About Us

The people behind Palacealpineviewlife

A secluded resort and casino on the Mediterranean shore. Opened in 1978 with six rooms and one conviction — that the finest hospitality never needs pointing out.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 1978, 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 social media. There was a notebook with two principles: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and refuse anything that is merely "industry standard".

48 years on we have 80 keys, two restaurants, a Michelin star, one private gaming salon, 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 answer the same way every time: do one place well.

What we believe

Hospitality without performance

Flowers are fresh because that is the standard. Robes are weighty because they should be. The labour that counts is the labour you never see.

Continuity over turnover

The bellman who greets you has worked here longer than most of our suites have stood. 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 blend 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.

Henrik Fairholm
Managing Director

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

Joined 1978
Oscar Devereux
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 1978
Clara Whitmore
Executive Chef

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

Joined 1994
Lucas Larsen
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 1988
Theo Ashford
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 1994
Julien Amaro
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 2000

By the numbers

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