Development | Rocco Forte Hotels (2024)

Hotels

The hotels are exemplary of the Rocco Forte philosophy – they are where it all began.

In Italy, find us at Rome’s legendary Hotel de Russie and, at the top of the Spanish Steps, the newer Hotel de la Ville; Florence’s famous Hotel Savoy; Palermo palazzo Villa Igiea and Verdura Resort in Sicily; and Puglia’s rural retreat Masseria Torre Maizza. In England we’re in the middle of Mayfair at Brown’s Hotel London, and in Scotland the Balmoral is at the heart of Edinburgh. We also have Hotel Amigo in Brussels, Belgium; Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg, Russia; and in Germany, the Charles Hotel in Munich and Berlin’s historic Hotel de Rome.

FUTURE OPENINGS

Rocco Forte House

At Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Rocco Forte House is an 18^th-century palazzo transformed into five grand apartments by the Forte family and designer Tommaso Ziffer. The height of elegant Roman living, the apartments enjoy a roof terrace overlooking the Spanish Steps, a dedicated house manager and all the space and exclusivity of a private home, with access to the Irene Forte spa and restaurants of Hotel de la Ville nearby.

FUTURE OPENINGS

Rocco Forte Private Villas

Currently twenty expansive villas in the hills above Verdura Resort on Sicily’s south coast, forty more Rocco Forte Private Villas will be built to order. Set apart by their uninterrupted sea views, seamless indoor-outdoor living space and sunny swimming pools, with options for personal gyms and tennis courts, the villas have access to all the restaurants, lifestyle and leisure facilities of 230-hectare Verdura Resort – from the award-winning spa to Kyle Phillips-designed coastal golf courses.

Irene Forte Spas

All Rocco Forte hotels are proud to integrate the Irene Forte Spa philosophy: fusing pioneering science with nourishing botanicals from Verdura Resort's organic farm in Sicily. From in-room products to award-winning hotel spas and treatment menus, Irene Forte Spas harness the healing power of nature with innovative technology to deliver complete restoration, relaxation and regeneration at every Rocco Forte property.

Charles Forte

Director of Development

“WE ONLY CREATE HOTELS THAT WE ARE PROUD TO PUT OUR FAMILY NAME ON. EACH HOTEL IS AN EXTENSION OF THE FORTE FAMILY, AND WE STRIVE TO MAKE EACH A TRUE EXPRESSION OF ITS LOCATION AND OF THE ROCCO FORTE HOTELS BRAND. WE NEVER GROW FOR GROWTH’S SAKE; OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE THE RIGHT PROPERTY, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME – AND THE LOVE WE PUT INTO IT IS WHAT SETS US APART.”

The son of group founder and chairman Sir Rocco Forte, Charles gained an in-depth understanding of the family business in roles at Hotel de Rome, Berlin; Verdura Resort, Sicily; and Brown’s Hotel, London – and of the wider industry at the Dorchester group, at the front desk, in the kitchen and in the head office, learning sales and marketing, design and revenue management. Before joining the group’s central team in 2016, Charles also worked at CBRE and Rothschild across finance and valuation.

As director of development, he identifies new opportunities to expand the company’s portfolio, assessing prospective markets and finding capital investors. The driving force behind Rocco Forte House Rome, Charles has also been instrumental in development projects from Hotel de la Ville, Rome, and Villa Igiea, Sicily, to new openings the Carlton, Milan, and Le Palme, Sardinia.

MEET THE TEAM

Design

The Art of Living Well

Capturing the spirit of a city, the soul of a building and the intimacy of a family home, design is a cornerstone of Rocco Forte Hotels.

Each of the fifteen properties is distinct, but each combines that individual character with signature features: Director of Design, Olga Polizzi’s elegant Italian aesthetic, a keen emphasis on quality and craftsmanship, a connection to its destination and a certain playfulness.

Beautiful, locally made furniture adds individuality to every hotel. A refusal to compromise on craftsmanship or materials creates a sense of indulgence for guests. And a deep-rooted belief that design is about comfort as well as style, makes our hotels easy to embrace – and hard to leave.

Look carefully and you’ll find our design ethic has signature features. These reflect our passions and Italian sense of style, refined and cherished over four generations in hospitality.

Olga Polizzi

Director of Design

“Each of our hotels have their own very strong characteristics, but we always design them to respect and mirror their location – and with the comfort of our guests in mind. My inspiration comes from everywhere: I might find a hanging at the Decorative Arts Fayre in Battersea; a vase from the Sablon area of Brussels. The art is in combining pieces, colours and materials to keep enhancing the spirit of the space.”

Perhaps more than anything, our design approach springs from our belief that designing a hotel is like creating a home: it’s a lifetime project. In the same way that the exterior of a hotel weathers and changes with the seasons, so the interior evolves, too.

Collaboration is key to the design philosophy, working with leading local designers to realise each new hotel. As too is the belief that designing a hotel is like creating a home: it’s a lifetime project. By continually curating art, furniture and fabrics, hotels are created over time, layer by layer, so returning guests always have something new to discover.