Villa Wenkenhof in Riehen, near Basel, can be hired for business events, seminars, receptions, wedding dinners, concerts and photo shoots. The three ground-floor reception rooms hold up to 80 guests, and the terrace takes 80 more until 10 p.m. The villa dates from 1735 and is run by a foundation.
Seminars and company events
The villa describes itself as suitable for business events, sales events and seminars as well as private parties. Business hire is offered in two forms: until 6 p.m., or including the evening. The Gartensaal and its two neighboring salons suit a presentation, a working meal or an evening reception. A kitchen and an office are available, and tables and chairs for 100 people are part of the hire. Smoking is not allowed in any room, and the house cannot be adapted for wheelchair access, so plan for that when inviting guests.
Weddings and receptions
Wedding celebrations are named among the uses. The reception rooms are decorated in baroque style, with stucco ceilings and differently colored wall decoration. In summer the large terrace faces the garden and takes 80 people until 10 p.m. Ceremony chairs can be hired. Standing aperitifs take about 80 guests spread over the three rooms.
Rooms and capacities
The ground floor has three connected rooms: the Gartensaal of 75 square meters, the red salon of 45 square meters and the green salon of 45 square meters. A banquet in the Gartensaal seats about 60. Combined with the red or the green salon, a banquet seats up to 80. A concert takes about 80. An additional room on the first floor can be added. The villa may be used Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to midnight and Friday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., with a maximum of 12 hours per event. Sunday hire is generally not offered. Setup and teardown days can be booked before and after.
Catering
Small items such as linen, plates and glasses are not on site. The hirer is free to choose a caterer but only from the villa's published caterer list, and the caterer must look after the guests from start to finish. A kitchen and an office are available to the caterer.
History and setting
The villa was built in 1735 as a summer residence in the French manner for the merchant Johannes Zaeslin. The architect is presumed to be Johann Carl Hemeling of Karlsruhe. In 1860 the architect Johann Jacob Stehlin added a floor, which made the house habitable all year. A French garden belongs to the estate, and the villa is managed by the Alexander Clavel foundation. The paved courtyard is private property, and unauthorized photography there is prohibited.
Getting there
The villa is in Riehen, in the canton of Basel-Stadt. The nearest major airport is EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse.
