About Us

The people behind Northernharbourvilla

A private resort and casino on the Mediterranean shore. Opened in 2005 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 2005, 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 ideas: look after fewer guests better than anyone else; and decline anything that is merely "industry standard".

21 years later we have 110 keys, four restaurants, a Michelin star, three 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 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 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.

The team

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

Lucas Sinclair
Managing Director

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

Joined 2005
Lena Vaughn
Founding Partner

Guides food, beverage and the guest experience. A former Relais et Chateaux board member and the source of the resort's no-rush service philosophy.

Joined 2005
Clara Bernard
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2019
Anais Renaud
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 2024
Sofia Laurent
Spa & Wellness Director

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

Joined 2019
Henrik Castellan
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 follow.

Joined 2018

By the numbers

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