Reviews of Property: Superb Luberon farmhouse with heated pool and stunning views

I stayed at Le Mas des Anges with my partner for three weeks, September 2009. We immediately felt at home there. Coming from London, the first thing we noticed was its quietness. It backs onto a tiny country lane with only a few vehicles passing daily. The view from the front across to the Grand Luberon is stunning.

The house and garden:
Le Mas is an old, renovated farm house. The downstairs rooms are large and spacious, with high ceilings. The kitchen/dining room has a huge wooden table that amply seats twelve, plenty of tops for preparing meals and an island in the kitchen area with high bar seats. One side of the kitchen is glass windows and doors that open onto a delightful old patio, with table and seating, overhead sun shields that draw back and, in the corner, an open stone fireplace used for barbeques. The kitchen/dining room is light and sunny. The lounge is less light; it's a cool, comfortable room with large squishy settees.

The facilities:
As there were just two of us, we had more than enough. We had no trouble using the laundry facilities which were marked with easy to follow instructions. There seemed ample fridge and freezer storage space for larger parties. The upstairs bathroom is small. It's not fitted with mod cons, but everything works. There is a walk-in shower downstairs that we didn't use.
The kitchen facilities are excellent - lovely crockery and cutlery, masses of cooking pots and pans, microwave, dishwasher and a very large oven that heats quickly.
We particularly appreciated the large-scale maps of the area, and thoughtful touches like the guests' restaurant review book.
The garden is private and awesome, with fig and nut trees and a hammock, ping pong facilities and a well-serviced swimming pool.
There are no wi-fi/internet facilities. We needed to go online a few times, so used our dial-up account with no problem.

The locality:
Le Mas is well situated for a drive up to Vaison and the Dentelles vineyards, and the Gorges de Nantes. It's close to some of the most charming Luberon villages: Gordes, Saignon, Roussillon. Apt is a 10 minute drive away. It's a local market town, a bit shabby, easy to navigate, fun on market day. When we ate out, we tended towards Saignon, an idyllic fortress village, which was just as close.
Good hiking terrain: we walked the area, including the Luberon Ridge.

Administration:
Flawless: no communication problems, immediate responses to email and phone.

Really really special property. Beautifully and sensitively converted and decorated. Comfortable and relaxed with everything you could need. You can feel how well loved a family place this is.
But the clincher is the respect shown to you as a visitor - the kitchen is left fully stocked with all the staple stuff you might need. You have to replace it of course, but what a pleasure it is not to arrive to an empty kitchen. And this is a real chef's kitchen - beautiful cooker, enormous ice-making fridge.
There are ipod docks everywhere, CDs, DVDs and even a piano.
The pool and the views are gorgeous.
Never felt so at home in a rental property before. Wonderful.

We couldn't fault this place. As several others have commentated, it has view to die for. All our meals were eaten outside and we made a lot of use of the outdoor barbeque. The kids had loads of space to run around, and the two-house concept was ideal for our party of two families.

The combination of a beautifully restored farmhouse, lovely pool, breathtaking views and tranquil setting is hard to fault. Local villages like Apt and Saignon never fail to impress us with their charm, and we have every intention of going back to Le Mas des Anges as soon as we possibly can!

These two adjoining houses are obviously owned and used by a lovely family. The furnishings are most tasteful and attractive throughout the property. There is a large and very comfortable sitting room.Tasty and thoughtful things are provided in the fridge and freezer so no shopping needs to be done on arrival. It is situated in a particularly quiet and rural area with pleasant views. The pool is safe, and shade is provided by beautiful trees, including a wild mulberry. For us, another plus was the wonderful built in and covered barbecue with the vast and expanding table next to it where all our meals were enjoyed.
It is near to Apt with it`s huge and interesting Saturday morning market.
Our two families couldn`t fault it and we all had the easiest and happiest of times. The sort of house where happy memories are made and remembered.

We have visited the Luberon many times over the years but have not found a villa as stunning as Le Mas des Anges. The first thing you notice when you arrive will be the beautiful exterior of the farmhouse and then when you enter the house you will be surprised at the size of the property.

All the rooms and eating areas are large and, due to the stone walls, are kept cool no matter how warm it is outside. The kitchen is fully stocked along with the life-saving dishwasher. The bedrooms are all roomy and bright with lots of storage space. The property is clean and the people who mind the garden/pool/cleaning are all happy to work when it is convenient for you. So you can go out and enjoy the surrounding area and arrive back to fresh beds and a clean pool to enjoy. The outdoor eating/bbq area is a treat and we liked that you were able to talk to those in the garden as well as those in the kitchen so you do not feel disconnected from people as we have in other properties. The garden is very large and well maintained with views that never fail to take your breath away.
There were 10 of us in all staying at Le Mas des Anges and I can say that we never felt crowded in the property. Several of our friends expressed a desire to come back to Le Mas des Anges again next year as it has a wonderful feel and of course the charm of a typical Provençal property.

The farmhouse is a 5 min drive from Saignon, which is a delightful little village with cobbled streets and spring water fountains to sit next to as you sip wine and laugh with your friends. Apt, also a 5 min drive, provides a fantastic market on Saturdays as well as several supermarkets to stock up during the week. You will be close to other villages around the Luberon which offer you the chance to relax, eat or simply marvel at the views they provide. There is so much to discover in the region.

In Apt there is a superb restaurant called the Plantan that offers wonderful food served in an outdoor setting that is covered over by trees with lights threaded through the branches. There are many places to find wine, naturally, however I would recommend the nearby Domaine de Mayol and Cave Bonnolly for finding truly fantastic wines to taste whilst being treated with the typical Provençal hospitality.

The owners were very helpful and were prompt and polite with their e-mails. The Le Mas des Anges is dream of a property that I cannot recommend highly enough. Treat yourselves, you won't regret it!

I stayed in this farmhouse for a week in June '09 and had a memorable time there. The two houses are very charming, well equiped and with a superb view over the Luberon. Within short distance (~ 20' rides) to several astonishing villages (e.g. Roussilion, Gordes, Bonnieux among others).

Well, I strongly recommend a stay there. The two houses concept is perfect for groups with different sleeping patterns... early sleepers can enjoy a quiet sleep in the small house and the others can extend the wining a little longer...

In summary, verypleasant farmhouse, superb location and memorable experience!

Cheers.

A beautifully restored and furnished house which is also extremely comfortable. Set in a wonderful location with a great pool and garden, it is extremely tranquil and relaxing. The house was spotless and exactly as described. We had a wonderful stay and enjoyed eating at the Auberge in Saignon as well as many other lovely restaurants locally. We'd thoroughly recommend this charming house for a holiday.