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94 OUR RESORTS THE ART OF BEAUTIFUL BEACHCOMBER LUXURY T There are places that make us feel we have come home. The Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury is one of these, a cult place that has forged the reputation not just of the group but of the whole island. It owes its name to its most prestigious guest: the royal palm tree. An avenue lined with the finest specimens leads from the main gate to the reception hall. In front of the entrance, palms and coconuts form a single central copse, like an altar dedicated to the bewitching magic of great trees. Reserved for a handful of guests, the Royal Palm is unique, principally because it cele- brates the elementary forces of Nature: light, space, and time. The perfect proportions of the meticulously designed architecture naturally communicate its values. ROYAL PALM Elegance is all around. Your senses are sharpened. As you enter the sea-facing hall the horizon opens out before you. You fall instantly in love with the light breeze, the iridescent blue of the lagoon. The world has never been so generous as here. It offers you its secrets, its treasures. And, in passing, it encourages you to believe that you are one of those treasures. So… So, all you need to do now is pamper yourself. By the edge of one of the seawater pools, under your own straw parasol, in a ritual walk along the deserted beach or at a table in the wonderful La Goélette restaurant. Your journey, whatever you wish to make of it, will inevitably be protected from the hustle and bustle of the world by the delicate attentions of the hotel’s artisans. Unique in itself, the Royal Palm will also make you entirely unique. “Lunch at the Royal Palm Le Bar Plage: this above all others is a moment to remember. Above the unforgettable yellow-fin tuna tartar with sesame oil and candied ginger, above even the unfailing attention of the Michelin-starred chef, is the ancient legendary Indian almond tree. Huge in stature and regal in bearing, it seems to wear an invisible sky. Its large round leaves protect us from the sun, the light shimmering, alive, in the light breeze. In this fleeting moment, all eternity is contained.”