Key points
- Two separate things: a verification status (what we have checked) and a rating (what we think of the venue).
- The rating is based on seven weighted criteria, after an on-site visit.
- It is Guide Séminaire’s own rating, not an official label. It cannot be bought.
1. What we have checked: three statuses
The status tells you how far our checks went, not whether the venue is good. A venue is only presented as visited if it has been, and each status shows its date.
- Listed
Venue identified from its public information. It can receive your request, without a profile or rating.
- Details verified
Capacities, rooms and terms confirmed in writing by the venue, with a date.
- Visited
Visited by the guide, profile published and rated on the seven criteria, with the visit date.
2. What we think: seven criteria
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 against a written scale, the same for every venue, then weighted. A criterion that does not apply (accommodation for a venue without rooms, for example) is set aside and does not count against the venue.
- Setting and character15 %
Architecture, grounds, views, calm, sense of place.
- Meeting spaces20 %
Plenary and break-out rooms, daylight, acoustics, equipment, flexibility.
- Accommodation15 %
Number of rooms, share of singles, comfort, consistency. Not scored for venues without rooms.
- Food and hospitality15 %
Cuisine, dietary needs, service, breaks, outdoor dining.
- Access and logistics15 %
Distance from the TGV station and airport, transfers, parking, accessibility.
- Event support10 %
Dedicated contact, responsiveness, flexible schedule, activities on offer.
- Value for money10 %
What the package includes, compared with published prices of similar venues.
3. Five rating levels
The weighted score out of 100 remains an internal working tool. On the venue profile, you read a level, more meaningful than a falsely precise 8.7 out of 10, plus the detail of the seven criteria. Only a visited venue receives a rating. These levels are Guide Séminaire’s own: they match no official classification or label.
- SuitableWorks well for a specific format.
- RecommendedA sound choice with no major reservations.
- Highly recommendedAbove its category on several criteria.
- RemarkableA venue participants remember.
- ExceptionalRare: excellence across the whole grid.
What you see, and what we send you
On the public profile
- Photos, location, access from the TGV station and airport
- Capacity by layout, number of rooms
- Recommended event formats
- Status, rating, detail of the seven criteria, visit date
- Signed review: strengths and points to watch
In your personal shortlist
- Availability for your dates
- Recommended room layout for your group size
- Single rooms available
- What the venue’s proposal includes, with our comments
- Constraints to know about (transfers, hours, exclusive use)
Selection and independence
For your request, we select, among our partner venues, those that match your criteria. Our editorial rating does not depend on what they pay us.
- Partner venues pay a commission on confirmed events. It is not added to your bill and plays no part in the rating.
- Venues are suggested according to how well they fit your request (capacity, rooms, access, budget), not their commission.
- A profile also says what a venue does less well: a beautiful park does not make up for a dark meeting room, and we say so.
- A rating is reviewed no later than two years after the visit, or sooner after a major change (renovation, new management).
- Our commercial relationships with venues are described on the How it works page, in line with article L111-7 of the French Consumer Code.