Château Royal de Benays

The Château Royal de Benays hosts weddings, receptions and company events, with an Orangerie that seats 200 guests and holds 300 with a dance floor. The estate is a four-star hotel in a listed château at Benais, in the Loire valley, set in a closed 12-hectare park. The site states that the whole domain is reserved for one event at a time.

Seminars and company events The official site describes the domain as suitable for festive, romantic or professional events, and a client testimonial refers to a seminar held with exclusive use of the estate. The site gives no meeting-room list or seminar capacity. For a corporate event, the useful spaces are the Orangerie, the three rooms of the restaurant À Table, the bar La Funambule with its two terraces, and the outdoor areas. Ask the team which layouts and equipment they provide for working sessions.

Weddings and receptions The château offers receptions, civil ceremonies and weddings, with exclusive hire of the domain. The Orangerie has an equipped kitchen for caterers. Outdoors, La Guinguette des Anges in the park suits country-style cocktails and grilled dishes, and La Terrasse du Couchant faces the sunset and works for cocktails or an evening party. A 300 m² marquee area gives sheltered space for outdoor receptions.

Rooms and capacities L’Orangerie seats up to 200 guests, with a dance space for 300. The restaurant À Table has three rooms that add capacity. The bar La Funambule is a quieter space with a contemporary fresco and two terraces. The marquee area covers 300 m².

Accommodation The château is a four-star hotel. Bedroom categories are Deluxe, Suprême, Prestige, Royale and Suite. The site does not state the total number of bedrooms, so check the guest capacity before planning a residential event. A massage service is also listed.

Catering The restaurant À Table is on site, and the Orangerie kitchen is equipped for outside caterers. The guinguette in the park serves grilled dishes in season.

History and setting The château is listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments. The south tower dates from the 10th century, the old château and the entrance gatehouse from the 15th and 16th centuries, and the main château was rebuilt after a fire during the Revolution and completed in 1816. The park of 12 hectares is a closed arboretum with the Ensemble Arboré Remarquable label. The estate has hosted visitors including Louis XI and Napoleon Bonaparte, according to the site.

Getting there Port-Boulet station is 10 minutes by taxi, and the estate holds the Accueil Vélo label. From Paris, take a TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (about 1 hour), then a TER to Port-Boulet (about 30 minutes). Tours Val de Loire airport is 55 km away. By car, leave the A85 at exit 5 (Bourgueil).