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Plage PrivéeCalendar

2-Bedroom 2-Bath Sea-facing Terrace Apartment €1,500–2,300 per week (Rate details)
  • Holiday rental apartment on waterfront, stunning panoramic views of bay of Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Cap de Nice and the Old Town
  • Top floor apartment right above the beach, newly remodeled, 2 bedroom, 2 bath
  • South-facing terrace gets full sun all day, with French doors leading from the living / dining / kitchen area and master bedroom onto the terrace
  • Fully equipped apartment including WiFi, phone with free international calling, AC, stereo with inside and outside speakers, washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, gas cooktop, hair dryers, beach towels, beach chairs, sun lounging chairs, barbecue
  • Fantastic location — steps from the beach, Old Town, restaurants, shops, public transport
  • Colorful, mid-century modern décor and excellent lighting
  • Private, quiet, yet in the midst of it all, extremely relaxing — you'll just want to hang out all day and enjoy the beauty and comfort
The view from Plage Privée is stunning! A 200-degree panoramic view, from the beach to the tip of Cap Ferrat, across the entrance of the bay to the Cap of Nice and then the Old Town of Villefranche. Locals and newcomers all comment on its beauty. It is famous for a reason. You'll appreciate it every day.
Entering the apartment, you are struck by the stunning view and the décor and terrazzo floor. You feel as though you are at the helm of a ship. The front hallway leads to the main area of the apartment — the living room, dining area and kitchen.
The living room area leads directly onto the terrace — a seamless inside / outside space. Nearly every day of the year you can open the doors to the terrace for at least several hours, even in winter months. The terrace and the apartment are basked in sunshine. The apartment and terrace face south.
The living room includes a sofa for 2 or 3, an arm chair and ottoman, and day bed right next to the window which is a perfect place to curl up with a book or take a nap with the sun streaming in. You are so close to the water's edge you can actually see the fish swimming in the sea. There are excellent reading lights plus lovely ambient night lighting, all on dimmers.
The dining area includes the iconic tulip table with six tulip swivel chairs. Everyone loves this table and it is very comfortable. Behind it is a custom-made buffet in black lacquer holding all the dishes, glasses and serving platters. It is a pleasure to prepare and enjoy meals in this apartment.
The kitchen is equipped with everything for cooking. Clients say “you have more things than in my own kitchen!” Items include high quality pots, pans and knives, knife sharpener and every useful kitchen gadget you could want.
The living room also includes a large flat screen TV with French stations, English SKY TV for English speaking stations, Apple TV which includes our library of hundreds of films, an excellent stereo system with Bluetooth and indoor and outdoor speakers, WiFi, and free international calling.
The terrace has a dining table for ideal for four but can squeeze six. There are four arm chairs (with cushions) for dining plus two folding chairs to accommodate six people. Two sun loungers and four aperitif arm chairs will let you enjoy pulling up to the balcony railing to watch the waterfront action. There is a gas barbecue and a large sun umbrella.
A large French door leads from the master bedroom to the same terrace that connects to the living room. You can see the sea from the bed, whether sitting or laying down. And you hear it too, even on the stillest of nights.
The bed is queen sized, and there’s lots of closet space for clothes, which include full length mirrors for dressing. The ensuite bathroom is the door next to the closets. The bedroom has AC. We have excellent linens, beds and pillows.
The spacious master bedroom is a lovely place to relax. When laying in bed you can see and hear the sea lapping the shores. You can sleep with the windows open if you want to hear the sounds of the sea as you sleep.
The master bathroom includes a large walk-in shower with a window looking out onto the back garden. The window is tinted for complete privacy, but it can open to allow fresh air in when you want.
The toilet is tucked conveniently in the corner of the bathroom. The large vanity offers plenty of counter and storage space for toiletries and excellent lighting.
The guest bedroom features a double bed and an ensuite bathroom. The room’s primary window faces the back garden. There is lots of closet space for clothes. The artwork is vintage posters of travel scenes.
The guest bedroom’s second window opens onto the main room of the apartment, thereby providing it with a view of the bay. The window is reflective glass so you can see out from the bedroom but not in from the living room. The desk offers a great working space, with a view!
The guest bedroom’s bath is large and has a lovely soaking tub, a shower within the tub, plenty of counter and storage space for toiletries, and a window to the back garden. And there is a full length mirror for dressing.
On the terrace you’ve got front row seats to the constantly changing scene on the bay, with dining chairs, sun lounging chairs, comfortable sitting chairs, sun umbrella, and barbecue. It’s fully equipped for relaxing in comfort, day or night.
Across the street from the apartment is the beach of Villefranche, one of the loveliest beaches on the French Riviera. You will love to wake up and go right down to the beach for a morning swim. It gives you the most incredible buzz — you'll feel fantastic all day.

Plage Privée

2 bed, 2 bath €1,500–2,300 per week

Request a Reservation

Select your desired arrival date first by clicking or tapping on the calendar, then select your desired departure date. Then click the “Send Email” button to submit your resevation request to us. We will respond to your request typically within a day.

April 2024
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Map of Plage Privée
Location of Plage Privée is circled on the map.
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About the Location

Plage Privée enjoys a commanding position on the bay with panoramic waterfront views.  Just behind the building are the cliffs of Villefranche that plunge to the sea, creating the magnificent bay of Villefranche (now nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Villefranche, its bay and Old Town, are one of the most photographed sites on the French Riviera and featured in many movies. Plage Privée is located on the top floor of a lovely art deco style building at the entrance to the main beach of Villefranche called Plage des Mariniers. The beach is one of the best places in the world to swim or enjoy a walk along the one-kilometer long beach road which also leads to various stunning coastal walks to neighboring villages, including St. Jean Cap Ferrat and Beaulieu sur Mer, where you can enjoy their daily fresh market, wonderful food shops, restaurants, bars, and cafés.  Then, with all your purchases, you take the train back (just a 2-minute ride) and you are home.  Located behind and above the building is the train station of Villefranche which is very convenient. (Trains are electric, therefore quiet — you don’t hear any train noise).  Plage Privée is a very convenient location.

To walk to the heart of the Old Town it is a 3-minute walk along the waterfront quai where you find numerous restaurants, a boulangerie, grocery store, butcher, fresh market and numerous cafés / bars, and newspaper stand.  Plage Privée is a quiet location although in the summer there is a fun summer buzz of beach activity as you are literally next to the beach.  Although Plage Privée is located on the top floor, there is an entrance from this level which leads to the main street of the Old Town so there are no stairs to climb to get into the apartment from the village — again, very convenient.  You do not need a car when living at Plage Privée as you can walk to everything and public transport is really convenient.  Read more about the location on our page About Villefranche.

  • Holiday rental apartment on waterfront, stunning panoramic views of bay of Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Cap de Nice and the Old Town
  • Top floor apartment right above the beach, newly remodeled, 2 bedroom, 2 bath
  • South-facing terrace gets full sun all day, with French doors leading from the living / dining / kitchen area and master bedroom onto the terrace
  • Fully equipped apartment including WiFi, phone with free international calling, AC, stereo with inside and outside speakers, washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, gas cooktop, hair dryers, beach towels, beach chairs, sun lounging chairs, barbecue
  • Fantastic location — steps from the beach, Old Town, restaurants, shops, public transport
  • Colorful, mid-century modern décor and excellent lighting
  • Private, quiet, yet in the midst of it all, extremely relaxing — you'll just want to hang out all day and enjoy the beauty and comfort

About the Apartment

Plage Privée has a privileged position in Villefranche right on the bay. It is south facing and receives sun all day long, winter and summer. Amazing view from the balcony of the bayFrom the main living space you feel as though you are on the bridge of a ship sailing through the bay. The bay is with you day and night — the sounds of the waves lapping the shores, the sun rising and setting from one side to the other of the bay, the changing color and texture of the sea, the coming and going of boats — you are aware of it always changing — it is magical and so beautiful. And at night the lovely old street lights cast their pretty glow on the village making it look mysterious as well as casting a romantic and mesmerizing glow on the bay. And often you are treated to firework displays from which you have a front row seat. It is hard to pull yourself away from all this beauty. In fact, you won’t want to leave the apartment so we have tried to make it very comfortable so you can enjoy just hanging out there all day long, day after day.

When I walked into this apartment for the first time in 2008, when the elderly lady invited me in, it took my breath away. My jaw dropped with the sight of the views and the proximity to the sea. I was accustomed to the views in Villefranche so for me to have this reaction was a surprise. Later I found a way to delicately say to the lady that if she ever wanted to sell, would she think of me. She told me the line was long and I could get in line! So, I didn’t bring it up again but over the years we became friendly as we were neighbors (our apartment Beachfront Bliss is in the same building). Her husband had built the building so through her we learned a lot about it. In fact, in this very apartment, the General Gentilehomme, one of General de Gaulle’s assistants, lived with his Scottish wife for 30 years (and she swam in the sea every day of the year, even in winter!). One day she approached us and asked if we wanted to purchase it. She and her daughter decided that they wanted to sell it to us if we could afford it. We moved heaven and earth to make it happen. We purchased it in the late winter of 2014 and our first guest moved in the summer of 2014.

The building was largely built in the 1950s. It was only just after the war that the road was extended to arrive to the beach. Prior to that you arrived to the beach via an upper walking path on the hillside as the road ended just before the building where our apartments Le Petit Bijou and the Waterfront Penthouse are located.

We hope you will find that the apartment exudes comfort. The views, the design and comfort of the furnishings make it so you don’t want to leave. We attempted to make every position, whether sitting or laying down, to be comfortable and bring in the great views. One of our hallmarks is our lighting. We try and make beautiful lighting to create the ambiance you want and all our lighting is on dimmers, plus we provide good reading lights where you want them. All of our beds have great reading lights, plus next to the sofa and the desks.

Apartment Amenities

The main room of the apartment has two large, breathtaking picture windows (south facing) that bring the entire bay in, plus a French door (east facing) leading to the terrace that brings in the views of the terrace and entire beach. The living room consists of a large sofa, from which while sitting or laying down, you can see the beautiful views unobstructed. There is also a day bed opposite the sofa that is the perfect place to curl up with a book, take a nap, and you literally feel you could roll over into the sea. In the winter, when the sun is low in the sky, it floods the entire room with sunshine most of the day. It is so nice to lay on the day bed and read a book with the sun on you while outside it is cool. Thankfully in the summer the sun is higher in the sky so doesn’t flood into the apartment nearly as much and with the sea breezes the apartment is always a very comfortable temperature. There is an entertainment cabinet with a large TV with French and English stations as well as an Apple TV with movies. There is also a music system that can play any number of devices direct or with WiFi and includes inside and outside speakers. There are French doors that open onto the terrace.

The dining table can seat 6 and from every seat you have a wonderful view. The swivel, cushioned chairs are very comfortable and the Knoll-designed table is a classic beauty. There is a period buffet filled with dishes and glasses.

The kitchen is fully equipped for someone who loves to cook and includes a dishwasher, microwave, gas stove top, full sized refrigerator, great knives and pots and pans, plenty of counter space, and all the kitchen gadgets you could want. There is also a gas barbecue on the terrace. The kitchen has a window with mirrored glass so it reflects the view of the bay while you cook away.

Bedrooms & Bathrooms

The master bedroom includes a queen-sized bed with an extra thick mattress (we buy all our beds from Lit de France). Whether sitting in bed or laying down, the view of the bay unfolds in front of you completely unobstructed. There is plenty of closet and drawer space. Throughout are lovely pieces of original art. The lighting in the master bedroom is very romantic at night (all on dimmers) and the fixtures are very pretty during the day. The bathroom is ensuite to the bedroom and includes a large stall shower, lots of counter space and storage in mirrored cabinets with great lighting, a toilet and douchette. The master bedroom has French doors that open onto the terrace.

The second bedroom includes a double bed with an ensuite bathroom. The bedroom is designed a bit like an old fashioned “wagon lit” (French for sleeping cabin on a train) with lovely hand-made cabinets that surround the bed for convenient clothes storage, plus a hanging closet and a desk with a wonderful view of the bay. There is also a window looking to the back garden and the beautiful lush cliffs that surround the bay. There is plenty of storage space for clothes. The bathroom includes a wonderful Villeory & Boch soaking tub with a shower and a sink with plenty of counter space, excellent lighting, a toilet and douchette.

Terrace

The terrace includes a dining table that can seat 4 to 6 plus there are 4 lounging chairs that you can pull up to the knee wall and put your feet up and enjoy a coffee or glass of rosé and watch the day or evening unfold in front of you. It is hard to pull yourself away. There are also two sun lounging chairs plus a barbecue. We have a few plants and herbs for you to enjoy as well.

Entrance

You enter the apartment through the back garden. When you enter the apartment, the view immediately takes your breath away. There is a large hall closet with plenty of hanging space for coats, bags for shopping and a shopping cart. There is also a closet with the washing machine and dryer. In the living room, conveniently designed in a cupboard is an office with supplies, and excellent lighting.

You can enter the apartment from either the waterfront, in which case you walk up 3 flights of stairs that are all outside and through a garden. Or you can enter from above, on a little pedestrian lane that leads from the train station into the Old Town. From this upper location, there are no stairs to enter the apartment and you will find you use this entrance the most as it is convenient to everything especially when bringing groceries or suitcases to the apartment.