Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte | Clermont-Ferrand
Organizing a seminar in Clermont-Ferrand: the perspective of a hotelier from Clermont-Ferrand
Can you introduce yourself in a few words and describe your background?
I am Muriel Imbert, director of the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte for eight years. My background is fairly typical for hospitality: hotel school, high school diploma and BTS, then experiences in Montpellier and Paris in various establishments. I then worked for a hotel software publisher, which led me to travel to train teams and install systems around the world, at a time when Wi‑Fi did not yet exist and it was necessary to be physically present for that kind of installation. I returned to Auvergne in 2004, where I took over a restaurant before joining the management of the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte.
How has the corporate seminar and event market evolved in recent years?
The most striking change is the rise of coworking, which has really accelerated since Covid. People have gotten used to coming to work in hotel lobbies, in cafés — it’s not seminars in the strict sense, but it’s a new clientele that has emerged. At the same time, traditional seminars have evolved: companies meet less often than before, but look for more unusual formats, with more personality and character than what was done previously.
What are companies looking for today when choosing a venue, beyond logistics (room, equipment)?
They are looking above all for human connection and service — and that's exactly what will save us, the hotels. Many seminar venues have opened in recent years, like Le Pic in Clermont, but they are places without included service. So clients continue to seek support, a genuine welcome, being taken care of from the start to the end of their event.
Why is Clermont-Ferrand an attractive destination for organizing corporate seminars, and what are the main areas of appeal in the city and its region for this type of event?
I regularly attend trade shows with the hotel club and the Clermont tourist office as part of the MICE hub.
We observe that Lyon-based companies are increasingly drawn to Clermont: the city is not far, accessible by train — which fits well with their CSR approach — and remains less expensive than destinations like Annecy or the Alps.
Clermont also has the advantage of being at the crossroads of France, which makes organizing regional meetings easier.
On the infrastructure side, we work notably with Gévénements, which manages the Grande Halle d'Auvergne and the Polydôme, two large convention and congress spaces. There are also many small atypical venues with which we collaborate for accommodation: Vulcania, the Pic, ASM Expérience, Court Métrage (which converts its screening rooms into seminar spaces), and the nearby business school.
Discover our meetings & events offering
What activities, particularly for team building, can we offer companies around the hotel?
We have the advantage of being on the doorstep of the volcanoes, which makes outdoor activities much easier. We work with Takamaka, which offers hikes and outdoor explorations, but also indoor activities: cooking workshops, casino nights. There is also an escape room in the town, which allows participants to discover Clermont-Ferrand in an unusual way. Everything is tailor-made, according to the wishes and needs of each client.
How does the literary identity of the Hôtel Littéraire Vialatte change the game in this highly competitive market?
It's the whole thematic aspect and the fully customizable decor that we can offer. If a guest has a specific request, we will do everything possible to meet it as precisely as possible. The aim is truly to support, to provide a tailor-made service, and to be attentive to the guest at every step.
Discover the Alexandre Vialatte Literary Hotel
How is the customer experience built differently for a seminar compared with a leisure stay?
The expectation is really not the same. A leisure guest sleeps, has breakfast, enjoys the bar or the fitness room — they don’t spend eight hours standing on our premises. By contrast, a seminar guest will spend their day in meetings, with very specific technical or logistical needs that require constant attentiveness. These are two completely different ways of experiencing the hotel, even though the same guest may sometimes combine both: staying overnight and then attending a seminar right away.
What role does the Vialatte team play in the success of an event, beyond the organization itself?
The smile, the listening, the attention paid to every detail: that’s what makes everything run smoothly, from the kitchen to the reception.
Having an attentive, smiling team is truly essential to the success of an event.
Do you have an example of an event that illustrates your approach?
The next one, scheduled for November, is particularly representative. It's an event in the dental sector, organized by a laboratory, with professors coming to present their work. The program includes a plenary session in the morning, followed by about ten small open-configured tables, then a cocktail at midday. Our challenge is to move participants between the hotel's different spaces, from the lower to the upper levels, to energize the event and prevent guests from lingering in one place. More broadly, our approach is to never say no to a client: we always look for a solution, thanks to flexible spaces that adapt to requests.
How do you see this market evolving in the coming years, and how is the Hôtel Littéraire Vialatte preparing for it?
Two distinct types of seminars are emerging: on one hand, simple room rentals without additional services; on the other, large turnkey events, like the one in November.
Between the two, traditional multi-day training sessions are tending to disappear, replaced by videoconferencing.
Companies still organize large events to present their products to a wide audience, but anything handled on a case-by-case basis is now shifting to remote.
What do you think truly sets the Hôtel Littéraire Vialatte apart in this segment?
Our flexibility and our smiles, above all — but the hotel's literary theme also plays a huge role in that differentiation.
