Ines Whitmore
Managing Director
Decades in luxury hospitality across Europe's grandest houses. Has directed the property since the early days and quietly defines the bar the rest of the team upholds.
Joined 1983
About Us
Who stewards Ambercliffplaza
A private resort and casino along the Mediterranean coast. Opened in 1983 with six rooms and a single conviction — that the finest hospitality never needs to announce itself.
Our story, briefly
In the summer of 1983, two friends — a former hotelier and a chef — purchased a stretch of shoreline and turned a private villa into a six-room inn. There was no investor pitch, no marketing blueprint and no social feed. There was a notebook holding two principles: look after fewer guests better than anyone else; and decline anything that is merely "industry standard".
43 years later we have 100 keys, four restaurants, a Michelin star, two 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. 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 location — though we have been asked, often. We reply the same way every time: do one place well.
Our beliefs
Hospitality without theatre
The flowers are fresh because they ought to be. The robe is substantial because it ought to be. The work that counts is the work you never notice.
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 carefully and we keep people for a lifetime.
Local over global
Our menu draws on what the coast offers, our wine 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 every hour and a music programme chosen to dissolve into the room. Noise is simple. Calm takes effort.
Our team
Six of the people who guide the property day to day. Their paths differ; their devotion to the standard does not. Behind them stands a 280-person team across operations, food, beverage, wellness, gaming, and concierge.
Sofia Fontaine
Founding Partner
Leads food, beverage and the guest experience. A former Relais et Chateaux board member and the source of the resort's unhurried service philosophy.
Joined 1983
Lena Merrick
Executive Chef
Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, with stages at some of Europe's finest kitchens. Brought the property its Michelin recognition.
Joined 1997
Clara Calloway
Head Sommelier
Court of Master Sommeliers-certified, tending a cellar of several thousand bottles with a particular affection for old Burgundy and small-grower Champagne.
Joined 1995
Elise Amaro
Spa & Wellness Director
Trained in Kyoto and Marrakech, and shaped the spa programme around the notion that rest is a skill, not a luxury.
Joined 1998
Henrik Castellan
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 2004
In figures
- 1983 — year founded
- 100+ suites, villas and bungalows
- Four restaurants, including one Michelin-starred
- Two private casino salons
- 280 staff across all departments
- 4.9 / 5 guest rating across 2,400+ reviews
- 55%+ of reservations from returning guests
- 9 languages spoken by our concierge team