Who We Are

The faces behind Royalseasideregency

A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean. Opened in 1993 with six rooms and a single conviction — that true hospitality is the kind you never have to announce.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 1993, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired a stretch of shoreline and turned a private villa into a six-room inn. There was no investor pitch, no marketing roadmap and no Instagram page. There was only a notebook holding two principles: look after fewer guests better than anyone else; and decline anything that is merely "industry standard".

33 years later we have 60 keys, two restaurants, a Michelin star, three private gaming salons, a full spa, and a guest book that fills, quietly, with the same families returning year after year. The notebook is still here. Those two principles have not shifted.

We remain owned by the same two families that founded the property. We have never sold into a chain, never franchised the name, and never opened a second house — though we have been invited, often. Our reply is always the same: do one place well.

What guides us

Welcome without theatre

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 see.

Continuity before churn

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

Local before global

Our kitchen draws on what the coast supplies, our cellar favours growers within four hours of the house, and our spa line is mixed by a chemist who lives forty minutes away.

Quiet on purpose

Adults only, screen-free public rooms, soft light at every hour and a music list chosen to dissolve into the space. Noise is simple. Calm takes effort.

The team

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

Marco Sterling
Managing Director

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

Joined 1993
Elise Ashford
Founding Partner

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

Joined 1993
Henrik Renaud
Executive Chef

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

Joined 1997
Marta Laurent
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 2007
Lucas Beaumont
Spa & Wellness Director

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

Joined 2013
Freya Fairholm
Gaming Director

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

Joined 1996

By the numbers

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