Your hosts
Driven by the desire to share an exceptional quality of life, Lilli Engle and Blake Dawson open the doors of Villa Amara to you, a luxurious bed and breakfast in the heart of Aix-en-Provence. An American academic of Italian origin, Lilli Engle moved to France and adopted French nationality to embark on a career in educational program design and educational tourism. Founder of the American Center in 1984, then of the prestigious American University of Provence in 1994, Lilli acquired the former home of Max Juvénal in 1998 to accommodate her schools.
In love with Aix-en-Provence
In 2017, Lilli embarked on a new vision shared by her companion Blake Dawson, a biologist by profession, photographer and poet by vocation. Originally from northern California, Blake tears himself away from his roots to adopt France as his fatherland in 1987. In love with the city of Aix-en-Provence, and their quality of life, they embark on the renovation of this 19th century private manor to offer three charming apartment-suites in an idyllic setting. Epicureans at heart, they had a very specific idea in mind: to create a place in the city center dedicated to the art of living like an Aixois. Villa Amara was born.Close to Nature
"I fell in love with a quality of life that we do everything to preserve: the pleasure of living life on foot, of experiencing the seasons following the fruit and vegetable stands at the open markets, of feeling the presence of nature in the heart of a cultural and cosmopolitan city. According to one's desire, each day offers dynamism or contemplation. Villa Amara is an exceptional place... to be shared absolutely!"
Your hosts welcome you
The time of a yoga class, or of a meal of food and wine amongst colleagues… but above all for a stay made of luxury, calm, and simple pleasures.