About Us

The faces behind Sapphirebaylife

A secluded resort and casino on the Mediterranean coast. Since 1983 we have welcomed guests with six rooms and a single conviction — that true hospitality never needs announcing.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 1983, 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 marketing strategy and no social media. There was a notebook holding two principles: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and never settle for what passes as "industry standard".

43 years on we count 60 keys, four 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 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 answer the same way every time: do one place well.

What we believe

Hospitality without performance

The flowers are fresh because they should be. The robe is heavy because it should be. The work that matters is the work you never notice.

Continuity over turnover

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 curated to fade into the room. Loud is easy. Calm is hard.

The team

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

Marta Vaughn
Managing Director

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

Joined 1983
Lena Renaud
Founding Partner

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

Joined 1983
Theo Delacroix
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2000
Elise Merrick
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 1989
Nadia Rousseau
Spa & Wellness Director

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

Joined 2000
Clara Bernard
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 1995

By the numbers

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