About Us

The faces behind Pearlforestpalace

A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean coast. Opened in 1984 with six rooms and a single conviction — that the finest hospitality never needs to announce itself.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 1984, 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 pitch, no marketing roadmap and no Instagram presence. There was a notebook holding two principles: look after fewer guests better than anyone else; and decline anything that is merely "industry standard".

42 years later we have 60 keys, four restaurants, a Michelin star, one private gaming salons, a full spa, and a guest book that quietly fills with the same families returning, year after year. The notebook is still here. Those 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 location — though we have been asked, often. Our reply is always the same: do one place well.

What we believe

Hospitality without theatre

The flowers stay fresh because they ought to. The robe feels substantial because it ought to. 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 with care and we keep people for a lifetime.

Local over global

Our kitchen draws on what the coast provides, our wine cellar favours growers within four hours of the property, and our spa formulary comes from a chemist who lives forty minutes away.

Quiet by design

Adult-only, screen-free public spaces, gentle lighting at every hour and a music programme chosen to dissolve into the room. Noise is simple. Calm takes craft.

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.

Lena Castellan
Managing Director

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

Joined 1984
Oscar Albright
Founding Partner

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

Joined 1984
Theo Fairholm
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2001
Marco Ashford
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 1987
Henrik Sterling
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 2003
Lucas Vaughn
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 1991

By the numbers

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