Vatel France
Vatel France (INSTITUT VATEL SAS) is a private French hospitality management education group operating six campuses and ~2,500 students, delivering RNCP-certified Bachelor and MBA programs plus vocational culinary training through experiential learning in operational hotels and restaurants, serving prospective hospitality students and industry employers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersLyon, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Vatel France does
Vatel France is the French operating entity (INSTITUT VATEL SAS) of the family-owned Vatel Group, a hospitality and tourism management education business founded in 1981 by Alain Sebban in Paris. It runs six physical campuses across France — Paris (La Défense since September 2025), Lyon (headquarters), Nîmes, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon-Marcy l'Étoile — enrolling approximately 2,400 management-track students plus 100 apprentices, delivered through RNCP-certified Bachelor (Level 6) and MBA (Level 7) programs taught in French or English, plus vocational tracks in culinary arts, pastry, and restaurant service via apprenticeship contracts.
The institution's core delivery model is experiential learning: students train inside operational 4-star hotels, gourmet and bistronomic restaurants, cafés, bars, pastry laboratories, and training kitchens that double as revenue-generating F&B venues (Vatel restaurant, Les Tables Vatel, Café Carnot, Arômes Bar, Le Potager). Curriculum is delivered via the Aimaira intranet portal and Moodle LMS, with a Wine & Spirits MBA specialization at Bordeaux offering WSET Levels 2 & 3 certifications and 319 employer partner establishments (57% France, 43% international).
Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition fees (€9,600-€12,500/year for management programs, with €450 annual registration), supplemented by apprenticeship funding routed through French OPCO bodies, on-site F&B transactions, and centralized internship-placement services that match students to a network of 50,000 alumni across 32 countries. The institution maintains Qualiopi certifications across all main campuses, GDPR-compliant operations, and European Ecolabel/Green Food® sustainability credentials, with go-to-market executed through website applications, open days (Portes Ouvertes), and student fairs (Salons).
Vatel France firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vatel France
- Legal name
- INSTITUT VATEL
- Website
- https://vatel.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vatel France (INSTITUT VATEL SAS) is a private French hospitality management education group operating six campuses and ~2,500 students, delivering RNCP-certified Bachelor and MBA programs plus vocational culinary training through experiential learning in operational hotels and restaurants, serving prospective hospitality students and industry employers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vatel France industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality Management Education
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hospitality, Tourism & Sports Management Schools (within Business Schools) (EDAHAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA), Bar & Beverage (Bartending/Mixology/Coffee/Tea) (EDAOAKAH), Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL)
Keywords
Where Vatel France is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Vatel France business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Tuition Fees: Vatel generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to students for management programs (Bachelor and MBA) and technical/vocational programs. Fees vary by citizenship status (French/EU vs non-EU) and program type (full-time vs apprenticeship).
- Apprenticeship Funding: Vocational programs at Vatel Academy (Lyon-Marcy l'Étoile) are covered through apprenticeship contracts, with tuition fees covered by OPCO (Opérateur de Compétences) and apprentices receiving a salary according to the official apprenticeship wage scale.
- On-site Food & Beverage Operations: Revenue from operating restaurants (Vatel gastronomic restaurant, Les Tables Vatel, Le Potager, Avenir Gourmet Restaurant), cafés (Café Vatel, Café Carnot, Arômes Bar and Tea Room), and event spaces that serve as both training facilities and commercial operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full-time Management Programs for French/EU Citizens |
| Subscription | Annual | Full-time Management Programs for Non-EU Citizens |
| Subscription | Annual | Full-time Management Programs at Vatel Nantes for French/EU Citizens |
| Subscription | Annual | Vocational Programs (Apprenticeship) at Vatel Academy Lyon-Marcy l'Étoile |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Intake Fees at Vatel Bordeaux |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vatel France product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vatel France is a hospitality management education institution offering Bachelor (3-year, RNCP Level 6) and MBA (2-year, RNCP Level 7) programs in hotel and tourism management across six French campuses, alongside vocational apprenticeship programs in Culinary & Pastry Arts, CAP Pâtissier, and Restaurant Service through Vatel Academy. Education is delivered in French or English via full-time or apprenticeship formats, with hands-on training in operational 4-star hotels, gourmet restaurants, bistronomic restaurants, bars, training kitchens, and pastry laboratories that serve real customers.
Product overview
Vatel France is a hospitality management education group offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational and higher education programs. The portfolio comprises two main tracks: (1) Technical/Vocational programs under Vatel Academy at Lyon-Marcy l'Étoile, including Culinary & Pastry Arts (3 years), CAP Pâtissier (1 year), and Restaurant Service (3 years), all delivered via apprenticeship; and (2) Management programs under Vatel Business School across six campuses (Paris, Lyon, Nîmes, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon-Marcy l'Étoile), offering a 3-year Bachelor (RNCP Level 6) and a 2-year MBA (RNCP Level 7), with the Bordeaux campus featuring a specialized MBA in Wine & Spirits. Programs are taught in French or English and available in full-time or apprenticeship formats. Additionally, VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) supports professionals seeking certification through prior experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Programme Bachelor
Quantifiable outcome
- Vatel Bordeaux employment rate: 97% for Bachelor graduates, 96% for MBA graduates (2023-2024)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Vatel France
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vatel France technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Vatel France partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Silpakorn University (Thailand)coreFirst international Vatel program contract, signed in 2002 after Henri Magne conducted market study with French Embassy and Edufrance. This partnership opened doors to international expansion, leading to 16 Vatel schools worldwide within a decade.
- EURHODIP (International Association for Education and Training in Tourism and Hospitality)coreVatel Group, led by Alain Sebban, co-founded EURHODIP in 1989 with directors of Europe's leading hotel schools. Alain Sebban served as President from 2002-2011. EURHODIP has 150 member schools across 39 countries and manages Eurhoqual quality label accreditation and annual conference themes.
- InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand HôtelmajorLuxury hotel partnership providing student internship and training opportunities. The hotel includes Le Pressoir d'Argent Gordon Ramsay (2 Michelin stars) and is part of the prestigious partner establishment network at Vatel Bordeaux.
- Restaurants du Chef Philippe EtchebestmajorPartnership with Michelin-starred chef Philippe Etchebest's establishments including Maison Nouvelle (2 stars) and La Table d'Hôtes du Quatrième Mur (1 star), providing exclusive training opportunities for Vatel Bordeaux students.
- Bordeaux Métropole Hotel ClubcoreProfessional network partnership connecting Vatel Bordeaux with local hospitality industry, supporting student placement and industry relations in the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
- Bordeaux Tourist OfficeminorPartnership with Bordeaux Tourist Office for student exposure to tourism industry operations and potential collaborative events.
- H+ Formation InitiativeminorVatel Academy Lyon participates in H+ Training quality initiative for welcoming people with disabilities into training, created by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region in partnership with Agefiph. Over 300 structures are registered in this initiative.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vatel France competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Glion Institute of Higher Education: Swiss hospitality management school with Bachelor, MBA, and MSc programs. Operates within the same premium Swiss hospitality education segment and competes for international student enrollment.
- César Ritz Colleges Switzerland: Swiss hospitality school offering Bachelor and Master programs in hospitality and tourism management. Competes in the same premium segment with similar international student demographics and experiential learning emphasis.
- Ferrandi Paris: Paris-based French culinary and hospitality school offering programs from CAP through MBA. Competes directly with Vatel's culinary/pastry vocational programs and management tracks in the French premium education market.
- École Ducasse: French culinary arts school with Paris and specialized campuses, founded by Alain Ducasse. Competes with Vatel Academy on culinary and pastry training, particularly for CAP Pâtissier and culinary arts students.
- EHL (École hôtelière de Lausanne) Group: World's oldest hotel school and widely regarded as the #1 hospitality management institution. Competes directly with Vatel for top-tier international hospitality students, faculty, and employer placement networks.
- Les Roches International School of Hotel Management: Swiss-based private hospitality management school offering Bachelor and MBA programs with similar experiential learning model and international student body. Most direct competitor for global hospitality management students at premium tuition.
- Institut Paul Bocuse: French school of culinary arts and hospitality management based in Lyon, offering Bachelor and MSc programs. Direct French competitor with similar experiential learning model and overlapping French student pool.
- Hotelschool The Hague: Dutch hospitality management school with Bachelor and MBA programs. Comparable European hospitality school competing for international student recruitment and offering similar management-focused curricula.
Emerging players
- BHMS (Business & Hotel Management School): Swiss-based hospitality management school with English-language Bachelor and MBA programs. An emerging player in the European hospitality education space with comparable programs targeting international students.
Broad incumbents
- Cornell University Nolan School of Hotel Administration: Ivy League hospitality school within Cornell University. While a broad incumbent, it competes for the same top-tier international students and employer recruiting relationships, and is widely seen as the gold standard in hospitality management education.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vatel France social profiles
Digital presenceVatel France compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Vatel France financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vatel France leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Vatel France subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Vatel France funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vatel France M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vatel France
What does Vatel France do?
Vatel France is a hospitality management education institution offering Bachelor (3-year, RNCP Level 6) and MBA (2-year, RNCP Level 7) programs in hotel and tourism management across six French campuses, alongside vocational apprenticeship programs in Culinary & Pastry Arts, CAP Pâtissier, and Restaurant Service through Vatel Academy. Education is delivered in French or English via full-time or apprenticeship formats, with hands-on training in operational 4-star hotels, gourmet restaurants, bistronomic restaurants, bars, training kitchens, and pastry laboratories that serve real customers.
Is Vatel France a public or private company?
Vatel France is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Vatel France founded?
Vatel France was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vatel France based?
Vatel France is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does Vatel France make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition Fees are the primary driver. The others are apprenticeship Funding and on-site Food & Beverage Operations.
Who are Vatel France's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Glion Institute of Higher Education, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, Ferrandi Paris, École Ducasse, EHL (École hôtelière de Lausanne) Group, Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, Institut Paul Bocuse and Hotelschool The Hague. BHMS (Business & Hotel Management School) is listed as an emerging player. Cornell University Nolan School of Hotel Administration is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Vatel France have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vatel France.
What industry is Vatel France in?
Vatel France's product category is Hospitality Management Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAHAL, Hospitality, Tourism & Sports Management Schools (within Business Schools), with a secondary code of EDAOAKAA, Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training). Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8200.