La Petite Maison de Carla, Aix en ProvenceHidden in a tiny side-street in the heart of the Old Town, "Carla's little house" is a charming, quirky spot to stay if you want to keep close to the main action.

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It's just off the Forum des Cardeurs, with its vast array of restaurants and practically within earshot of the Archbishop's Palace, the principal venue for the Festival d'Aix, the city's Festival of Lyric Art in July.

News This little B&B has now closed down. Click here for other accommodation options in Aix en Provence.

Originally a 18th century townhouse, La petite Maison was a run-down bar in an earlier incarnation. In 2002 it was imaginatively converted into a guesthouse; the patronne - named Maria, not Carla, incidentally - is Spanish but also speaks English, French and Italian and is a fund of local knowledge.

Entering directly from the narrow street you find a minuscule "reception area", essentially a sofa and a desk; breakfast is served at a large table in the back room. From here a slightly steep staircase leads up to four bedrooms and a top-floor suite with its own kitchen and jacuzzi - a house of this vintage has, of course, no lift / elevator.

 

The smallish, but cosy rooms are painted in Mediterranean colours, with the ragging effect that the French inexplicably seem to love, and furnished with a mix of antique and reproduction furniture - there are also Spanish and Moorish influences in the tiling and ironwork.

La Petite Maison de Carla, Aix en ProvenceThis is not conventional luxury, but instead you will find some delightful, slightly eccentric touches, varying from room to room, such as plaster angels, hookah pipes or a station clock (the clocks are disabled, so they won't drive you mad with their ticking).

Some look onto the street; others face a little courtyard, though only the suite boasts a terrace. All have baths and showers and can be rented by the day, the week or for longer periods.

Visited March 2011

Where: 7 rue du Puits Neuf, 13100 Aix en Provence. Tel: (+33) 4 42 21 20 73. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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