About Us

The team behind Manordunenest

A secluded resort and casino along the Mediterranean coast. Launched in 2003 with six rooms and a single conviction — that outstanding hospitality never needs to announce itself.

Our story in brief

In the summer of 2003, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — acquired a strip of shoreline and turned a private villa into a six-room guesthouse. There was no pitch deck, no brand strategy and no social media presence. There was a notebook holding two principles: treat fewer guests better than anyone else; and never settle for what passes as "industry standard".

Twenty-three years on we count 80 keys, three restaurants, a Michelin star, three private gaming salons, a complete spa, and a guest register that quietly fills with the same families returning, season after season. The notebook remains. The two principles have not budged.

We are still held by the same two families who founded the estate. We have never sold to a chain, never licensed the name, and never opened a second address — though the question has been raised, repeatedly. Our reply is always the same: excel at one place.

What guides us

Service without spectacle

The blooms are fresh because they ought to be. The robe is weighty because it ought to be. The effort that counts is the effort you never see.

Stability over turnover

The bellman who greets you at the entrance has been here longer than most of our suites have stood. The head sommelier has served with us for many years. We recruit carefully and retain people for decades.

Regional over imported

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

Serenity by intention

Adult-only, screen-free common areas, gentle lighting throughout the day and a music programme designed to dissolve into the atmosphere. Noise is simple. Stillness is earned.

The team

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

Marco Fontaine
Managing Director

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

Joined 2003
Julien Ashford
Founding Partner

Oversees food, beverage and the guest journey. A former Relais et Chateaux board member and the architect of the resort's unhurried service philosophy.

Joined 2003
Sofia Bernard
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2023
Theo Devereux
Head Sommelier

Court of Master Sommeliers-certified, overseeing a cellar of several thousand bottles with a special fondness for aged Burgundy and small-grower Champagne.

Joined 2016
Clara Moreau
Spa & Wellness Director

Educated in Kyoto and Marrakech, and shaped the spa programme around the belief that rest is a discipline, not an indulgence.

Joined 2023
Oscar Renaud
Gaming Director

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

Joined 2015

By the numbers

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