Château de Courtomer hosts residential seminars, corporate retreats, creative workshops and weddings, with an Orangerie that seats 45 in theatre style and delegate bedrooms in the château itself. The estate lies at Courtomer in the Orne department of Normandy, about two hours from Paris, and is rented on an exclusive basis.
Seminars and company events
The Orangerie is set up for business meetings with Wi-Fi, a screen and a projector, and takes 45 people in theatre rows or about 50 for an event. Several reception rooms in the château serve for breakouts and hospitality. The Bonner family, who own the estate, use it every year as the conference venue for their own publishing company. Delegates stay in the château with no single occupancy supplement, while the Farmhouse and Le Cottage du Haras can house the organizing team and suppliers. Team games in the park and evenings around a brazier with a barbecue round off the working day.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are booked with the whole estate to yourselves. Ceremony and dining settings include the cour d'honneur, the bridge over the moat, the château steps and a woodland glade. The Orangerie, a short walk away, works for a bar and late dancing, with a full screen for projections. There are no packages, no curfew and no corkage fee, and fireworks are not allowed. July, August and early September are the busiest months, and the château asks for at least 18 months of planning. There is no chapel on site; the village has a church.
Rooms and capacities
The château offers exclusive use of its main dining room, lounge, boudoir and library. The Orangerie takes up to 50 guests for parties, workshops, photo shoots or conferences, and is included when you rent the château. Guest numbers for larger weddings in the grounds are not published, so confirm them with the team.
Accommodation
The château requires a minimum of 15 guests for three nights. The Farmhouse has four en-suite bedrooms and sleeps up to nine, with its own entrance and a walled garden. Le Cottage du Haras has one double bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, facing the old Protestant chapel at the estate entrance. All buildings are centrally heated, with wood supplied for open fires in winter, and have secure parking. There is no swimming pool and no air conditioning in the château.
Catering
There is no in-house restaurant. Groups hire a local chef or caterer from the recommended list or bring their own, subject to rules on power, waste and deliveries. Caterers working at the Orangerie bring their own catering tent, as it has no kitchen. The concierge can book restaurants, day trips, golf and garden visits, and housekeeping can be added.
History and setting
The present château was built from 1787 to 1789 by the last Marquis of Courtomer with a Parisian architect, replacing a medieval castle; its vaulted cellars survive from the older building. The Saint-Simon de Courtomer family held the land from the 11th century until 1905. The Bonner family bought the estate in 2005.
Getting there
Trains run from Paris Montparnasse to L'Aigle, the nearest station. A private car service handles transfers from stations and airports, as well as regional excursions.
