Who We Are

The people who shape Emeraldmeadowresort

A private resort and casino on the Mediterranean shore. Opened in 1991 with six rooms and one conviction — that the finest hospitality is the kind you never need to announce.

A story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 1991, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — purchased a stretch of coastline and turned a private villa into a six-room inn. There was no investor deck, no marketing plan and no Instagram account. There was a notebook with two ideas: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and refuse to do anything that is merely "industry standard".

35 years later we have 60 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 ideas 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 reply the same way every time: do one place well.

Our principles

Hospitality without theatre

The flowers are fresh because they ought to be. The robe is heavy because it ought to 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 all hours and a music programme chosen to dissolve into the room. Loud is easy. Calm is hard.

Our people

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

Adrian Laurent
Managing Director

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

Joined 1991
Lena Renaud
Founding Partner

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

Joined 1991
Oscar Beaumont
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2003
Lucas Merrick
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 2001
Nadia Calloway
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 2002
Marta Fontaine
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 2006

In figures

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