Château de la Gaude

Château de la Gaude takes seminars of up to 40 people, business lunches, cocktail receptions and weddings for up to 150 guests in its gardens. The estate is a five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel built around an 18th-century bastide in the Pinchinats quarter of Aix-en-Provence, about ten minutes from the city centre, with views of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire.

Seminars and company events

The seminar room covers 112 square metres, holds up to 40 people and can be arranged to suit the format of the day. It is fully equipped and looked after by a dedicated team. Smaller meetings, business breakfasts and private lunches go to L'Orangerie, which takes 10 to 25. The in-house team plans the working day around its theme and serves the breaks and meals. Lunch is the same for every guest: a starter, a main course and a dessert, with menus that change with the seasons. Depending on numbers, several areas of the estate can be reserved for one group.

Weddings and receptions

The estate hosts weddings and private celebrations, and the events team sends a wedding brochure on request. The listed French gardens take ceremonies, cocktail receptions and private evenings for up to 150 guests, with events running until 2 a.m. The restaurant terrace suits cocktails, lunches and dinners for up to 120. Birthdays, family gatherings and wine workshops are also organised.

Rooms and capacities

Five spaces are offered. The gardens cover 900 square metres for up to 150 guests. The restaurant terrace measures 200 square metres for 120. The seminar room takes 40 in 112 square metres. The cellar, 20 square metres, receives up to 60 people for afterwork drinks, cocktails and dinners around the estate's wines. L'Orangerie, 49 square metres, takes 10 to 25. Seated and theatre figures for each layout are given on request.

Accommodation

The hotel has 25 rooms and suites, spread between the bastide, which holds seven, the adjoining longères, which hold ten, and a set of garden suites. A separate villa offers five further suites, which suits a board or a wedding party that wants its own house. Guests also have the use of the spa, with its hammam and sauna.

Catering

Four restaurants operate on the estate: Le Art, La Source, Le K and L'Atelier. Le Art, led by chef Matthieu Derible since 2021, holds one Michelin star, and its kitchen cooks seasonal French food with Provençal flavours. The estate also produces its own wine, with a vineyard, a winery and a cellar that groups can visit during their stay.

History and setting

The house is an 18th-century Provençal bastide whose French-style garden is listed as a historic monument. The estate opened as a hotel in 2019. The Pinchinats quarter lies north-east of the old town, and a spring was recorded here as early as the 12th century. The garden walks, the orangeries and the view towards Sainte-Victoire frame most of the events held on the estate.

Getting there

The address is 3959 route des Pinchinats, 13100 Aix-en-Provence. The centre of Aix is about ten minutes away. The hotel arranges transfers, as an extra, from Aix-en-Provence station and from the airports of Marseille and Nice, which helps when delegates arrive on different trains and flights.