Vatel Thailand

What Vatel Thailand does

Vatel Thailand is an international hospitality management education institution operating in Bangkok, Thailand as part of the globally distributed Vatel Group (parent: Institut Vatel, headquartered in Lyon, France). Founded in 1981, Vatel Group operates 50+ campuses worldwide with approximately 9,000 students and 45,000-50,000 alumni; Vatel Thailand operates in a partnership with Silpakorn University International College (SUIC), established in 2003, which provides the local university infrastructure for degree-granting authority. The Thailand campus is housed in the CAT Telecom Building on Charoen Krung Road in central Bangkok next to the Chao Phraya River.

The institution offers two core degree products: a Bachelor in International Hotel Management and an MBA in International Hotel Management, with the MBA now including specialized tracks such as Ecotourism Management. The curriculum is delivered in English and combines theoretical coursework with mandatory hands-on training at on-campus facilities including a 50-seat Vatel Restaurant (open Monday-Friday 11:30-14:30), an 80-seat Cafe Vatel (open Monday-Friday 7:30-15:00), and dedicated demonstration kitchen, bar, and room-division training spaces. Students complete mandatory internships at partner hospitality properties, and the Marco Polo exchange program enables study at other Vatel campuses across the global network.

Vatel Thailand's revenue model is tuition-driven and B2C, charging 100,000 Thai Baht per semester (200,000 Baht per year) for both Thai and international students, with a one-time 500 Baht application fee. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, relying on Open Days, information sessions, student fairs, and the institutional website to recruit prospective students. Marketing channels span Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and earned media coverage including Thai (Channel 3) and French (France 2) television features. The institution claims the 'Best Hospitality Management School' award from the 17th Worldwide Hospitality Awards as a core brand credential and routes internship and graduate-placement relationships with luxury hospitality brands including Siam Kempinski, Four Seasons, Peninsula Bangkok, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace, Savelberg, and The Athenee Hotel Bangkok.

Name

Vatel Thailand

Legal name

Institut Vatel

Website

https://vatel.co.th

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vatel Thailand is a Bangkok-based international hospitality management school operating as part of France's Vatel Group in partnership with Silpakorn University, offering Bachelor and MBA degrees in International Hotel Management with on-campus training restaurants and global exchange opportunities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Management Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG)

Keywords

• Hospitality management education
• Hotel management degrees
• Tourism management school
• Hospitality training programs
• International hotel management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangkok

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Vatel Thailand charges tuition fees of 100,000 baht per semester (200,000 baht per year) for both Thai nationals and international students. This forms the primary revenue stream for the institution.
2. Application Fees: One-time application fee of 500 Thai Baht charged during the admission process

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vatel Thailand is a private higher education institution in Bangkok that offers Bachelor and MBA degree programs in International Hotel Management. The institution combines theoretical coursework with practical training through on-campus facilities including Vatel Restaurant (50 seats) and Cafe Vatel (80 seats), supplemented by mandatory internships at partner hotels. The school operates in partnership with Silpakorn University International College, awarding a French-Thai international double degree.

Product overview

Vatel Thailand is an international hospitality management school operating as part of the global Vatel Group network. The institution offers a comprehensive educational portfolio centered on two core degree programs: the Bachelor in International Hotel Management (undergraduate) and the MBA in International Hotel Management (graduate level). The MBA program includes specialized tracks such as Ecotourism Management. A distinctive offering is the Marco Polo exchange program, enabling students to study at other Vatel campuses worldwide. The institution provides hands-on training through two on-campus practical facilities: Vatel Restaurant (50 seats) and Cafe Vatel (80 seats), where students apply theoretical knowledge in real operational environments. Classes are conducted in English, and the programs incorporate mandatory internships at partner hotels to ensure practical industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor in International Hotel Management An undergraduate degree program (3 years) that prepares students for management positions in the international hospitality and tourism industry through a combination of theoretical coursework, hands-on training at on-campus facilities (Vatel Restaurant, Cafe Vatel, demonstration kitchen, bar, and room division), and mandatory international internships at partner hotels. Awarded as a French-Thai double degree in partnership with Silpakorn University International College.
• MBA in International Hotel Management A graduate-level degree program in international hotel management designed for professionals seeking advanced management positions in the hospitality industry. Includes specialization tracks such as Ecotourism Management.
• MBA Specializations Specialized tracks within the MBA in International Hotel Management program, including Ecotourism Management, allowing students to focus on specific areas of hospitality management such as sustainable tourism and ecological lodge operations.
• Marco Polo Program An international student exchange program that allows Vatel Thailand students to study for a year at another Vatel school worldwide across the group's 50+ global campuses, enabling cross-cultural learning experiences and access to identical Vatel curriculum in different country contexts.
• Vatel Restaurant A 50-seat training restaurant on the Vatel Thailand campus where students gain hands-on practical experience in food and beverage service. Open to the public Monday-Friday 11:30-14:30, providing real-operational training environment for hospitality students.
• Cafe Vatel An 80-seat training cafe on the Vatel Thailand campus providing practical experience in food and beverage operations. Open to the public Monday-Friday 7:30-15:00.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vatel Thailand students win culinary medals at Thailand's International Culinary Cup (TICC)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Mastercard FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Mastercard Foundation partnered with Vatel Rwanda for the Hanga Ahazaza project with a $50 million budget aimed at helping 30 million young Africans find decent jobs by 2030. This partnership supports scholarships for young Africans, especially young women, to receive hospitality training at Vatel schools.
• Silpakorn University International CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Vatel Thailand partners with Silpakorn University, one of Thailand's oldest and most prestigious universities. Silpakorn University International College (SUIC) was established in 2003 to provide professional skills for modern employment demands. This partnership enables Vatel to offer an international double degree program in Thailand, combining French hospitality expertise with Thai educational quality.
• Silpakorn UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilpakorn University awarded an Honorary Doctorate in International Business to French President Emmanuel Macron at l'Élysée Palace. Vatel Group President Alain Sebban attended the ceremony, demonstrating the close relationship between Vatel and its Thai university partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS): Swiss-based hospitality management school (part of Swiss Education Group) offering bachelor and master programs with strong luxury hotel industry placement. Competes with Vatel for the same international student demographic seeking premium hospitality education.
• Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland: Swiss-based hospitality management school named after the famous hotelier, offering bachelor and master programs. Competes directly with Vatel for international students seeking premium Swiss-quality hospitality education with global hotel placements.
• Hotelschool The Hague: Dutch hospitality management university offering bachelor and master programs in hospitality business administration. Comparable to Vatel in targeting international students for hospitality management careers with strong European luxury hotel placement.
• Glion Institute of Higher Education: Swiss-based hospitality management school offering bachelor, master, and MBA programs with international campuses in Switzerland, UK, and Spain. Direct competitor in the premium international hospitality education segment targeted by Vatel.
• Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL): Premier Swiss hospitality management university consistently ranked #1 globally for hospitality education. Competes with Vatel Group for the same international student pool seeking premium hospitality management degrees with strong hotel industry placement.
• International Hotel Management Institute (IMI): Swiss-based hospitality management school in Lucerne offering higher diploma, bachelor, and MBA programs in hospitality and culinary arts. Directly comparable to Vatel in offering practical training combined with academic degrees for international hospitality careers.
• HTMi Switzerland: Swiss-based international hotel and tourism management school offering bachelor and MBA programs with campuses in Switzerland and partner institutions globally. Similar positioning to Vatel as a smaller international hospitality education specialist.
• Les Roches Global Hospitality Education: Swiss-founded global hospitality management school offering bachelor and MBA degrees across multiple international campuses (Switzerland, Spain, China, USA, UAE). Directly comparable to Vatel as a competing international hospitality business school group with similar multi-campus franchise model and luxury hotel placement network.

Regional players

• Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management: Dubai-based hospitality school offering Swiss-quality hospitality degrees in the Middle East. Operates in a different geography but competes for international hospitality students and shares luxury hotel placement networks similar to Vatel Thailand.

Broad incumbents

• Cornell University School of Hotel Administration: US-based elite hospitality management school within Cornell University, consistently ranked among the world's top hospitality programs. Competes with Vatel Group for prestige and top-tier hospitality students, though operates as part of a broader research university rather than a hospitality-only specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/vatelbangkok
• Facebookfacebook.com/vatelthailand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/vatel-thailand
• Instagraminstagram.com/vatelbangkok

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 →

Frequently asked questions about Vatel Thailand