Who We Are

The people behind Emeraldhomecascade

A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean coast. Opened in 1993 with six rooms and a single conviction — that true hospitality needs no announcement.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 1993, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired a strip of shoreline and turned a private villa into a six-room inn. There was no pitch deck, no campaign plan and no social feed. 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 120 keys, four restaurants, a Michelin star, three private gaming salons, a full spa, and a guest book that steadily fills with the same families returning, year after year. The notebook remains. Those two principles have not shifted.

We are still held by the same two families that founded the property. We have never sold to a group, never licensed the name, and never opened a second house — though invitations arrive often. Our reply is always the same: perfect one place.

What we believe

Hospitality without theatre

The blooms stay fresh because they ought to. The robe feels substantial because it ought to. The labour that counts is the labour you never see.

Continuity over churn

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

Local over global

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

Quiet by design

Adults only, screen-free shared rooms, gentle lighting around the clock and a soundtrack chosen to settle into the space. Noise is simple. Stillness takes skill.

The 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 spanning operations, food, beverage, wellness, gaming, and concierge.

Theo Fontaine
Managing Director

Decades across Europe's most celebrated houses. Has led the property since the early years and quietly defines the bar the rest of the team upholds.

Joined 1993
Ines Sinclair
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 ethos.

Joined 1993
Anais Delacroix
Executive Chef

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

Joined 1998
Adrian Whitmore
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 2011
Lena Merrick
Spa & Wellness Director

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

Joined 2000
Henrik Larsen
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 1999

By the numbers

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