Tucked away among the pine trees on a 9km stretch of beach between Pornichet and Le Pouliguen, the resort of La Baule-Escoublac has flourished since the 19th century thanks to seaside tourism. Visit Barrière Group had a lot to do with this success, facing the Atlantic Ocean and one of the most beautiful bays in the world. three 5-star establishments within walking distance of each other: L'Hermitage, Le Royal and Castel Marie-Louise. Le "Resort Barrière is alive and kicking all year round, and particularly in the off-season, thanks to an intense events industry. Businesses appreciate the diversity of accommodation, the possibility of doing everything on foot, and direct TGV access in just 3 hours from Paris-Montparnasse. And just 1 hour fromNantes airport. " Events accounted for 30% of the Resort's business, i.e. up to 400 events a year around 180 of which take place at L'Hermitage" explains Eric Renouleaud, the company's Sales Director, who points out that the destination benefits from the rich and diverse economic fabric of the Pays de la Loire region, Nantes and Saint-Nazaire in particular, and more widely in a part of the Grand Ouest region from La Rochelle à Rennes. " Only 10% of MICE customers are international" he adds.
The L'Hermitage hotel dedicated to off-season MICE
Inaugurated in 1926 in Anglo-Norman style, this elegant hotel with 200 rooms including 18 suites is the spearhead of MICE in La Baule, entirely dedicated to this activity from All Saints' Day to Easter when the establishment closes its doors to leisure guests (with the exception of the Christmas holidays). " We can accommodate groups from 10 people up to full privatisation for a maximum capacity of 350 people with its twin rooms." says Eric Renouleaud. For seminars and conferences, L'Hermitage houses the Salon Biarritz in the basement, a vast plenary room with a theatre capacity of 210 people. Eight modular meeting rooms (each for 30 to 50 people) are also available on the mezzanine floor, while the children's club is regularly used as a creative space.
Le Royal and Castel Marie-Louise for small groups
Not far away, Le Royal and its 87 rooms complete the L'Hermitage offer. Opened in 1880 as a stopover between Biarritz and Deauville for wealthy holidaymakers, the hotel is open all year round, attracting guests keen to take advantage of its nearby thalassotherapy facilities. Events for 30 to 50 people can be held here, with a choice of two seminar rooms (50 and 100 m²), the Yachting bar for cocktails or banquets overlooking the park, or the vast terrace of the Royal Suite (70 people for cocktails). The third address on the Remblai is Castel Marie-Louise, the former family home of François André, founder of the Barrière group, which has since been transformed into a 31-room hotel. It's the perfect venue for small groups, with three meeting rooms ranging in size from 20 to 87 m² (6 to 60 people).
A choice of venues for original meals
When it comes to catering, companies are spoilt for choice. Depending on their wishes and the size of the group, they can choose from the Resort Barrière's seven restaurants, including Le Fouquet's at Le Royal (80 people for a banquet and 100 for a cocktail party), chef Jérémy Coirier's gastronomic table at Castel Marie-Louise (from 20 to 120 guests) and the very chic Salon des Ambassadeurs at L'Hermitage. The latter can accommodate 450 guests for cocktails and 400 guests for seated dinners under its pampille chandeliers, in addition to the 120 seats in the adjoining La Terrasse restaurant. On a more casual note, there are also L'Eden Beach and Le Ponton, the beach restaurants of L'Hermitage (up to 90 people for a banquet or cocktail) and Le Royal (102 people). A crystal tent can be added if required to increase the capacity of these venues. The 350m² lounge terrace at the Art Deco Tennis Country Club, which like L'Hermitage dates back to 1926, is also a very smart venue for receptions. " This means we can offer a different, original venue for each meal on corporate breaks lasting an average of 3 days/2 nights." says Eric Renouleaud. All the way to the riding school, which can accommodate up to 500 guests for a sit-down dinner.
The Barrière Resort and La Baule Events as partners
The three Barrières hotels are put to good use during major events taking place in the region. Palais des Congrès Jacques Chirac-Atlantiajust a few minutes' walk away. Managed by La Baule EventsCompletely renovated in 2014 and ISO 20121 certified, the 4,000 sq. metre building houses a 900-seat auditorium, 10 daylight meeting rooms (25 to 100 people), 5 spaces ranging from 235 to 965 sq. metres for a variety of uses (including vehicle displays), catering for up to 1,200 people and cocktail parties for up to 1,300 guests. "Our capacity is in line with that of all the hotels in the surrounding area, i.e. 2,800 rooms in La Baule, 600 of which are within a 10-minute walking distance," explains Corinne Denuet, Managing Director of La Baule Evènements. She adds: "Every year we manage some 60 national and international conventions and congresses, bringing together an average of 350 participants over a period of 2.5 days. This corresponds to a BtoB occupancy of the Palais Atlantia of 200 days a year". La Baule Evasion is not afraid to create its own professional events, such as the first edition of the Digiworld Summit dedicated to digital technology, which will take place from 25 to 27 June. La Baule Evènements can also use the outdoor theatre at the Parc des Dryades (seating 1400), the superb listed 1900 villas, the Halles du Marché for a cocktail party (for up to 600 people) with local restaurateurs and producers (oyster, wine, salt, etc.), and so on. And let's not forget the beach, "the most beautiful playground for teambuildings", she says, which is used as part of her Backstage Alive and Cooking offer, a concept of evenings under a huge tent combining gastronomy and live music in a festive spirit. "It's also a plus to combine work and culture by organising a corporate operation during one of the events scheduled at the Palais Atlantia, headlined by Les Voiles de l'Humour in April and the Festival de Cinéma & de Musiques de Film in June. The groups benefit from a cocktail reception and VIP seating in the hall," explains Corinne Denuet. Recently, her organisation also manages a third room on the first floor of the Casino. Renovated with sustainability in mind, this 500 m2 space is designed to offer immersive events for up to 150 participants. In keeping with corporate CSR policies, the town of La Baule (including the Barrière Resort and Atlantia) has been awarded the "Innovative and Sustainable Destination" label by France Congrès Evénements & Tourisme since 2022. The entire Barrière group is itself ISO 20121 certified, rewarding its commitment to responsible events.
La Baule is not just a sporting destination
In 2023, the Argentinian rugby team has chosen La Baule as its venue. base camp during the World CupThis was the first time that the town had ever hosted an event of this kind, staying for no less than a month and a half in one of the Barrière hotels. As well as its gentle way of life and its thalassotherapy centre, where you can pamper your body between meetings, the town boasts a large number of sports facilities for a town with a population of 15,600, but with over 200,000 holidaymakers in the summer! Many companies choose to give their events a sporting flavour.. In this post-Olympic period Olympiad" theme is at the top of the list, combining games on the beach with the various disciplines available on the Côte d'Amour: golf with no fewer than 3 courses (two 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course), tennis and padel (29 courses), horse riding on the beach, cycling, sailing in the bay, swimming...". One of the official partners of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is planning to privatise the resort for a week in September 2025 to organise a wide range of sports-related events." says Corinne Denuet. In June, the famous Jumping International de La Baule is also the subject of hospitality offers for companies including a VIP welcome, a private box, a gourmet meal, tickets for the competition, a visit to the stables...
On different themes, Barrière offers wine and mixology workshops, and at aperitif time at the Casino, an introduction to table games by croupiers (for up to 50 players). Finally, working with an events agency offers the opportunity to 'escape' from the seaside resort. AMT Organisation mobilises a fleet of 2CVs, Méhari and Volkswagen Beetles to organise a discovery rally that takes in Batz-sur-Mer, the medieval town of Guérande and the salt marshes of the Brière Regional Nature Park, where participants can meet a passionate salt worker. Tours are also available by bike or E-Solex, but don't forget to take your own little sachet of fleur de sel back to the hotel.
