We just returned from a wonderful stay at the Zen House. The cottage is on the property of a larger private home in the Luberon, only 4 km from the village of Gordes. The location was well situated for easy visits to all of the top Luberon villages, and withing easy driving distance of Avignon and Arles. We made day trips to Vaison-la-Romaine and Aix-en-Provence as well, the former taking the longest time due to rush hour traffic.

The cottage is of new construction, but was built to fit in with the syles of the area: local stone, tile and wood floors, beamed ceilings, etc. It featured a gorgeous gravel terrace with views over the valley. We could see the villages of Bonnieux and Lacoste (at least we think those are the right ones!) from the terrace. There were two good sized bedrooms with queen beds. The bedding was all very comfortable: cozy foam mattresses, good quality linens and very comfortable pillows. The furnishings were lovely and very French. The bedrooms are air conditioned, but we had no need to turn them on as the weather was perfect.

The property is absolutely gorgeous and extremely well landscaped. The owners have impeccable taste. There is a nice pool with wonderful views of Roussillon. Luckily, the owners had not shut down the pool for the season, since the temps were still very comfortable for swimming. I will say that the pool area seemed a tad neglected. The pool was certainly clean enough, but much of the furniture was in a state is disrepair. We didn't mind, though, since we did not spend any time lazing poolside.

There was a small, but attractive kitchen with a gas cooktop and electric range, dishwasher and full size fridge. There was also a washing machine and espresso maker available to use (though it was in the pantry and would have used too much counter space) as well as a French press. There were good quality pots and pans, ample cutlery and dishes, etc. The bathrooms featured tiled showers and slate floors, but no tubs.

We arranged the rental through Paolo di Paolis of The Luberon, and had no contact with the owner directly. Paolo was very responsive and helpful. We were greeted on our arrival by the housekeeper of the main house, Madame Morello. She was a delightful and enthusiastic woman who spoke no English, but somehow, we succeeded in communicating with her well enough in our limited French.

We thought the rate for the rental was quite reasonable. Though we have no serious complaints, we did have a few items on our wish list. Firstly, it would be nice for the owners to provide a clothes line, since the washer is not a "combo" unit. I would have liked to have found a hair dryer - I hate having to tote my own from home. Since there is no ice maker, it would have been nice to find ice cube trays in the freezer, but they were cheap enough at the brand new Super U in Castellet (about 3 km away) Lastly, though I imagine fires are a major concern in the area, a grill for cooking would have been very much appreciated. That said, it seems the oven has never been used, so perhaps my husband is one of the few who truly enjoys cooking when we travel.

The one issue I had concerns about was that the owner required the remaining balance of the rental be paid in cash on arrival, plus the 500 euro security/damage deposit in either cash or EU travelers checks. We don't typically like to take that much cash over, and have always paid the balance by wire prior to arrival. It was a minor inconvenience in the end.

I would definitely stay here again as the location and privacy were perfect. The owners were away for the week, so we had completely seclusion, except for the resident chien et chat who kept us company every evening as we regaled in the views.