Great location in the nicest hill town in the Luberon. Close to everything you need; restaurants, grocery stores, and boulangeries. The pool was a great place to cool off after long walks or visiting the markets.
Joie de vivre was excellent with booking and communication.
The only issue we had was that the on sight manger was not readily available and did not show us some of the amenities such as the location of the communal laundry room.
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Stayed for a week, Fantastic spot in the centre of town. There were 8 of us 4 couples. Shared the two top apartments. Lacked some basic kit like mirrors and toasters, but made up for with great views and Nice swimming pool. Centre of village location means the shops and restaurants are all 5 min walks. Comfortable beds and good showers.
Top location for exploring the local stunning scenery and cycling.
Would recommend. Several of our group had stayed before and I can see why.
We spent three weeks in the 3 bedroom apartment in the Gendarmerie. The apartment is delightful; it is well furnished with a small but efficient kitchen and wonderful views from the living area. The building itself is well looked after by Claude, the concierge. He was very helpful, sorting out some small issues with light bulbs and with the dishwasher. The swimming pool and the surrounding deck area is great - quiet, sheltered, and warm in the autumn afternoon. Friends of ours rented one of the two bedroom units in the building and it met the same high standards of our gites. And each gites has its own private parking lot just up a flight of stairs adjacent to the building.
Thirty metres away from the building is a great little bar and restaurant. Ten metres further on is a butchers and, just beyond that, one of two great bakeries in the village. About 100 metres up the hill from the Gendarmerie is a Utile - a small but well stocked supermarket.
We've stayed in gites in Roussillon and Lourmarin in recent years and we prefer Bonnieux. There are fewer tourists because it's built on a steep hill, so tour buses don't show up. But, there are lots of restaurants in the village - and a great market on Fridays. The village itself is visually interesting and there are great views from most places (and restaurants) in the community.
Finally, Helen Bowles, who runs the agency through which you book the gites, is very helpful and accommodating. She ensures that you'll have a first rate experience if you rent one of the units.
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Friends getaway | Families with young children |
We also booked through Joie de Vivre holidays and found them thoroughly helpful from the first day of our inquiry. The apartment "Le General" is located on the ground floor of the old police house in central Bonnieux, perfect walking distance to nearby bakeries, butcher, shops and restaurants. It is a roomy apartment on one level. This was important for us since we have an 18 month old child. Many places we looked to rent were two stories with narrow stone staircases.
The apartment has everything you needed to make you feel at home. The beds were large and comfortable, the kitchen, although small, had everything we needed to prepare great meals with the local produce. There was a large dining table and a very comfortable loungeroom with satellite tv. The terrace could comfortably sit four people, six at a squeeze. The pool looked stunning but as we were here in October it was little too cool to use. Our apartment also had wifi access which worked well (I believe that not all the apartments have it, or that doesn't work so well because of the thick stone walls)
Unfortunately we did have a problem with no hot water when we arrived which took 2 days to rectify. We had trouble contacting the local managers but in the end had the problem sorted through Helen at Joie de Vivre. While irritating, it certainly didn't spoil our holiday.
Agree with previous reviewer that it would be good with a local map of the area in the apartment.
How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
How easy was key pickup/access to the property? | Overall condition of the property |
Bedding & mattresses | Kitchen & utensils |
Bathroom cleanliness | Other facilities & amenities |
Service |
Friends getaway | Older travelers |
Families with young children |