The single point of contact
House Manager
Holds the diary, coordinates the team, absorbs the friction
- One conversation a day
- Manages all other staff
- Access log & deliveries
✦ Concierge · French Riviera ✦
Private Staff & Household Management
House managers, chefs, butlers, housekeepers and nannies — placed, briefed, and managed so that the house runs without being run.
A staffed house is the largest single difference between renting a villa and renting a home. Done badly it feels like being observed; done well it is close to invisible — the terrace set before you reach it, the laundry returned folded, and no one having asked you a question all day.
Opera Prestige places and manages house teams across the French Riviera, both in the properties we represent and in privately owned houses where the owner's own arrangements need reinforcing for a season. Every placement is vetted, referenced, and works under a confidentiality undertaking covering photography, social media and the simple fact of your presence.
The service extends from a single chef for a fortnight to a full household — manager, chef, butler, housekeepers, nanny and driver — assembled, briefed on your preferences before arrival, and coordinated through one point of contact rather than six.
✦ The Household ✦
Roles We Place
Assembled around the house and the party — not a fixed package.
Menus built around you
Private Chef
Daily market, two services, provisioning at cost
- Two services daily
- Dietary & allergy management
- Provisioning float, accounted
Manager · Chef · Butler · Housekeeping · Nanny
Full Household
A complete team, briefed before you arrive
- Scaled to guests & house
- Security-trained on request
- Coordinated with driver & yacht
Household Services
Seasonal Placement
A team assembled for a stay of a week or a season, briefed on preferences and rhythm before the first morning.
Ongoing Management
For owners: recruitment, contracts, payroll compliance and supervision of a permanent household on the Côte d'Azur.
Discretion & Vetting
References verified, confidentiality undertakings signed, and an access log kept for everyone entering the property.
✦ Our Commitment ✦
The Opera Prestige Standard
The best house teams on this coast are committed for the season by February. They are, far more than the architecture, what you are actually paying for.
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01
One Authority
Instructions go to the house manager, never to four people separately. It is the single most common cause of a difficult week, and it is avoidable.
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02
Correct Ratios
One housekeeper per five or six guests. Under-staffing produces a house that is never quite clean and a team that is never quite calm.
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03
Vetted, Not Assembled
Not a team put together in August from whoever was free. People we have placed before, in houses we know.
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04
Rhythm Agreed Day One
Quiet hours, meals at home, and how present the team should be — settled in ten minutes on the first morning.
✦ Expert Guide ✦
How a Household Is Composed
01
The Team
Who Is Actually in the House
Most substantial Riviera villas run on four to six people, not all present at once: house manager, chef, one or two housekeepers, service staff in larger houses, a gardener and pool technician you should never see, and a driver engaged separately. The full breakdown of roles and costs is set out in our note on what a fully staffed villa involves.
02
The Chef
The Conversation That Shapes the Week
A chef arrives with a repertoire, not a menu. The first evening’s conversation — what you eat, what the children refuse, whether lunch is a long table or a plate by the pool — decides the fortnight. Provisioning runs against a float at cost, typically €80 to €150 per person per day for full board. See our private chef service.
03
Families
Nannies and Multi-Family Stays
With six children in a house, daily service is maintenance rather than luxury, and a qualified nanny changes the week entirely. Where two families share a house, one household should hold the morning conversation with the manager — the reasoning is in our note on multi-family stays.
04
Discretion
Vetting and Confidentiality
Owners’ own teams are long-serving, usually excellent, and rarely under any written obligation. For sensitive stays we regularise that before arrival — a confidentiality undertaking signed by everyone with access, including seasonal contractors. The wider approach is in our note on privacy and security.
✦ Planning ✦
When to Arrange
By February
For the Summer
The best house teams on the coast are committed for the season by the end of winter. Summer staffing arranged in May is a different market.
July – August
Peak Demand
Availability thins sharply and quality becomes the constraint rather than price. Late requests are frequently unsatisfiable at this standard.
Off-season
Permanent Households
Recruitment, contracts and payroll for owners' year-round teams are best handled between October and March.
✦ FAQ ✦
Private Staff — FAQ
A six-bedroom house running a complete team typically carries €9,000 to €16,000 a week in staff above the rent — house manager, chef, housekeeping, service and a driver. In houses that rent fully staffed, that cost is already inside the weekly rate, which is why two similar villas can differ by €15,000 a week and both be fairly priced.
It depends entirely on the house. Some rent fully staffed; many include only a housekeeper and gardener, with chef, butler and driver added as supplements. The rental agreement should state which roles are included and for how many hours — we read it with you before signature.
Every placement we make is referenced, vetted, and signs a confidentiality undertaking covering photography, social media and the fact of your presence. Where an owner’s existing team is in place, we ask for the same to be regularised before arrival.
It is customary at the end of a stay, typically 5 to 10 per cent of the rental value, given to the house manager or senior member for distribution. It is discretionary, and staff never raise it.
Yes. For owners with a property on the coast we handle recruitment, contracts, French payroll compliance and ongoing supervision of a year-round team, including cover during the owner’s absence.
✦ Let's Talk ✦
Compose Your Household
Tell us the house, the party and the dates — we will propose the team and the ratios that will actually work.