Château de Fontager can host seminars, training sessions, company conventions, family gatherings and weddings, from a meeting of a few people to a reception of 150 guests on its terrace. The two indoor rooms take up to 80 seated and 120 standing. The château is a hotel with 32 bedrooms, two restaurants and a 3-hectare park at Serves-sur-Rhône, in the Drôme, about one hour south of Lyon.
Seminars and company events
The hotel sells meeting space under its Séminaires section and has a dedicated events contact. For a working day, the Salon Agrippa is the main meeting room. It takes 50 people seated or 70 standing and can be set up as a plenary room, a round table or a U-shape. It has a flipchart and a television, direct access to the grounds with a view of the woods, and a billiard table for breaks.
The Salle du Cloître suits larger gatherings such as a convention or a company dinner. It seats 80 and takes 120 for a cocktail, comes fully furnished, opens onto a partly shaded terrace and can have a sound system on request. Groups staying overnight can use the 35-meter pool, the wellness space with massage and sauna, the tennis courts of the Fontager Sporting Club, pétanque and bicycles for the ViaRhôna cycle route along the river.
Weddings and receptions
The château lists weddings, birthdays and family gatherings among the events it hosts. The Salle du Cloître takes the dinner, and the terrace above the pool takes a summer cocktail or an outdoor dinner. Bedrooms in the château allow the wedding party and close family to stay on site.
Rooms and capacities
Three spaces have published figures. The Salle du Cloître seats 80 and holds 120 standing. The Salon Agrippa seats 50 and holds 70 standing. The terrace overlooking the pool and the park takes up to 150 guests and is used for lunches, evening receptions, cocktails and outdoor business events in summer. Wi-Fi covers the whole building.
Accommodation
The château has 32 bedrooms on two floors served by an elevator, in six categories: Petite, Standard, Classic, Deluxe, Junior Suite and Junior Suite Family. Each has a private bathroom. Petite and Standard rooms look onto the inner roofs, while the other categories face the park or the village of Ponsas. Parking is free, and tea and coffee are offered at reception.
Catering
Catering is in-house. Le Chant de la Source is the gastronomic restaurant, led by Danish chef Nikolaj Skou Poulsen, who trained at the Kadeau group in Copenhagen. It mixes French and Nordic cooking with local produce and herbs and vegetables grown on the estate. Le Bistro du Château serves daily dishes, in the Salle du Cloître in winter and on the pool terrace in summer.
History and setting
The château stands on Roman remains that are still visible in its cellar. It housed noble families until the early 20th century. A local legend links Pontius Pilate to the site and to the name of the village of Ponsas. Inside, guests find high ceilings, fireplaces, small lounges and an old well.
Getting there
The entrance is on the N7, not through Ponsas. Saint-Vallier TER station is 10 minutes away, with free transport on request, and Valence TGV station is 30 minutes away, about 2 hours from Paris by train. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport is 65 km away. The A7 is 10 minutes away at exit 12 Chanas or exit 13 Tain-l'Hermitage. An electric vehicle charging point is on site.
