Lena Vaughn
Managing Director
Decades in luxury hospitality across Europe's grandest houses. Has guided the property since the early days and quietly defines the standard the rest of the team upholds.
Joined 1993
About Us
Who stands behind Crystalpalmview
A private resort and casino on the Mediterranean shore. Opened in 1993 with six rooms and one conviction — that the finest hospitality is the kind you never need to announce.
Our story in three paragraphs
In the summer of 1993, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired 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 principles: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and refuse anything that is merely "industry standard".
33 years later we have 180 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 shifted.
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 site — though we have been asked, often. We give the same answer every time: do one place well.
What we believe
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 see.
Continuity over churn
The bellman who greets you at the door has been here longer than most of our suites have stood. The head sommelier has stayed 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 supplies, our wine cellar favours growers within four hours of the property, and our spa products come from a chemist who lives forty minutes away.
Quiet by design
Adult-only, screen-free public spaces, soft lighting around the clock and a music programme chosen to dissolve into the room. Loud is easy. Calm takes effort.
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 across operations, food, beverage, wellness, gaming, and concierge.
Nadia Amaro
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 1993
Theo Calloway
Executive Chef
Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, with stages at some of Europe's finest kitchens. Brought the property its Michelin recognition.
Joined 1995
Elise Moreau
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 1997
Clara Delacroix
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
Julien Merrick
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 imitate.
Joined 2007
By the numbers
- 1993 — year founded
- 180+ suites, villas and bungalows
- Two restaurants, including one Michelin-starred
- Two private casino salons
- 280 staff across all departments
- 4.9 / 5 guest rating across 2,400+ reviews
- 70%+ of reservations from returning guests
- 9 languages spoken by our concierge team