About Us

The people who shape Royalharbourescape

A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean coast. Since 1981, with six rooms and a single conviction — that true hospitality never needs announcing.

Our story in three parts

In the summer of 1981, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired a stretch of shoreline and turned a private villa into a six-room inn. No investor deck, no marketing plan, no Instagram account. Just a notebook holding two principles: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and refuse anything that is merely "industry standard".

Forty-five years on we count 100 keys, two restaurants, a Michelin star, two private gaming salons, a full spa, and a guest book that quietly fills with the same families returning, year after year. The notebook still exists. The two principles have not changed.

We remain owned by the same two families that founded the property. We have never sold to a chain, never franchised the name, and never opened a second location — though we have been asked, often. We answer the same way every time: do one place well.

What we believe

Hospitality without theatre

Fresh flowers because they should be. A heavy robe because it should be. The work that counts is the work you never notice.

Continuity over churn

The bellman who greets you at the door has worked here longer than most of our suites have existed. The head sommelier has been with us for many years. We hire slowly and we keep people for a lifetime.

Local over global

Our menu draws on what the coast provides, our wine cellar favours growers within four hours of the property, and our spa products are made by a chemist who lives forty minutes away.

Quiet by design

Adult-only, screen-free public spaces, soft lighting at every hour and a music programme meant to blend into the room. Loud is easy. Calm is hard.

The team

Six of the people who run the property day to day. Their backgrounds vary; their commitment to the standard does not. Behind them is a 280-person team across operations, food, beverage, wellness, gaming, and concierge.

Lena Rousseau
Managing Director

Decades in luxury hospitality across Europe's grandest houses. Has led the property since the early days and quietly sets the standard the rest of the team upholds.

Joined 1981
Clara Sterling
Founding Partner

Oversees food, beverage and the guest experience. A former Relais et Chateaux board member and the origin of the resort's unhurried service philosophy.

Joined 1981
Ines Calloway
Executive Chef

Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, with stages at some of Europe's finest kitchens. Secured the property its Michelin recognition.

Joined 2001
Marco Delacroix
Head Sommelier

Court of Master Sommeliers-certified, curating a cellar of several thousand bottles with a particular love for old Burgundy and small-grower Champagne.

Joined 2001
Marta Albright
Spa & Wellness Director

Trained in Kyoto and Marrakech, and shaped the spa programme around the idea that rest is a skill, not a luxury.

Joined 1998
Anais Devereux
Gaming Director

Years on the floors of Europe's private salons. Built ours around discretion, fair play, and a personal-host model that other houses now emulate.

Joined 2001

By the numbers

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