Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Le Tholonet through the pines, above the gorges and the lake of the Zola dam

Owners

Concierge service in Le Tholonet

At the foot of Sainte-Victoire, a few minutes from Aix, Le Tholonet draws families and groups of friends every summer in search of a house with a pool. Here is what you need to know to let your villa there on a short-term basis, and how our concierge service supports you on the ground.

Le Tholonet has around 2,400 inhabitants, pine trees, vineyards and a view of Sainte-Victoire you recognise at first glance. It is also one of the municipalities in the Pays d'Aix where, in our experience, villas with a pool let best. If you are looking for a concierge service in Le Tholonet, this page brings together what we know about the local market, the rules specific to the municipality and how we work there.

Letting your house in Le Tholonet: who are the guests?

Guests in Le Tholonet are similar to those in our Aix properties, with a larger share of families and groups of friends. Many come from the United States and plan a trip to Provence in several stages: a few nights near Aix, then the Luberon or the Côte d'Azur. They are looking for space, a terrace, a pool and the chance to get into central Aix for dinner.

The season is short and intense. The villas we look after in the Pays d'Aix do very well from June to September, then demand drops sharply in autumn and winter. A house in Le Tholonet is therefore designed first and foremost for summer and the fine spring months, with prices that follow this calendar week after week.

Bookings often come in late. Across our reference properties in 2026, nearly one booking in two was made less than a week before arrival. A calendar still open in June for July is therefore nothing to worry about, provided the nightly rate adjusts to demand instead of staying frozen since winter.

Which properties let best in Le Tholonet?

A pool is essential: without one, a house in Le Tholonet loses most of the summer demand. Air conditioning is almost as important, as July nights stay warm at the foot of the mountain. Then come queen-size beds at the very least, a well-equipped kitchen, a shaded terrace and a number of beds suited to the floor area: too many beds for the space available lowers ratings, then income.

On the villas with a pool that we have looked after in the Pays d'Aix, we have observed around €15,000 a month in June and September, and around €20,000 a month in July and August for a good villa. This is gross income from nights, before platform commissions and excluding cleaning fees, never a promise: each house has its own potential, which we estimate after a visit.

We also prefer to be frank: a house without a pool, or one that is hard to reach, will struggle to reach these levels. Our article on what a short-term rental earns in Aix details, season by season, the income observed in 2026 on our apartments in the centre, to put the gap with a villa in context.

The avenue of plane trees in the park of the Château du Tholonet, beneath the foliage

Our concierge service in Le Tholonet, day to day

Our team is from Aix and sets out from the centre of Aix, where our linen and storage premises are, above the cours Mirabeau. Le Tholonet is a few minutes away along the route Cézanne: we can therefore welcome guests in person, including late in the evening or very early in the morning, show them the house and stay reachable throughout their stay.

Between stays, the house is prepared by teams trained to our standards. The white Garnier-Thiebaut linen is washed in our premises, on professional machines, and supplies are provided with no recharging. We check the house after each departure, report anything that needs reporting and arrange minor repairs, so that nothing is left waiting for the next arrival.

For pricing, a dynamic pricing tool is complemented every week by market monitoring carried out by a dedicated person. We aim for the best income over the year, not occupancy at any cost. And we work as a co-host: the owner remains the holder of the listings, receives the income directly and gets a report every month.

What to know before letting in Le Tholonet

A house let as a furnished holiday let that is not your main residence must be declared at the town hall. Depending on the municipality, this is either a simple declaration (cerfa form no. 14004) or a declaration with registration, which gives a thirteen-character number to display on every listing. Service-public.fr advises asking the town hall which procedure applies: failing to declare risks a civil fine.

Le Tholonet levies its own tourist tax. For an unclassified furnished let, the rate in force on 1 January 2026 is 5% of the nightly rate per person, capped at €4, plus an additional tax for the Département (10%) and another for the Société de la ligne nouvelle Provence Côte d'Azur (34%). Minors are exempt. We help you declare it.

Le Tholonet is a wooded municipality, and two fire prevention rules matter for an owner. The legal brush clearance obligations require, in natural areas, clearing undergrowth for 50 metres around the house and 10 metres either side of the private access road. And from 1 June to 30 September, access to the massifs is regulated day by day: we tell guests where to check the map, published around 6pm for the following day. For the full set of rules, our guide to short-term rental regulations sets everything out.

The dam in the Tholonet gorges, with Mont Sainte-Victoire in the background

Why guests choose Le Tholonet

You reach Le Tholonet along the route Cézanne, which has officially borne this name since 1959 and links Aix to the village through the landscapes the painter made famous. The Moulin Cézanne, by the roadside, hosts painting and sculpture exhibitions. For many guests, this drive of a few minutes already sums up the Provence they came to find.

From the village, a walk leads to the Zola dam, designed by François Zola, the writer's father, and completed in 1854. It is one of the first arch dams in Europe; its small lake can be reached on foot, but swimming is prohibited. The Château du Tholonet, surrounded by its park, now houses offices of the Société du Canal de Provence.

Higher up, Sainte-Victoire offers hikes for every level, provided you check access to the massifs in summer. In the evening, central Aix, its restaurants and its squares are about ten minutes away by car. It is this balance between the calm of a house with a pool and the closeness of the city that brings guests to Le Tholonet.

What EmiRise does in Le Tholonet

EmiRise is an upmarket concierge service founded in Aix-en-Provence in 2024 by two Aix natives. We look after a selection of apartments in the centre and villas across the Pays d'Aix as short-term rentals: presentation, prices adjusted every week, guest welcome, cleaning, linen and follow-up. As a co-host, the owner remains the holder of the listings and receives the income directly.

In Le Tholonet, we always start with a visit of the house, to tell you frankly whether it suits short-term letting and what it could earn. No joining fee: only the professional photographer's session is at your expense. Our Owners page details our services, and the form below lets us call you back.

And if you have the slightest question about Le Tholonet, write to us.

Frequently asked questions

Which properties do you look after in Le Tholonet?

Upmarket villas and houses, which we visit and audit before committing. A pool and air conditioning make a big difference to summer demand.

Do you need to declare a short-term rental in Le Tholonet?

Yes: a furnished holiday let that is not your main residence must be declared at the town hall, which will tell you which procedure applies in the municipality. The number you obtain must appear on every listing.

What is the tourist tax in Le Tholonet?

For an unclassified furnished let, the municipality applies 5% of the nightly rate per person, capped at €4 before the additional taxes levied for the Département and for the Société de la ligne nouvelle Provence Côte d'Azur. We help you declare it.

Do I keep control of my calendar?

Yes. You remain the holder of your listings, we are added to them as co-host, and you are free to block the dates when you wish to enjoy your house.

What are our sources?