Le Mas de Piol

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Villa |5 bedrooms |Sleeps 10

Claviers in Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur

From £2500 per week

7 nights minimum stay

Changeover Saturday

4.5 out of 5

2 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Swimming pool, balcony/terrace, car essential, private garden, may take pets - please enquire

About the home

Le Mas de Piol was created recently by the owners on the site of a sloping hillside Olive Grove. Most of the Olives survive, and are a key feature of the leafy green garden of about 1 acre.

Around the infinity pool, there are plenty of teak and cast iron sunbeds and steamers to relax in, plus a wonderful shady "au-vent" to eat outside even when the sun is at its highest (the pool can be heated at £250 pw extra cost, but this is only necessary in the "shoulder" months).

If you are feeling energetic, there is a Boules pitch, new Table Tennis with all the kit, badminton and water polo. Tennis is readily available about 15 mins away, and riding, gliding, skiing (60mins), lake and sea watersports are nearby.

The sea is only just over 30mins away, and the Gorges du Verdon, and dozens of exquisite Provençal villages are within very easy reach... not to mention excellent vineyards, restaurants, and local markets.

Inside, the house has five elegantly-decorated and individually-styled bedrooms (each with its own private bath or shower room and loo), and a vast central room, with massive oak beams, which remains astonishingly cool, even in high Summer and with its grand fireplace and underfloor heating throughout, very cosy in Winter. The kitchen is in Provencal style, but fitted with every new electrical equipment you could want.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The 5 spacious bedrooms can be all doubles, or can be laid out as 3 doubles, plus 2 x 2 singles, as you require. Each bedroom has en suite loo and bath or shower. All linen and towels are supplied and are all White Company or similar quality. In addition, there is plenty of room for the two cots available.

Satellite TV gives the full UK Freesat service, plus French TV. Excellent DVD and CD library. FREE TELEPHONE to landlines worldwide (and also free to mobiles in USA/Canada), with very fast Broadband, inc. wi-fi.

The kitchen is newly equipped with range cooker (gas rings/electric oven), large fridge, Siemens dishwasher, toaster, kettle, coffee machine, smoothie maker etc. Behind the kitchen is the fully-equipped laundry room which also has an additional very large fridge freezer and large capacity 8kg washing machine.
We make a point of leaving for each new renter a 5litre box of the best local Rose in the fridge.
Magalie comes in every Saturday to do the cleaning, at our expense; if you want her more often we can arrange that for you. If you want a change of linen, there are two large washing machines, and if you choose the right day, the sheets will dry in the sun in no time.
There is no formal air-conditioning, since the house is so well insulated, that it is never really required. However the ASHP can be turned to cold (on the regulator inside the front door) and this has quite an impact on the overall air temperature in the house.

Further details outdoors:
The large infinity pool is the centrepiece for much activity, although that often means no more than simply relaxing beside it!... the gardens are cleverly laid out, with plenty of quiet terraces and corners to hide away for a snooze or a read after lunch. (Holiday Lettings are having some problems with their website, and we would emphasise that the pool is a private pool with heating available in shoulder months)

There is also a Summer kitchen with a fridge for your cold drinks on the Pool level. Plus a loo.
For the active, there is a Boules pitch, Badminton, new Table tennis table etc., kit for water polo etc, and plenty of excellent walks.

There is a brilliant Weber gas barbecue, right next to the au-vent, and we find in the Summer that we tend to do most of our cooking on that.

It is possible to cope fine with up to four cars, but we recommend that you leave any more than two cars on the "higher" parking area.

You will get a visit at least once a week from Patrick to look after the pool, and Fiona will appear from time to time to give the lawns a quick mow, and to keep the garden in order.

Further details

We ask for 50% of the rental at the time of booking, and the remainder 6 weeks before the rental starts. We prefer that the rental is paid by electronic transfer.

We also ask for a returnable £400/€500 cheque against damages, but we hope to be able to continue never to use any of this.

Conditions

The property is built on a slope, so we do not really think it is suitable for the seriously infirm. Having said that, several 85+ guests have coped fine, but they were all pretty agile!

As for children, we have had plenty of them of all ages and sizes, without any problems at all.
Usually, a well-behaved dog is not a problem....our own black Labrador loves it there!

Photos

 

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From the terrace to Mt Piol (Hence name of house)

 

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Sunshine, shade, greenery and the pool

 

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By the pool....

 

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Dinner in the evening sun in the au-vent.

The Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur / Var region

Claviers is located in a most beautiful unspoilt part of Provence. We chose to build our house here, because we fell in love with its "Cezanne" view of the roof tiles of Claviers, tucked into the folds of green mountains. The area is still very much "real Provence", and lunch in the local restaurants are still €13, plus €5 for a pichet of Rose! Every square has a cafe/bar under Plane trees for you to cool off.

If you ever tire of the tranquillity, there are many options open to you: you can go to the impressive new Four Seasons Golf resort, 20 minutes away for a cocktail or sophisticated "International" cuisine, or you can take off for the elegance of Cannes, Antibes, Ste Maxime or Theoule sur Mer. We go to Cannes(40 minutes) in particular with its great sea food restaurants, not to mention the buzz of a fun-loving city. Then there is of course St Tropez - we have a favourite beach restaurant there (60mins away, if you set off early).

Fayence, Seillans and Callas all have top-rated restaurants as well, and the vineyards in the nearby Esclans valley are now producing wines that sell in the US for over $100! (We tend to buy the 5 litre boxes of Rose for €15, however, which we think are excellent for everyday consumption)

The Claviers area

Whilst it does get pretty hot in the Var in mid-summer, Claviers is at 450m, and there is plenty of leafy greenery about to protect you as you wander through the village, or enjoy one of the two restaurants and bars! This also means that at night it never feels stifling.There is a small general store (excellent ham!) and a Boulangerie, where most inner needs can be met.

In addition, on Saturday morning you can buy local goodies at the village market, but Callas (4km away) has a much bigger, and very buzzy, market three timesa week, as does Fayence (20mins), and famously of course, St Tropez.

Claviers was the regional headquarters of the Maquis in WW2, so look out for the monument to the resistance.
Usually at the weekend there is a concert or an "aioli" either in Claviers or one of the neighbouring villages, such as Bargemon or Callas (both about 5k), and in the Summer there are regular concerts from Baroque to Jazz.

A tasting tour of the local vineyards is always fun and a trip to the Gorges du Verdon is amazing. You will see why they call them "The Grand Canyon of Europe". Also there is pretty good skiing at Les Greoulieres(70 minutes), top-class gliding at Fayence (20 minutes), and a choice of Golf courses within 30 minutes.

Children never seem to tire of the Lac St Cassien (30mins) with safe swimming, pedalos, ice creams and the rest....

How to get there

Le Mas de Piol What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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Easyjet, BA, BMI, Cityjet, Jet2 fly to either Nice orToulon ( both 60 minutes) from Gatwick, Luton, Leeds, Liverpool,East midlands, London City and seasonally lots of other airports.
Nimes(Ryanair from Luton) and Avignon (Flybe) are easy alternatives with slightly longer drives, but very fast "processing" in friendly small airports.

Train is increasingly popular with a major station at Draguignan Les Arcs (25 mins), and Motorail to Frejus (35 minutes).

The drive across France from Calais, Caen or Le Havre can be great fun and a mini-holiday in its own right. We are more than happy to advise on good value stopovers- and vineyards- on the way.

Car hire at any of the Railway stations or airports is very uncomplicated, and we ourselves always book through brokers such as www. rentalcars.com (used to be Car Hire 3000) or www.auto-europe.co.uk, who are both reliable and always very competitively priced.

Activities near Claviers

Reviews

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

19 Aug 2011

“Perfection” I could describe our vacation at Le Mas de Piol in one word - perfect! But I have to say more: Photos are sometimes misleading but in this case, the real thing is even better. The villa has neighbours, yet feels secluded, as if we were alone with the rolling hills of Provence, the lovely village of Claviers chiming its bells at us across the valley and the smell of lavender seeping through the windows. our children loved the infinity pool, playing ping-pong and running around, looking for adventures in the vast yard and we had plenty of places to be together for a family reunion but also rest alone and read a book. David and Kirstie pay attention to detail, the villa had everything we needed (including wonderful DVD's, cook books and recommendations) and uplifting interiors. The Villa is close enough to the french riviera for day trips but far enough to enjoy the country-side and relax without the hustle and bustle of crowds... Just perfect! Thanks!

11 Aug 2011

“Le Mas de Piol is a magical escape for a long or short break - a place you will find very hard to le” Le Mas de Piol is a beautiful home situated in a magical part of Southern France. The village beneath it offers some beautiful walks and small restaurants with wonderful views. The house is... more

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

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Guestbook for Le Mas de Piol

2011
...... Dear David & Kirstie

A belated 'Thank you' for letting us stay in your beautiful home! It truly is the most magical of places and the house is so delightful and is situated in such a wonderful part of the countryside it was very hard to leave!

We hope everything was in order after we left?

Thank you again and hopefully we will be able to return again sometime soon.

Kindest regards,

Myalee Chaytor (Sydney)



.......I could describe our vacation at Le Mas de Piol in one word - perfect!

But I have to say more: Photos are sometimes misleading but in this case, the real thing is even better.

The villa has neighbours, yet feels secluded, as if we were alone with the rolling hills of Provence, the lovely village of Claviers chiming its bells at us across the valley and the smell of lavender seeping through the windows. our children loved the infinity pool, playing ping-pong and running around, looking for adventures in the vast yard and we had plenty of places to be together for a family reunion but also rest alone and read a book.

David and Kirstie pay attention to detail, the villa had everything we needed (including wonderful DVD's, cook books and recommendations) and uplifting interiors.

The Villa is close enough to the french riviera for day trips but far enough to enjoy the country-side and relax without the hustle and bustle of crowds...

Just perfect! Thanks!"

Gili Adler Nevo (Canada)

2010 reviews

....."We have just spent the most magnificent 3 weeks in your beautiful house in this very special place" Dublin, June 2010

....." We loved the villa, and Claviers is so charming and welcoming"......."We were so happy that we did not want to leave!"......"thankyou for the gift of a 5 litres of Rose in the fridge. It was much appreciated" 2010

........"we were knocked out by the wonderful facilities. The house and fantastic views have ben superb" Notting Hill, 2010

....."What a wonderful place. We all loved if for a whole variety of reasons" San Diego, Sept 2009

......."Enjoyed our wonderful week in your beautiful Provencal house. We will be back." Sydney, July 2008

....."The house is perfect, and the view unbeatable". Herts, Aug 2008

...." Stunning house, exquisite interiors. Relaxed wonderful holiday" London,August 2008

...."Our jaws honestly dropped when we arrived. The villa is stunning and the location too.....all so spacious!"
London Sept 2008

Rental prices

Prices for group size 10
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Winter 2012	7 Jan 12	31 Mar 12	2500£ 2500	0-	0-	1 Week
Spring 2012	31 Mar 12	22 Jun 12	2800£ 2800	0-	0-	1 Week
Summer 2012	7 Jul 12	18 Aug 12	3500£ 3500	0-	0-	1 Week
Sept/Oct 2012	1 Sep 12	28 Oct 12	2800£ 2800	0-	0-	1 Week
Winter 2012-2013	28 Oct 12	26 Jan 13	2500£ 2500	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Please note that changeover day is Saturday, so the preferred time of arrival is not before 4pm on Saturday afternoon until 10am on Saturday of departure.

We have to do this to make sure that the house is cleaned and fully prepared for each renter.If this presents you with a problem, please let us know, and we will do our best to sort things out!

We prefer to have all funds transferred electronically if possible, and we accept all major currencies.

The pool is heated, if required, but we have to ask an aditional €350 per week for this service; the good news is that it is only really necessary in April/May and October/November!

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

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3 years listed You are contacting David Lawrence Landline +33 0494 683123 Mobile +44 01295 760770 Languages spoken The owner is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2008. This villa has received 2 reviews from previous guests.