Vatel Group has secured its building permit for a new campus in Nice, at the Grand Arénas. Construction begins in 2027, opening in September 2029, with nearly 1,000 students from 45 nationalities at full capacity.
A campus spread across Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var, comprising an 11,000 sq m academic hub at Grand Arénas, a fine-dining training restaurant, a training food court and a training hotel with around thirty rooms open to the public.
An associated property programme of 710 housing units: 480 private student apartments and 230 social housing units for young hospitality professionals, addressing the sector’s recruitment and housing pressures.
Vatel’s arrival will be accompanied by that of Ferrandi, two internationally renowned schools that strengthen Nice’s positioning on hospitality education.
Vatel Group, a global reference in hospitality and tourism management education, is setting up in Nice. The building permit has been granted for a campus at Grand Arénas, with construction starting in 2027 and a first intake in September 2029. Nearly 1,000 students from 45 nationalities will follow a five-year programme, from bachelor to master, combining academic teaching with professional immersions (professional English, an international Marco Polo exchange in the second year, and the Vatel International Business Game in the fifth year).
Addressing recruitment pressures through local training
Hospitality, food services and tourism carry significant weight in the Côte d’Azur economy, yet struggle to recruit. The Vatel campus is designed to build a local talent pool, directly connected to the needs of the territory’s professionals. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and tourism operators will be able to build relationships with students from the internship and apprenticeship stages, and access operational profiles upon graduation.
Four sites, one campus
The project goes beyond a single building. It spans four complementary locations that form a territory-wide campus.
Grand Arénas in Nice will host the academic core: nearly 11,000 sq m, fifteen classrooms, administration and a training café, from September 2029. In Saint-Laurent-du-Var, two sites will complete the setup: Valmer, with a fine-dining training restaurant and a social student residence, also in 2029, then the Gare site, with a training food court, a gym and a training hotel with around thirty rooms open to the public, planned for 2030 or 2031.
710 housing units to anchor talent on the territory
The property component of the project deserves attention: 480 private student apartments and 230 social housing units earmarked for young hospitality professionals. Housing seasonal workers, interns and apprentices remains one of the main barriers to recruitment in the sector. This programme provides a concrete response, creating the conditions for locally trained talent to stay on the territory.
Two international schools, one positioning
Vatel’s arrival will not be an isolated move: Ferrandi is also expected to set up in Nice. With these two internationally renowned schools, Nice strengthens its positioning on hospitality professions and rounds out an education offer that supports the territory’s ambition to raise the quality of year-round tourism.
📸 Cabinets Luc Lemarchand (Espace architecture international) et L35 Architects
Source: Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur
