On 4 September, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz met in Evian in the hushed confines of the Hôtel Royal conference centre for the Franco-German Encounters. This economic and political forum, which has been held every autumn for more than three decades, has become one of the most important events of the year. one of the major events at the Evian ResortAs well as the Rencontres musicales, the Tennis Stars Event and the Evian Championship, the only women's Grand Slam tournament held in continental Europe.
Facing the immensity of Lake Geneva, with Lausanne as a backdrop, what more intimate and exclusive place to hold an event than this five-star hotel, rated Leading Hotels of the World, overlooking Evian-les-Bains. All the more so as the peaceful town in Haute-Savoie is easily accessible by TGV from Paris or even by plane, with Geneva airport just an hour and 15 minutes away by car. Another option, more original and almost faster, is to take the train from Paris to Lausanne - between 3h40 and 4h - followed by a 35-minute crossing of the lake. Then, as the boat approaches the French shore, the Royal's tall lines grow taller, standing out against its immense 19-hectare park.
Inaugurated in 1909 to satisfy crowned heads and wealthy European clients Come and breathe the pure Alpine air and enjoy the benefits of the spring and thermal baths - with the only swimming pool in the world that uses Evian water - the hotel has survived the century without too much trouble, apart from a fire that destroyed its roof in August 1958. Above all, it has never disappeared, unlike the legendary Splendide, which was razed to the ground in the 1980s when waterfront resorts fell out of favour with the public. On the contrary, the Royal has kept its former lustre, carefully renovated in 2015-2016 by the architect-decorator duo François Champsaur and François Chatillon, who added a touch of design to the Belle Epoque décor.
An authentic palace, the Royal boasts 150 rooms, including 32 delicately decorated suites, the vast majority of which have a private bathroom. incredible panorama on the largest lake in Western Europe. This luxury establishment boasts two excellent restaurants: the brasserie La Véranda, the setting for sumptuous breakfasts, and above all Les Fresques, the Michelin-starred restaurant where Patrice Vander and his brigade treat their 55 guests under the immense 1927 frescoes depicting the four seasons. The chef also offers an original experience in which 10 people accompany him through his vegetable garden before cooking alongside him and tasting their creations in the kitchen.
Evian benefits from its worldwide reputation
The Royal belongs to Danone which took full control of the company exploiting the spring in the 1970s, inheriting in the process the four-star Ermitage and La Verniaz hotels, as well as the thermal baths, the golf course, the casino... The agri-food group is thus the town's largest employer, employing over 2,000 people in addition to those at the bottling plant, which produces 7 million bottles of Evian a day, distributed in over 150 countries around the world.
" Evian is an internationally renowned brand, synonymous with luxury. This opens doors and makes all the difference when it comes to MICE." says Thierry Dal Magro, Sales and Marketing Director of the Evian Resort. And he adds: " By leveraging the complementary nature of our different venues, the Evian Resort is a major MICE destination in France, hosting 500 events a year200 of which will be accompanied by accommodation in our various hotels" . But he wants to do even better by developing the hosting of international conferences, corporate conventions and incentive operations. The advantage for customers here is that they have a single contact, a project manager who will manage all aspects of the event: accommodation, catering, excursions, etc.
" MICE activity is highest from March to June and in October-November with customers from France and Switzerland to 60%The rest come from our other international markets. The events of the former are spread over one or two nights, compared with three to five nights for the British and North Americans who arrive by plane in Geneva.says Brice Chatelain, the resort's MICE Director. Four or five times a year, we handle groups of up to 450 participants, but the average size is between 100 and 180." . Among the major clients is Danone, of course, which makes extensive use of the Evian Resort, even carrying out 20% of the group's MICE operations there.
A convention centre added for the G8
The Royal Hotel is of course the flagship of the resort's offer, with its magnificent spaces. These include the Rotonde, a flexible lounge for private breakfasts, seated dinners (for up to 50 people) or cocktails, as well as the Edouard VII lounge, ideal for a buffet, dinner or cocktail party for 70 people. In fine weather, receptions can be held in the 120-cover L'Oliveraie restaurant, next to the heated outdoor swimming pool, with the lake as a backdrop.
Located at 6e On the top floor of the hotel, seven suites, including the 204 m² Royal Suite, can also host board meetings. But the real highlight is just below, with a convention centre added under the facility in 2003 at the request of Jacques Chirac in anticipation of the G8 summit. The ultra-modern venue comprises the 285 m² G8 lounge, which can accommodate up to 280 people for cocktails, the Léman lounge, which can be divided into three parts, ranging from 96 to 300 m² for 170 people in a school or 270 in a theatre, and seven other meeting rooms, six of which have no natural daylight and can accommodate up to 50 people in a theatre.
" The maximum capacity at Le Royal is 300 people, with or without accommodation in our hotels. We have a total of 270 rooms, 230 of which are at Le Royal and L'Ermitage." says Pierre-Emmanuel Lanaud, Sales Director of the Evian Resort. The Royal can be privatised throughout the year, particularly during the weeks when the hotel is closed. " It is one of the few palaces in France to be privatised. It's a unique experience, especially as guests can brand the entire hotel." he adds.
L'Ermitage and La Verniaz, the 4* version of the Evian Resort
Located overlooking the Royal, l'Ermitage is open all year round. With 80 rooms, the 4-star establishment, renovated in 2010, generates no less than half its business from corporate events, thanks to its 800 m² of event space organised around a vast foyer that opens onto 12 meeting rooms, including a 200 m² plenary room and a pleasant creative space for 44 people, coupled with a generous terrace for breaks or lunchtime buffets. " An event can take place entirely at the Hermitage or use the Royal's sub-committee rooms, or even hold its plenary session at La Grange au Lac" explains Brice Chatelain.
All in wood, hidden in a forest of larches, this astonishing building with the look of a Russian dacha was created to house the Rencontres musicales d'Evianthe classical music festival founded in 1993 as a tribute to cellist Mstislav Rostropovitch by Antoine Riboud, the owner and CEO of Danone at the time. This beautiful light-coloured wooden hall can hold up to 1,000 people, but can be halved for smaller conferences. Alongside it, a second 500-seat building, called La Source Vive and this time reminiscent of a yurt, is currently being built with the aim of being operational for the 2026 edition of this cutting-edge musical event.
Adding to its accommodation capacity of 35 rooms and suites, plus six chalets sleeping up to 8 people, the La Verniaz hotel, a cosy 4* in a both mountain and country styleis the last to join the Evian Resort in 2023. However, the establishment will close its doors at the end of 2024 to undergo a minor facelift.
A range of activities between lake and mountains
In terms of activities, the Evian Resort draws on the expertise of its Sport & Culture team which accompanies groups, alone or with the help of qualified service providers, on team-building activities in the Royal or Splendide parks, including water sports on the lake (sailing, paddling, kayaking, etc.), white-water sports (canyoning, rafting and hydrospeed) and mountain walks (mountain biking, hiking), as well as more sporting or original disciplines (hot-air ballooning, speleology, climbing, paragliding, ice diving, etc.).
During the winter season, other disciplines such as downhill and cross-country skiing, or a variety of other sports, are also available. dog sledding are offered in resorts near Bernex and Thollon, with a view of the lake as it should be. Requiring less effort, the Royal also organises yoga and, above all, mixology classes with the head barman for small groups such as boards of directors or managers' meetings. At the end of the two-hour workshop, everyone leaves with a kit for making their own cocktails. " Four or six teams can also take part in a Cocktail Battle, with a panel of judges choosing the best cocktail." explains Davide Trupia, the bar's manager.
The Evian Spa, with its hammam, sauna, treatment rooms, indoor pool and outdoor jets course, is also a must at the end of the day, even in winter. The Evian Resort Golf Club also offers introductory golf lessons and a real course for experienced players, so you can enjoy the excellence of its facilities and courses. The eight rooms of the Manoir du Golf can also be made private for a board meeting whose participants would then like to indulge in their favourite sport. The restaurant, Le Chalet du Golf, can be reserved for up to 200 diners in the evening. " With 12 restaurants and bars throughout the resort, we have the advantage of being able to offer a varied choice of dining venues, menus and decor, particularly to the companies that return every year." says Thierry Dal Magro.
The proximity of Lausanne, which can be reached in 30 minutes by boat, is another advantage for MICE groups. Visits to the capital of the canton of Vaud and its banks with the Olympic MuseumThe Unesco-listed terraced vineyards of Lavaux, the Chaplin Museum and Chillon Castle are just some of the suggested places to visit. " For both leisure and business travellers, the further away they come, the more activities and discoveries they plan for the 3 or 4 days of their stay." explains Vincent Delaitre, Director of the Evian-les-Bains Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Evian, a town that has made Mice one of its priorities
But the Evian Resort hotels are not the only MICE facilities in this spa town of just 10,000 inhabitants, where almost everything is within walking distance. The casino, which has just been extended, proudly displays its new contemporary façadeIts undulating roof is a reference to the waves of Lake Geneva. Its neo-orientalist cupola has been restored to its former splendour following renovation work that has given this gaming establishment several lounges - for 40 to 260 people in a U-shape - five dining areas and a piano-bar that can be used for private corporate functions. The Casino de l'Evian Resort is connected by a gallery to the Antoine Riboud theatre, whose slightly faded neo-classical-style auditorium with 275 seats is frequently used for plenary sessions.
Just a 10-minute walk away, the Hilton Evian-les-Bains offers 170 rooms for business groups, as well as 600 m² of event space with seven rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 312 people in a theatre, 270 for a banquet and 500 for a cocktail. The Palais Lumière, a former Art Nouveau swimming pool owned by the local council, has been converted into a modern conference spaceIt has a 375-seat auditorium (including 90 in the balcony), 10 committee rooms for 10 to 80 people, as well as catering and reception areas. Delegates can also visit the temporary exhibitions in the museum area, located in the other part of this elegant early 20th century building. The Palais Lumière has the advantage of being located in the immediate vicinity of the Villa Lumière, the former summer residence of the Lumière brothers and now owned by the city, and a 10-minute walk from the Hilton Hotel, the Royal and the Hermitage by funicular.
Complementary, the Palais des Festivités has 2,000 m² of exhibition space, designed to host trade fairs with a large room for 460 people for plenary sessions - or 400 for gala dinners - as well as six meeting rooms for 10 to 150 people). Dating from the 1960s, the renovation of the building is due to be undertaken by the local authority in the near future. "While our biggest operation brought together 900 participants at the Palais des Festivités in November 2023 for the Evian Summit, for which we received the special national City and Event of the Year trophy awarded by France Congrès, the typical event managed by the Evian Congrès teams brings together 250 people for 3 days/2 nights with accommodation mainly in 2* and 3* hotels." notes Olivier Grimbert, Director of Evian Congrès, who intends to promote seminar packages for smaller groups of 35 to 80 people.
This makes Evian a must-see. The town is full of charm, with its medieval buildings like the old town hall, the church and the towers of the ramparts, and those born in the wake of spa tourism, like the Cachat spring, an Art Nouveau-style temple to water designed by Jean-Albert Hébrard that was to make the reputation and fortune of the town... and of Danone!
This heritage walk is an opportunity to take the funicular which takes you down to the town and back up the hill in just a few minutes, avoiding the steep 22% climb on foot to reach the Evian Resort hotels, the Grange au Lac hall or the heights of Neuvecelle. A testament to a bygone era, the funicular was suspended in 1969, listed in 1984 and restored in 1995. Since 2002, its antique carriages have been back in service free of charge, making around thirty round trips a day. Now a real attraction, the funicular sees more than 200,000 passengers a year.
In 2026, its second stop will be highlighted by the completion of the restoration of the Cachat refreshment bar - named after the first Evian citizen to sell water from the spring - and the public area leading to one of the two water points accessible to the public and to the grand exterior staircase of the Splendide, a rare reminder of this luxury hotel that disappeared in 1983. The entire redeveloped site will be able to accommodate a thousand people for receptions in a unique setting, a fine tribute to Jean-Albert Hébrard, to whom Evian also owes the architecture of the Royal and its casino.
