About Us

The people behind Estatefjordnest

A secluded resort and casino on the Mediterranean coast. We opened in 2004 with six rooms and a single conviction — that the finest hospitality is the sort you never need to draw attention to.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 2004, 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: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and refuse to do anything that is merely "industry standard".

22 years later we have 200 keys, three restaurants, a Michelin star, two private gaming salons, a full spa, and a guest book that quietly fills with the same families coming back, 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 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 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. Our head sommelier has served for many years. We recruit carefully and retain for life.

Local over global

Our menu draws on what the coast provides, our 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 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.

Elise Amaro
Managing Director

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

Joined 2004
Anais Merrick
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 2004
Clara Renaud
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2005
Oscar Marchetti
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 2017
Theo Rousseau
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 2007
Henrik Delacroix
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 2015

By the numbers

— Return to Estatefjordnest