About Us

The people behind Rubyharbourresort

A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean. Opened in 2002 with six rooms and a single conviction — the finest hospitality is the kind that never needs announcing.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 2002, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired a strip 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 principles: host fewer guests better than anyone else; and never settle for anything that is merely "industry standard".

24 years later we have 60 keys, three restaurants, a Michelin star, two private gaming salons, a full spa, and a guest book that steadily fills with the same families returning, year after year. The notebook is still here. Those two principles have not shifted.

Ownership remains with 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 the invitations arrive often. Our reply never changes: do one place well.

What we believe

Hospitality without theatre

The flowers stay fresh because they ought to. The robe is heavy because it ought to be. The work that counts is the work you barely register.

Continuity over churn

The bellman greeting you at the door has been here longer than most of our suites. The head sommelier has stayed with us for many years. We hire with care and keep people for a lifetime.

Local over global

Our menu draws on what the coast supplies, our cellar favours growers within four hours of the property, and our spa formulas come from a chemist who lives forty minutes away.

Quiet by design

Adult-only, screen-free public rooms, soft light around the clock and a music programme chosen to dissolve into the space. Noise is simple. Calm takes effort.

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.

Clara Vaughn
Managing Director

Decades across Europe's grandest luxury houses. Has guided the property since the early days and calmly defines the bar the rest of the team upholds.

Joined 2002
Lucas Weiss
Founding Partner

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

Joined 2002
Lena Bernard
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2012
Freya Marchetti
Head Sommelier

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

Joined 2004
Henrik Moreau
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 2005
Elise Fairholm
Gaming Director

Years on the floors of Europe's private salons. Built ours around discretion, fair play, and a personal-host approach that other houses now imitate.

Joined 2024

By the numbers

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