Vatel Academy and Vatel Business School: Hospitality Excellence Built on Practical Experience
Lyon, April 6 – In Lyon, the gastronomic capital of the world, Vatel Group is training the hospitality talents of tomorrow through two distinct institutions: Vatel Business School, dedicated to international hotel management, and Vatel Academy, focused on technical culinary and service professions. These programs combine rigor, professional immersion, and operational excellence, emphasizing that true hospitality expertise is built on practical experience.
For Vatel, which has chosen Lyon as its headquarters, forming hospitality professionals is far from a mere theoretical exercise. Here, excellence is a culture, savoir-faire is a tradition, and transmission is a responsibility. The group has developed a comprehensive training offer that covers the entire spectrum of hospitality professions, from technical skills to strategic management.
Vatel Business School: Training International Hotel Leaders
Founded in 1981, Vatel Business School is the historical cornerstone of the group. It trains operational managers, executives, and entrepreneurs for careers in international hotel and hospitality sectors. Today, the Vatel network boasts 50 schools in 31 countries, including five in France, making the brand a global reference.
In Lyon, nearly 900 students are enrolled in the Business School’s programs. The curriculum includes a 3-year Bachelor’s program followed by a 2-year MBA program. The Bachelor’s leads to an RNCP Level 6 title as an Operational Manager in International Hospitality, while the MBA leads to an RNCP Level 7 title as an International Hotel Director. “Our goal is to give students time to mature their professional projects,” explains Véronique Hasselweiler, the group’s communications director.
The pedagogy is based on a fundamental principle: real-life simulation. Each campus features an application restaurant open to actual customers. “Students assimilate what they learn much better when they practice it, and over the years, they are put in situations where they manage their peers, just like in a real company,” she emphasizes. This progressive immersion prepares them for the realities of management, extending far beyond the classroom.
Vatel Academy: The Rigor of Skill and the Reality of the Field
Launched in 2023, Vatel Academy complements this system by training professionals in the technical skills of cooking, pastry, and table service. Located in Lyon, within the Château Lacroix-Laval, it addresses a clear industry need: to train immediately operational professionals straight out of college, in close collaboration with local businesses.
Vatel Academy welcomes approximately 150 apprentices, all on work-study programs, following a rhythm of three weeks in a company and one week at school. The training leads to RNCP Level 4 titles, notably Chef de Partie in Culinary Arts and Pastry, or Assistant Restaurant Manager.
Here again, practical application is central. Apprentices work in the application restaurants, Avenir and Le Potager, serving real customers. “They don’t cook for their instructors, but for the public. Everything must be impeccable, from hygiene rules to the quality of service,” insists Véronique Hasselweiler.
While the paths of the two schools differ, the philosophy remains the same: to provide time, open possibilities, and support career trajectories. In Lyon, Vatel embodies a complete vision of hospitality, true to the city’s DNA: excellence in craft, rigor in management, and a sense of welcome. This training is designed to prepare the talents who will shape the hospitality of tomorrow.
Vatel Business School
58, rue Franklin – 69002 Lyon
Vatel Academy
1171, avenue de Lacroix-Laval – 69280 Marcy-l’Étoile
Source: lyonpeople.com
