Teams of up to 90 people can hold a study day here, groups of 30 can stay for a residential seminar, and couples can marry with 80 guests at dinner and 130 at the cocktail. Domaine des Blaques is a stone bastide built in 1860 at Rians, in the north of the Var, rented as a whole so that no other group shares the site.
Seminars and company events
The estate sells three formats. A study day runs from a morning coffee welcome to the last workshop and takes up to 90 participants, with the plenary room, the meeting room, breaks and lunch. A residential seminar keeps the whole estate for one night or more and houses up to 30 people. An evening format covers team parties, year-end events and product launches for up to 130 people at a cocktail, with no noise restriction.
The team adjusts rooms, timings and meals for anything from an eight-person board meeting to a plenary of 90. Large screens, Wi-Fi, a flip chart and a speaker's lectern are already on site. Videoconference, sound or video capture should be flagged in the request so the owners can check what must be added. Activities draw on the working farm: walks and tastings in the olive groves, or a pétanque tournament. A visit can be booked before signing, and the owners advise booking two to three months ahead, more for May, June and September.
Weddings and receptions
The bastide, the hall, the garden and the pool are reserved for the couple and their guests. A secular ceremony can take place under the old oaks or in front of the stone steps of the house; the civil wedding happens at the town hall beforehand. The cocktail moves to the terrace and poolside for up to 130 guests, then dinner seats 80 in the reception hall at round or long tables. The hall then becomes the dance floor for a DJ or a band, with room for a stage.
Rooms and capacities
The reception hall covers 120 square meters, with a stone floor, wide bay windows on the garden, air conditioning and direct access to the terrace. It takes 90 in theatre or island layout and 80 seated at tables. A separate meeting room works for a board, a training session or breakout groups in U, island or classroom layout. The shaded terrace holds 130 standing. A lounge with a stone fireplace and a games room with billiards and table football serve for informal sessions or a rainy day.
Accommodation
Eight air-conditioned bedrooms sleep 30 in total, including a suite of more than 30 square meters with an east-facing terrace and a dormitory with bunk beds. Above 30 guests, the owners point to lodgings in Rians and nearby villages.
Catering
Breaks and meals are handled by a caterer that the owners can recommend to fit the budget, and the estate's own organic olive oil can appear on the table. Caterers work from a service kitchen next to the hall and a second one outside, with cold rooms and an ice machine.
History and setting
The bastide stands on 200 hectares of olive, almond and oak trees, with some vines, lavender and beehives. The olive oil and almonds are certified organic. The house has kept its stone walls, beams and terracotta tiles; the infinity pool, 10 by 5 meters, faces the hills.
Getting there
The estate is at 1860 chemin des Estrechets, outside Rians, about 40 minutes by car from Aix-en-Provence, 45 minutes from Aix-en-Provence TGV station and 50 minutes from Marseille Provence airport. Marseille and Toulon are about an hour away. Parking is on the estate.
