In this guide
“Private” sounds wonderfully tempting when you are planning a special afternoon. So does “small group.” But neither phrase tells you, by itself, whether you will have more teaching time, a different project or simply fewer strangers at the table. The useful comparison begins with the actual format.
This guide uses Molinard’s perfume workshops and Formettes’ Lisbon tile-design sessions as concrete examples. It helps you separate four things that are often bundled together in marketing: exclusivity, group size, duration and what you make. The aim is to pay more only when you can name the benefit.
Three formats that should not be confused
A shared workshop accepts separate bookings into the same session. You may sit beside other travelers, and the teacher normally works with the whole group. This can suit solo travelers and friends who enjoy a little company.
A small shared group is still shared, but the operator states a lower participant limit. That limit can make the setting feel more intimate without giving your party exclusive use. Ask whether the published number is the maximum for the exact session you are booking.
A private workshop reserves participation for your party. It may follow the same program as the open session. Custom content, extra teaching, a different language or a longer duration only belong in the comparison when the operator explicitly includes them.
Example one: Molinard’s separate perfume formats
The public catalogue lists Classic at €89 per person for one hour and a 50 ml fragrance. Premium is €199 per person for one and a half hours, with a maximum of six participants and a 100 ml fragrance. Prestige is described as a private two-hour format, advertised at €660; confirm its booking price unit and party total directly.
Those are materially different offers. A larger bottle, longer session and different group arrangement are separate benefits. You cannot attribute the whole price difference to privacy, and you cannot assume a shared Premium session becomes exclusive because only two of you book.
For a first experiment with fragrance, the shorter format may be exactly the right scale. For someone who enjoys the subject deeply, the longer process may justify more time and money. If exclusivity is your main concern, ask about exclusivity directly rather than buying the option whose name sounds most luxurious.
Example two: open and private tile-design sessions
Formettes advertises an open workshop for one to six people from €55 per person and a private format for up to six, also from €55 per person. The shared headline starting rate does not establish that two private participants can always book for €110. The selected slot, minimum charge and final party quote still need confirming.
The creative process is paper artwork transferred to a tile. If you prefer a quiet table with your own friends, privacy may be the useful upgrade even when the project is similar. If you are traveling alone and like the idea of meeting people, the open session may offer the better atmosphere.
Ask the same practical questions in either format: language, access, the time needed, the item included and collection arrangements. Privacy does not answer any of those automatically.
Compare the benefits one by one
| Detail | Shared or small group | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Other participants | Separate bookings can join | Confirm your party is exclusive |
| Teaching | Usually delivered to the group | Ask what individual guidance is included |
| Program | Published standard project | May still be the standard project |
| Cost unit | Often per person | Could be per person, per group or a minimum charge |
| Timing | Listed shared slots | Only flexible if the operator confirms it |
When you compare two quotes, keep the duration and project the same where possible. If the private option includes an extra hour or a different object, record that separately. Otherwise a decision about group atmosphere becomes tangled with a decision about the whole activity.
When a private session can make sense
A celebration may benefit from a table that belongs to your group. Someone planning to ask many technical questions may value an agreed teaching focus. A family with different participation needs may find privacy useful if the operator confirms the session can accommodate them.
Those are concrete reasons. “We should get the best one because we are on holiday” is less helpful, especially if the extra cost removes something else you care about. Agree what problem the upgrade solves before treating it as necessary.
Privacy can also change the social atmosphere. A shared class gives you other people’s questions and reactions; an exclusive session places more of the conversation on your own party. Some people love that, while others prefer the easy background company of a group.
A short message that gets a usable quote
Give the operator the date, number of participants, ages where relevant and the exact format you are considering. Then ask: “Is this session exclusive to our party? What is the total including required fees? Is the program the same as the open workshop? What timing or language choices are available?”
Add only the needs that actually matter to you. A concise question is easier to answer accurately than a long list of hypothetical requests. Keep the reply with the confirmation so the agreed format is clear on arrival.
Choose the atmosphere you would enjoy
For a curious solo traveler, an open workshop can be a pleasant way into an unfamiliar craft. For two friends who want to talk and experiment together, either arrangement can work. For a group celebrating something personal, exclusivity may be part of the occasion.
The best fit is the session whose process, company and total cost make sense together. A little clarity before booking leaves you free to enjoy the table you chose, rather than wondering what the next price tier would have been like.
Sources & practical updates
Researched 2 November 2026. Public prices and schedules are dated snapshots. The exact booking, itinerary and access needs determine the final details.
These guides combine independent research and original planning advice. We have not personally attended the listed experiences; illustrative routes and projects are identified in the text.
