My wife, 10 year old daughter and I stayed in Bill's apartment for a week in July. Despite British Airways, Heathrow Airport and Swiss Air's attempts to ruin the holiday (long story), we had a really good time and Residence L'Ange Gardien was an ideal base.
Residence L'Ange Gardien is located right on the cusp of Villefranche Sur Mer, Beaulieu Sur Mer and Cap Ferrat making it easily accessible either by foot for those who like to walk or by public transport. Bus numbers 15 (Nice to Cap Ferrat) and 100 (Nice - Monaco - Menton) are very frequent (~every 15 minutes) and stop at the bus stop Ange Gardien on the main road outside of the apartments. The cost for a single ticket on either bus is €1.50 and will take you as far as Nice on one side and Monaco/Menton on the other. The same tickets can also be used on the trams in Nice. If traveling by train, note that both Villefranche and Beaulieu train stations are a good 15 minute walk away but just a few minutes in a taxi.
The complex is a mix of privately owned apartments and those run by the Pierre & Vacancies group who staff the site. On site there is a large pool with a huge number of poolside loungers and a bar which serves snacks, lunches and drinks at reasonable prices (09:30-20:00). The pool, which my daughter loved, is a uniform depth of around two metres (no shallow end apart from a few steps into the pool). It has quirky portholes which can be viewed from throughout the complex and gave rise to some great holiday snaps my wife took as my daughter and I dived down to them. There is also a small laundry facility onsite. The apartments are surrounded by lovely, well maintained grounds and wonderful sea-views (some of the apartments).
Bill's apartment consisted of a double room, small room with bunk beds, a shower/bathroom, separate small toilet room and an open plan, kitchen/dining/living area which opens out on to a balcony overlooking the gardens towards Cap Ferrat. We had fresh towels and bed linen upon our arrival which was to last the week. Our only issue was the lack of air conditioning, although I knew this before booking. Given the temperatures throughout the week reached 33º during the day and 25º throughout the night, this made things a little uncomfortable. There are ceiling fans in the living area and the double bedroom but this mostly circulated the warm air.
Villefranche Sur Mer: The complex is situated at the far end of Villefranche so it is a 15 minute walk to the main shops, harbour and restaurants. The beach can be reached in a few minutes down stairs from the apartments and stretches all the way around to the main drag. As Villefranche is built in levels, those a little less mobile can take the bus round the same level to Octroi and walk down through the quaint little streets to the harbour. We ate out a couple of nights with great sea views (the closer to the harbour (Darse) the more expensive the restaurants are). Due to the soaring heat and our shorter than planned stay (that pesky long story) we never quite got round to hiring paddle boards and kayaks from the vendors on the beachfront but one for the next time!
Beaulieu Sur Mer: Again the apartments are right on the edge of Beaulieu but is a 10-15 minute walk to the main area or get the 15 or 100 bus. There are some lovely buildings around the costal part and two beaches which are mostly private but can be accessed via the seaside restaurants. We used the Super U which is the only decent sized supermarket in the surrounding area. It has a wide selection of food (fresh and frozen), beverages, toiletries etc. We also went to the morning market in the square which has the usual fresh fruit/veg stalls as well as clothes, bags etc.
Cap Ferrat: Our favourite local area to visit. There are lovely public beaches (least rocky/shingly in the whole area) on both sides and a good selection of restaurants in the harbour area. The 15 bus takes you right down to the harbour area and is the starting point for the journey back or on to Nice. A recommendation for somewhere reasonably priced to eat/drink and great service is Madamepizza (so good I wrote a review).
Nice: 20 minutes away on the bus to Port Lympia. Great long beach (although not sandy), lovely old town with shops, bars, restaurants and a daily flower market. Do a bit of sightseeing on the little electric train that has two routes, one of them goes up to the Château hill, saving any weary legs. Like any major city, there are various shopping outlets and malls where you can buy clothes if your airline loses your luggage (long story again).
Monaco: 20 minute bus ride away from the complex is the haven for the rich and famous. We have visited Monaco a few times exploring the Casino area, Japanese Garden and Livorno beach. This time to make it a little more special Mrs M was let free in the Christian Louboutin shop and purchased a pair of her favourite shoes. I went for a lie down after that!
Areas such as Cannes, Jean Les Pins and Antibes can all be reached within an hour on the TER train.
Bill, the owner, was always accessible by mail or phone/text, providing advice before and during the break as well as sorting us out with some of the challenges we faced (the long story part). Ange Gardien translates to Guardian Angel and Bill certainly was for us.