Institut de Conciergerie Internationale - ICARE

What Institut de Conciergerie Internationale - ICARE does

ICARE (Institut de Conciergerie Internationale) is a private French higher education establishment founded in 1983/1984 by Jean Gillet, former Director General of Le Meurice and President of Les Clefs d'Or France, specializing in luxury hospitality and restaurant management training. The school delivers a three-year Bachelor program structured around a proprietary "5-pillar" experiential pedagogy (Envie, Émulation, Pédagogie expérientielle, Autonomie, Incarnation), with two RNCP Level 6 specializations at the third year: Concierge de grand hôtel international and Manager d'équipes en hôtellerie et restauration. Its core technology is experiential rather than digital: mandatory in-person immersion (4-6 month internships) in partner luxury establishments including palaces, 5-star hotels, and Michelin-starred restaurants. Complementary offerings include a Formation Majordome/Butler, a VAE certification track for experienced professionals, and adult continuing education.

The business model is tuition-driven and B2C. Annual tuition ranges from €7,090 to €8,950 per year, with a one-time €600 registration fee and a €2,000/year supplement for international students. Need- and merit-based scholarships (Jean Gillet, Oetker Collection, Esprit de France) offset up to 30% of tuition. ICARE operates from two physical campuses in France — Paris (13 rue Fernand Léger, 75020) and Côte d'Azur (Biot, Sophia Antipolis, opened 2021) — with a headcount of 24 employees. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via website, social media, open houses, student fairs, and the monthly podcast "Hôtellièrement vôtre." A partnership network of leading luxury hotel groups (Marriott, Hilton, Four Seasons, Peninsula, Le Bristol, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Evok Group, K2 Collection) supplies internship placements, with reported outcomes of 94% employment within 6 months of certification, 88% placement in 5-star/palace/Michelin-starred establishments, and an alumni network of approximately 1,500. The school is ranked 5th best hospitality school in France by Eduniversal (2024) and holds Qualiopi certification (2024-2027). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; there is no parent company, no private equity ownership, and no recorded funding rounds.

Name

Institut de Conciergerie Internationale - ICARE

Legal name

ICARE

Website

https://icare-edu.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICARE is a private French luxury hospitality school founded in 1983, offering a three-year RNCP-certified Bachelor program and complementary training tracks from campuses in Paris and Côte d'Azur, serving aspiring luxury hotel and restaurant professionals through experiential pedagogy and placements at top-tier hotel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Bachelor Programs: Annual tuition fees for three-year Bachelor program in luxury hospitality management, with registration fees paid once upon admission. International students pay a supplementary fee.
2. VAE Certification: Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience service for professional certification, with fees for dossier processing and jury presentation.
3. Scholarship Programs: Need and merit-based scholarships (Jean Gillet, Oetker Collection, Esprit de France) covering 30% of tuition costs, funded by school and luxury hospitality partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ICARE is a private French luxury hospitality school delivering a three-year RNCP-certified Bachelor program in luxury hotel and restaurant management, with two third-year specializations (Concierge; Manager d'équipes). Beyond the Bachelor, the school offers a butler/majordome training program, a VAE certification pathway for experienced professionals, and continuing education for working adults. Teaching is delivered in-person across two campuses (Paris and Côte d'Azur), grounded in an experiential pedagogy that combines classroom instruction with 4–6 month internships in partner luxury hotel and Michelin-starred establishments.

Product overview

ICARE is a luxury hospitality management school offering a comprehensive Bachelor program spanning three years with two distinct specializations. The core curriculum includes Bachelor 1 (Immersion), Bachelor 2 (Professionnalisation), and Bachelor 3 (Management Opérationnel with Concierge or Manager d'équipes options), all leading to RNCP-recognized certifications. Beyond the main Bachelor degree, ICARE provides specialized programs including VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) for experienced professionals, dedicated Formation Majordome/Butler training, and Formation pour Adultes et Professionnels for continuing education. The school enhances its educational offerings with scholarship programs (Jean Gillet, Oetker Collection, Esprit de France), a monthly podcast, and partnerships with luxury hotel groups for internship placements. Operating since 1984 from Paris and Côte d'Azur campuses, ICARE's methodology emphasizes experiential learning and practical immersion in luxury hospitality environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of certified students employed within 6 months in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury hotel group providing internship placements for ICARE students. Students gain practical experience in Marriott properties as part of their required internship periods.
• Hilton Hotels & ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal luxury hotel chain offering internship opportunities for ICARE students in their 5-star establishments.
• Four Seasons Hotels and ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury hotel brand providing internship placements for ICARE students in their prestigious properties.
• Le Bristol PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalace hotel in Paris offering internship opportunities for ICARE students.
• Hôtel du Cap-Eden-RoccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegendary Côte d'Azur palace hotel providing internship placements for ICARE students.
• Le Peninsula PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury palace hotel in Paris offering internship opportunities for ICARE students.
• Evok GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollection of luxury hotels and restaurants (包括巴黎的Brach、Le MR、Les Pages等) providing practical training opportunities for ICARE students.
• K2 CollectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury hotel collection in the French Alps offering internship placements for ICARE students.
• Singapore AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2006, ICARE's client experience program was selected by Singapore Airlines to train their entire staff. In 2007, Singapore Airlines became the world's best airline.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Institut Lyfe (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse): Institut Lyfe is a French private school offering Bachelor and MSc programs in hospitality, culinary arts, and food service — overlapping directly with ICARE's luxury hospitality and F&B specializations. Targets similar French and international students and competes for the same luxury hotel/restaurant employer placements.
• École Ducasse: École Ducasse is a French culinary and hospitality arts school (founded by Alain Ducasse) with Bachelor programs covering hotel management, F&B, and pastry. Overlaps with ICARE on the luxury hospitality and F&B management side, and competes for similar French and international students.
• Vatel: Vatel is the largest French-headquartered international network of hotel and tourism management schools, with a similar Bachelor-level luxury hospitality curriculum and 50+ campus model. Directly comparable to ICARE in target student, curriculum, and French luxury hospitality positioning, but with materially greater scale and global footprint.
• Ferrandi Paris: Ferrandi Paris is a leading French culinary and hospitality school with Bachelor programs in hospitality management, F&B, and culinary arts. Overlaps with ICARE in French luxury hospitality education and recruits from a similar French/international bac+2 student pool.

Broad incumbents

• Glion Institute of Higher Education: Swiss luxury hospitality school (campuses in Switzerland, London, Bilbao) offering Bachelor and MSc programs in luxury hotel and event management. Comparable to ICARE in target student segment and luxury industry focus, with broader international reach and English-language delivery.
• Les Roches International School of Hotel Management: Swiss-based global luxury hospitality school with campuses in Switzerland, Spain, UAE, China, and the US. Comparable to ICARE in curriculum focus on luxury operations and concierge-level service, but operates at much larger scale and is the established international competitor for ICARE's non-French students.
• EHL Hospitality Business School (École Hôtelière de Lausanne): EHL is the world's oldest and most prestigious hospitality school, frequently ranked #1 globally. It serves the same luxury hospitality employer base as ICARE but with a much broader program portfolio, multiple campuses (Lausanne, Singapore, Chur-Passugg), and a far larger global brand.
• Hotelschool The Hague: Dutch-based hospitality management school offering Bachelor and MSc programs with strong European luxury hotel industry placement. Comparable to ICARE in Bachelor-level luxury hospitality curriculum and continental European employer relationships, but with a larger scale and English-language delivery.
• Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration: Cornell's hotel school is the most prestigious US hospitality management program and a global benchmark for luxury hospitality education. Comparable to ICARE in serving the same luxury employer network (Marriott, Four Seasons, Hilton), but operates as a much larger university-based program with broader degrees.

Emerging players

• IHTTI School of Hotel Management (Swiss Education Group): Swiss-based luxury hospitality school within the Swiss Education Group, offering Bachelor programs with specializations in luxury and design. Comparable to ICARE in curriculum and target student (luxury-focused, international), but smaller scale and more design-oriented positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/1ZKHlcsnJIe7SnrzmQgYX1
• Facebookfacebook.com/iciicare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ecoleicare
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecole_icare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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