Villa Celestine | 4-Bedroom Villa with Private Pool in Valbonne

Eight guests, four en-suite bedrooms, and a salt-water heated pool that overlooks terraced gardens sloping down towards Mougins—Villa Celestine sits at the crossroads of the French Riviera’s most coveted address. Located 12km north of Cannes in the Alpes-Maritimes, this four-bathroom luxury villa rental in Grasse places you between the perfume-making hills and the glittering coastal towns of the Côte d’Azur, yet only 5 minutes from the Friday morning markets of Valbonne. This is where the hinterland intelligence meets seaside glamour.

Inside Villa Celestine

Villa Celestine sleeps 8 guests across 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The ground floor anchors the home around an open-plan living space with fireplace, television, and DVD player, its glass doors dissolving the boundary between the interior and the garden beyond. The kitchen-diner matches this openness—fully equipped with everything required for serious cooking or casual morning coffee—and its own set of doors leads directly onto the covered terrace where al-fresco meals happen naturally, the heated pool visible through the pergola.

Upstairs, the master bedroom commands the first floor with a 1.8-metre double bed and private balcony framing views across the pool and down the hillside. Its en-suite bathroom is proportioned generously, with separate WC. Three additional bedrooms follow the same thoughtful design: each with balcony access, each with en-suite facilities, and each offering flexibility through twin beds (0.9m each) that convert to doubles (1.8m configurations). All four bedrooms face south and west, meaning afternoon light saturates these spaces until sunset, and at night, the distant glow of the Côte d’Azur occasionally lights the horizon. A guest WC on the ground floor serves those using the living areas.

Air-conditioning throughout means the heat of July and August never dominates; Wi-Fi connects you to the outside world whenever you choose. The décor respects the Provençal vernacular—shuttered windows, traditional furnishings, stone-flagged floors in the living areas—without veering into pastiche. This is a villa that feels lived-in rather than museum-piece.

Outdoor Spaces and Living

The 12 by 6-metre kidney-shaped pool dominates the grounds, its salt-water system and pool alarm meeting modern safety standards while Roman steps make entry effortless for children and swimmers of all abilities. Depth varies from 1 to 2.8 metres, so both paddlers and lap swimmers find their zone. The water is heated year-round, transforming March swimming from endurance test into genuine pleasure.

The poolside terrace extends across perhaps 100 square metres, sheltered by a wooden pergola that filters the midday sun without blocking the light entirely. This is where the villa’s social life happens: breakfast under shade, lunch across the three-course afternoon, evening aperitifs as the light turns gold then amber. A portable gas barbecue sits ready for grilled fish and vegetables from Valbonne’s market. Lounge seating clusters on the terrace; lawn stretches beyond the pool perimeter for those who want to lie back and watch clouds move across the Provençal sky.

The property spans perhaps half a hectare, terraced in places, with steps connecting the different levels. A trampoline offers entertainment for younger guests. Parking is available within the grounds. The garden itself—neither manicured into submission nor wild—supports Mediterranean plantings that bloom across different seasons: spring bulbs, summer lavender, autumn colours reflected in the water. At dusk, the cicadas perform their mechanical chorus, a sound that has meant the south of France to travelers since before recorded memory.

Location: Grasse and the Surrounding Area

Villa Celestine’s location unlocks access to an exceptional portion of the Mediterranean. Valbonne, just 5 minutes’ drive away, is the practical heart of your week here. The Friday market on Place des Arcades brings vendors from across the region, selling produce that tastes nothing like the supermarket’s approximations: peaches that stain your hands, goat’s cheese still warm from the maker’s hands, herbs picked that morning from hillside gardens. The rest of the week, the arcaded square hosts café tables where locals nurse coffee and newspapers for hours; the surrounding medieval streets hide independent shops, galleries, and restaurants that thrive because they serve residents, not tourists.

A French restaurant sits 800 metres away for casual evenings. For more formal dining, Mougins—6km east—draws serious eaters from across Europe. Built on a hilltop and historically associated with Picasso, this village earned its reputation through exceptional restaurants including Michelin-starred options, alongside art galleries and winding streets lined with jasmine and bougainvillea. Grasse itself, 12km south, explains France’s global fragrance dominance through historical perfumeries including Fragonard and Molinard, where you can walk through gardens of jasmine, rose, and violet, then learn how these flowers become the essences that define luxury.

Opio (7km) preserves a working olive mill where oil production continues as it has for centuries. Biot (12km) specializes in glass blowing and glassware; workshops and galleries line its cobbled lanes. The beaches and resort towns of the French Riviera sit within striking distance: Cannes (20 minutes’ drive, 12km) with its famous Marché Forville, its Lérins Islands accessible by boat, and its palm-lined Croisette; Antibes (12km) with its medieval old town, the Musée Picasso, and excellent seafood restaurants; Juan-Les-Pins (15km) offering both family-friendly beaches and nightlife in a single seaside setting; Cap d’Antibes with walking trails along limestone cliffs and hidden coves suitable for swimming. Nice (30km northeast, roughly 40 minutes) sprawls across the coast with its own old town, promenade, and cultural depth. Monaco lies an hour further east, its casino and helicopter-landing yachts representing the Côte d’Azur’s most theatrical extreme.

Explore our luxury villas in Europe or dive deeper into our full collection in Valbonne to discover similar properties in this coveted region. For destination intelligence and planning, read our comprehensive French Riviera travel guide.

The hinterland itself—inland from the coast—rewards exploration. Royal Mougins Golf Resort (6km) offers championship 18-hole golf with views across the valley. Parc de la Valmasque, immediately adjacent to Villa Celestine, provides walking trails through cork oak forests, ideal for morning excursions before the day heats. For more ambitious hiking, Gourdon (30km) sits perched above limestone gorges, with trails leading down through dramatic Gorges du Loup. Art lovers find pilgrimage in St Paul de Vence (30km), home to the Fondation Maeght contemporary art museum, or the Chapelle du Rosaire near Vence (25km), where Henri Matisse designed both structure and decoration in his final years.

Who This Villa Suits Best

Extended families of 6-8 adults and teenagers thrive here. The four en-suite bedrooms eliminate bathroom conflicts; the open-plan ground floor provides gathering space without forced closeness. Parents appreciate the pool safety alarm and the terrace’s sightlines to every guest in the water. Teenagers find the villa neither too remote nor too touristy: Valbonne offers evening entertainment and social energy, while the pool and gardens provide downtime.

Multi-generational groups—grandparents, parents, children—find Villa Celestine particularly suitable because the ground floor requires no steps, and the pool’s Roman steps and varying depth accommodate swimmers of all ages and abilities. The heated water means March through October swimming is genuinely comfortable.

Groups of friends, particularly those interested in food and wine, find everything they need. The kitchen encourages collaborative cooking; the terrace accommodates eight at dinner comfortably. Valbonne’s market and the proximity to restaurants ranging from casual to Michelin-starred means evenings can shift from cooking together to dining out without advance planning.

Couples seeking luxury retreat-space with privacy find the villa’s scale and guest capacity less relevant than its setting—the hillside location provides genuine peace, while Mougins and Cannes remain accessible for date-nights whenever the mood strikes.

Practical Information

Villa Celestine accommodates 8 guests maximum across 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Nearest airport: Nice Côte d’Azur (Aéroport de Nice), 35km southwest, approximately 50 minutes’ drive. Ground-level supermarket and village shopping in Valbonne, 2km away. The rental includes Wi-Fi, air-conditioning throughout, pool heating, and use of all furnishings and kitchen equipment. Linen and towels are provided. Check-in and check-out times follow standard protocols—typically 4pm arrival, 10am departure—though flexibility exists with advance notice. The pool operates year-round due to heating system. Portable barbecue is available for guest use. Note that the property sits on terraced, stepped grounds; while accessible, it suits guests comfortable with occasional steps rather than those requiring full wheelchair accessibility.

Frequently Asked Questions about Villa Celestine

How many guests does Villa Celestine sleep?

Villa Celestine accommodates 8 guests across 4 bedrooms. The master bedroom contains one 1.8-metre double bed; the three additional bedrooms each feature flexible twin beds (0.9m each) that can be configured as doubles (1.8m). All bedrooms include en-suite bathrooms. An additional guest WC serves the ground floor. The villa layout suits groups of mixed ages, extended families, and friend groups equally well.

What is the nearest airport to Villa Celestine?

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (airport code NCE), located 35km southwest of the villa, serves as the primary gateway. Drive time from airport to villa averages 50 minutes under normal traffic conditions (longer during summer peak season or Friday afternoon congestion toward the coast). Car rental desks operate throughout the terminal; pre-arranged drivers and private transfer services are available through most luxury travel concierges. The route follows the A8 motorway inland, then transitions to regional roads toward Valbonne.

What is the best time of year to rent Villa Celestine?

May through September offers guaranteed sunshine, warm pool water, and full operation of coastal resorts and mountain villages. June and September deliver perfect temperatures (22-27°C) without July-August crowds or peak pricing. April and October remain excellent for those comfortable with variable weather; the pool is heated, but sea swimming becomes marginal. March permits villa rental at lower cost, though rainfall is possible and pool temperatures require commitment. Avoid November through February unless you welcome winter silence and hillside fog over sunny days. Valbonne’s Friday market operates year-round, though spring and autumn present the season’s finest produce.

Is Villa Celestine suitable for families with children?

Yes, with appropriate precautions. The heated salt-water pool includes a safety alarm and Roman steps suitable for non-swimmers and young children; depth ranges from 1 to 2.8 metres, allowing supervision across the pool area. The terraced gardens require adult oversight—steps and slopes present typical countryside hazards. The trampoline is available but inherently carries risk; parental supervision is mandatory. Valbonne offers family-oriented cafés and activities; nearby beaches at Juan-Les-Pins and Antibes cater specifically to families; waterpark attractions exist in the region. Babysitting services can be arranged through local agencies. The villa’s open-plan design allows parents to supervise children in garden or pool from the kitchen or living areas.

What is included in the rental price at Villa Celestine?

Rental includes furnished accommodation, linens, towels, Wi-Fi access, air-conditioning, pool heating, television and DVD player, fully equipped kitchen with cooking and dining equipment, use of the portable barbecue, and grounds maintenance. Standard utility costs (water, electricity, gas) are included. Cleaning services before check-in and after check-out typically form part of standard packages. Additional services—private chef, daily housekeeping, babysitting, car hire coordination—are available through our concierge team at additional cost.

What restaurants and shops are near Villa Celestine?

Valbonne, 2km away, hosts the region’s most celebrated Friday morning market on Place des Arcades, selling local produce, cheese, bread, and prepared foods. The surrounding streets contain independent restaurants, cafés, and specialist shops (wine merchant, butcher, fromagerie) typical of French village life. A French restaurant operates 800 metres from the villa for casual meals. Mougins (6km) concentrates the area’s finest dining, with multiple Michelin-starred and acclaimed restaurants including L’Amandière and Le Moulin de Mougins, alongside art galleries and cafés. Grasse (12km) hosts the Musée International de la Parfumerie and historic perfumeries (Fragonard, Molinard) with botanical gardens and boutiques. A supermarket operates in Valbonne for groceries and essentials; specialty wine shops exist throughout the region.