Hospitality awaits in 16th century Provence homestay

After a decade of travelling the world, hosts Axelle and Ian found themselves smitten by the charm of a historic house in southern France. Now their home, Vieil Hopital, was originally built in the sixteenth-century as a resting place for travellers journeying through Europe.

In recent years, with the help of some friendly locals, Axelle and Ian have restored the building to its former glory and, as hosts on Homestay.com, revived its role as a resting spot for travellers.

Why did you decide to become hosts?

As a musician and writer, we love all things artistic, so living in a unique place is very inspiring. We wanted other people to get inspired by this historic house too.

Why did you choose Homestay.com?

The idea of sharing is paramount for us, it’s about people having a genuine experience here. We feel Homestay.com shares this vision, offering travellers more than just a place to stay on holiday.

You've travelled the world. Why did you settle in Provence, France?

Yes we lived in Paris, London, Ibiza and Nepal and after spending the past 10 years in southern India we decided the family should try life in Europe. We visited other countries, however when we walked into the courtyard of this house, we completely fell in love and signed within a week!

The house has an amazing atmosphere and a huge 500 year history. It was built to provide hospitality to travellers during their pilgrimage though Europe - we have returned it to its original intention.

Tell us about the time you've spent restoring the property yourselves.

Since neither of us has ever done any building or DIY work before, almost everyone we told thought it was a crazy project to take on. However, the locals in the area all wanted to help. They were able to lend us many things and introduced to local artists and traditional workmen in the area. We spent time learning these traditional building methods and using natural materials, while adding our own creative twists.

We feel very fortunate as we know not many people get the opportunity to learn how to restore a beautiful building. Our feeling is the world is trying to be too perfect, so we love the relaxed beauty of the house. We imagined what we would want to feel if we came here - how we could make it somewhere special for people to stay.

What sort of things can someone staying with you experience in the local area?

Provence is world famous for its food and wine, beautiful weather and incredible scenery. There are so many things to do... from visiting wine domains to daily food markets. There are hanging villages and roman ruins. A huge amount of art exhibitions, antique markets and music concerts happen every week.

You can learn to cook, paint, make pottery or take a wine tasting course. If you want to be active, Mont Ventoux and the surrounding area offers cycling, paragliding, ballooning, hiking and skiing in winter, plus there are lots of lakes and rivers for fantastic natural swimming.

What is something that every visitor to Provence should do?

The view from the top of Mont Ventoux, where the Tour de France is often held, is spectacular when the Alps unfold in front of your eyes. It’s like looking into a dream. An epic sight.

What's your advice for anyone thinking they'd like to become a host on Homestay.com?

There are really no set rules to being a host, just keep in mind that people are far more interested in an experience rather than just coming to your place to stay. Interaction is key.

You will be sharing everything - not just your house - your family, your favourite places in the area and most importantly you will be sharing your time. It’s not for everyone though and that's okay, some people are good at being hosts and others are good at being guests!

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Inspired by the historic charm of Axelle and Ian's homestay in Provence? Take a look at their homestay as well as many other beautiful homestays in France.

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