months | POA |
Terms & conditions and the booking process
The Booking Process – A deposit of 25% of the rent will be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing the Rental Agreement, with the 75% balance to be paid 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the tenancy.
Security Deposit – A Booking and Security Deposit will also be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing the Rental Agreement. This will secure the booking and will cover (a) the cost of telephone calls made on the landline during the tenancy, (b) the cost of replacing/making good any losses, breakages and/or damages incurred during the rental, and (c) any exceptional cleaning work which may be required at the end of the tenancy. It will be refunded (less any deductions as outlined above) within 4 weeks of the conclusion of the tenancy. Tenants should advise Anglo French Properties Ltd at the end of each rental of any breakages, losses and/or damages. This is in lieu of an inventory. The housekeeper will also check and advise of any damage/loss.
Minimum stay: Unless otherwise agreed, all lets (excluding those at Easter and Christmas) will be for a minimum of 1 week, and will begin and end on a Saturday.
Arrival Time & Departure times: Tenants should arrive between 4 pm and 6 pm on the commencement day, and should leave before 10 am on the agreed day of departure. They will be welcomed on arrival, given a tour of the property and shown how everything works, as well as given the code for the gate.
Number of People: Unless otherwise agreed, there should not be more than 6 people staying in the property at any one time.
Security: The owner’s insurance policy requires that all exterior doors are locked, that all windows and shutters are closed, and that the house alarm is set whenever tenants are away from the property.
Energy costs are included: The energy costs are included in the rental price.
Heating costs are included: The heating costs are included in the rental price.
Linen and towels: Bed linen, bath and pool towels are provided free of charge. The cleaning of the linen and towels are included in the rental price. These will be changed on a weekly basis.
Smoking allowed: No smoking allowed inside the property. Caution should be taken when smoking outside during the summer months as the risk of fire can be extremely high.
Internet access: yes, included in the rental price.
Optional / additional services available: any additional services, if available, (eg extra cleaning or cooking) will be agreed in advance at a pre-agreed rate per hour. These costs will be the sole responsibility of the tenant.