Who We Are

The people behind Silverstaykeys

A private resort and casino on the Mediterranean shore. Opened in 2003 with six rooms and one conviction — that the finest hospitality never needs to announce itself.

Our story in three paragraphs

In the summer of 2003, 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 principles: serve fewer guests better than anyone else; and refuse anything that is merely "industry standard".

23 years on we have 220 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 still exists. The two principles 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 theatre

Flowers are fresh because they ought to be. Robes are heavy because they 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 existed. The head sommelier has been with us for many years. We hire slowly and we keep people for a lifetime.

Local over global

Our menu draws on what the coast provides, our wine cellar favours growers within four hours of the property, and our spa products are made by 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 blend into the room. Loud is easy. Calm is hard.

The team

Six of the people who run the property day to day. Their backgrounds differ; their commitment to the standard does not. Behind them is a 280-person team across operations, food, beverage, wellness, gaming, and concierge.

Freya Devereux
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 2003
Julien Larsen
Founding Partner

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

Joined 2003
Lena Marchetti
Executive Chef

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

Joined 2013
Adrian Castellan
Head Sommelier

Court of Master Sommeliers-certified, curating a cellar of several thousand bottles with a particular fondness for old Burgundy and small-grower Champagne.

Joined 2017
Ines Laurent
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 2011
Theo Fairholm
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 2025

By the numbers

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