Who We Are

The faces behind Coastalgrovepalace

A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean. Opened in 1995 with six rooms and a single conviction — that true hospitality never needs announcing.

Our story, in brief

In the summer of 1995, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired a strip of coastline 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: look after fewer guests better than anyone else; and never settle for what is merely "industry standard".

31 years on we hold 160 keys, three restaurants, a Michelin star, one private gaming salons, a complete spa, and a guest book that keeps filling with the same families returning, year after year. That notebook is still here. Those two principles have not shifted.

We remain in the hands of 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.

Our principles

Hospitality without spectacle

The flowers stay fresh because they ought to. The robe feels substantial because it ought to. The work that counts is the work you never notice.

Loyalty over turnover

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

Nearby over far-flung

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

Calm by intention

Adult-only, screen-free public spaces, soft lighting at all hours and a music programme chosen to dissolve into the room. Loud is easy. Calm is hard.

Our team

Six of the people who steer the property day to day. Their paths differ; their devotion to the standard does not. Behind them stands a 280-person team across operations, food, beverage, wellness, gaming, and concierge.

Ines Merrick
Managing Director

Long experience in luxury hospitality across Europe's grandest houses. Has guided the property since the early days and quietly defines the bar the rest of the team upholds.

Joined 1995
Marco Laurent
Founding Partner

Leads food, beverage and the guest experience. A former Relais et Chateaux board member and the source of the resort's unhurried service ethos.

Joined 1995
Lena Beaumont
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2017
Julien Rousseau
Head Sommelier

Court of Master Sommeliers-certified, shaping a cellar of several thousand bottles with a special fondness for old Burgundy and small-grower Champagne.

Joined 2000
Nadia Moreau
Spa & Wellness Director

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

Joined 2009
Marta Vaughn
Gaming Director

Seasoned on the floors of Europe's private salons. Shaped ours around discretion, fair play, and a personal-host approach that rival houses now imitate.

Joined 1997

At a glance

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