The Château de Longsard is a fine traditional-style property, which was bought 12 years ago by Franco-American couple Alexandra and Olivier du Mesnil. It is located in Arnas, a small village to the north of Villefranche-sur-Saône, right on the doorstep of the Beaujolais. The surrounding formal park, itself listed, is part of 2 hectares of grounds which include vines too. The main building covers a space of 900 m²  and there are a number of outbuildings.

The château was not open to the public until we took it over, recalls Alexandra du Mesnil. Initially we decided to open just five bed and breakfast rooms. That was in 1999 and then in 2008 we opened a meeting room for 30 people in one of the outbuildings plus 15 new bedrooms, giving us capacity for 20 single rooms or 40 people in double rooms .

When they first started out, the owners were mainly interested in attracting weddings and family gatherings, but they’ve stopped that type of business now and turned their attention to the seminar business. Part of their strategy has been to attend specialist shows such as Séminaires et Business Rhône-Alpes as well as workshops held in Brussels and London.

We’ve been pleased with the response, and one upshot has been the establishment of a good working relationship with an Ain-based specialist agency which likes our concept and has already sent us several clients, adds Alexandra du Mesnil. In 2009, we handled 10 seminars and then in 2009 that grew to 25, each for on average 12 people for a two day period .

Most of the firms that choose the Château de Longsard for their seminars come from the Lyon area. On-site catering is provided by Alexandra du Mesnil for small groups or by caterers from Saint-Georges-de-Reneins when there are more participants. Our clients tend to come just for working sessions and do not have time for any leisure activities, notes the owner. Having said that, if we have any requests for recreational activities then we call upon the services of French Flair in Villefranche .

When the weather is fine, the garden can also be used for events as it was back in late September when a political party held a garden party at Longsard for 3000 people. We can also use the fermentation cellar, which is a space of 600 m², for product launches, adds Alexandre du Mesnil. It can hold a thousand people without any problem .

Longsard’s prices range from 60 € per person for a work session, including lunch and refreshment breaks, to 160 € per delegate inclusive of dinner and accommodation. It is also worth noting that the château can be hired for exclusive use and that transport can also be arranged from Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport and from Part-Dieu train station.