Development
Over the last 25 years, Sir Rocco Forte and his family have built and nurtured a group of prestigious, iconic hotels, all of which rank regularly at the top of the world’s leading hospitality awards.
From the formation of Rocco Forte Hotels with the purchase of the Balmoral in 1996, to today – with 15 properties in six countries and three opening in 2024 – smart, sensitive development has been integral to the business model, made possible by talented international designers and a commitment to the Rocco Forte philosophy.
1997
After working together for many years with their father who founded Trusthouse Forte, the largest hospitality company of its time, Sir Rocco and his sister Olga Polizzi found Rocco Forte Hotels.
1997
Scotland's most recognised hotel, The Balmoral is the first Rocco Forte Hotel to be acquired.
1998
Hotel Savoy opens on Pizza della Reublica, a nod to the Forte family's Italian heritage
1999
Hotel Astoria, an icon of St. Petersburg hospitality opens.
2000
Hotel Amigo opens, located moments from the Grand-Place in the heart of Brussels.
2000
Rocco Forte Hotels' flagship Italian property Hotel de Russie opens. It is renowned as the best hotel in Rome.
2005
2005
After careful refurbishment, Brown's Hotel, the oldest hotel in London reopens. The ambitious design means that Olga Polizzi's distinctive design style becomes world renowned
2006
Hotel de Rome, Berlin was created from the building of a historic bank. Original features were painstakingly preserved and can still be seen today
2007
The Charles Hotel, named after Sir Rocco and Olgas' father, Lord Forte opens in Munich and is the first hotel created from the ground up.
2009
Sir Rocco, a keen golfer creates Verdura Resort in Sicily, a sophisticated golf resort with an outstanding spa.
2009
2012
The Balmoral celebrates its 110th birthday. Distinguished guests include The Queen Mother, Paul and Linda McCartney and Sophia Loren.
2013 & 2014
Irene and Lydia forte join Rocco Forte Hotels. Irene focuses on wellness whilst Lydia focuses on food and beverage development.
2017
Charles joins Rocco Forte Hotels as Development analyst.
2019
Hotel De la Ville opens as the second Rocco Forte property in Rome.
2019
Masseria Torre Maizza opens in Puglia, a jewel on the Mediterranean coast line.
2019
Rocco Forte House, the first foray into private accommodation with access to hotel amenities and services opens in Rome.
2020
Hotel de Russie's historical Secret Garden by Valadier is restored.
2021
Rocco Forte Private Villas opens, offering 30 private residences on the edge of Verdura Resort.
2021
Villa Igiea opens, restoring the jewel of Palermo to it's former splendour of the Florio days.
2022
Brown's Hotel celebrates its 185 Anniversary. A favourite of many literary greats, Brown's is where Kipling wrote The Jungle Book.
2022
Rocco Forte Hotels celebrates 25 years. Founded by Sir Rocco and Olga Polizzi, family remains at the very heart of the group from it's inception to today.
The Philosophy
Individuality
Each hotel has its own distinctive and personal style and an intuitive approach to service is tailored to each guest.
Authenticity
Each hotel has an authentic connection to its locations, reflecting and forming the spirit of the city and bringing the best of it to guests.
Family
The Forte family has been dedicated to hospitality for four generations. They pride themselves on a deep understanding of their guests, which informs everything from how they choose and design hotels to the quality of service.
Our Properties
Eleven iconic hotels, one world-leading spa resort, five palatial apartments and twenty private villas at the best addresses, with three European projects in motion.
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.
The Carlton, Milan Rocco Forte Hotels is proud to announce its eighth Italian property and first in Milan: the five-star Carlton, opening in 2025. Overlooking the design capital’s most celebrated shopping street, Via della Spiga, the Carlton will feature 70 rooms and suites, a spa, rooftop bar and Il Baretto restaurant, redesigned in partnership between director of design Olga Polizzi and designers Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen.
Le Palme, Sardinia Also opening in 2025: the second luxury resort in the Rocco Forte collection, at Porto Cervo on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda. Centred around a state-of-the-art spa and spectacular sea views, its 64 rooms and suites and three restaurants will be designed by architect Patricia Urquiola to champion natural materials and local craftsmanship.
Rocco Forte House
At Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Rocco Forte House is an 18th-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.
Rocco Forte House, Milan Following the success of Rocco Forte House Rome, Rocco Forte House Milan will open in 2024, designed Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen in collaboration with Olga Polizzi. Adhering to the exceptional design standards, privacy and personalised service set by its predecessor, the second Rocco Forte House will enjoy use of the spa, gym and restaurant of Milan’s Carlton hotel.
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.
The Team
The dedicated development team brings expertise and experience from the highest calibre of hotels across the world.
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.
Peter Walker, Senior Project Manager
Joining the team as senior project manager, Peter brings a wealth of experience in the management and delivery of high profile, high value projects across the UK and central Europe – managing projects at the Four Seasons Prague, Mandarin Oriental London, Hilton London, Marriott Hotels, Radisson Hotels and numerous other boutique properties.
In his role at Rocco Forte Hotels, Peter will work closely project services director Javier Hortal to manage the development of new hotel projects and the refurbishment of existing hotels, drawing on his expertise in hotel tendering, design, development and strategy implementation.
Marios Michaelides, Feasibility and Development Analyst
Marios joins Rocco Forte Hotels as feasibility and development analyst from his previous role as operations manager at hotel advisory and asset management group Hamilton Pyramid Europe. Alum in international hospitality management from the prestigious École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, he also brings with him experience in management training and sales coordination from Rosewood London.
Marios will support the development team in the evaluation of new projects to expand of the group’s collection of iconic hotels, houses and resorts. He will also act as an internal consultant across the company, creating market and financial analyses for operations, finance and marketing.
Nick Clayson, General Counsel
Nick Clayson joins Rocco Forte Hotels as General Counsel. With his extensive experience in the UK and international real estate sector, Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team to support our growth ambitions.
Nick’s impressive background includes a diverse range of real estate areas, encompassing residential, hotel, office, logistics, social housing, and leisure properties. His proficiency in navigating complex legal matters and his in-depth understanding of the hospitality industry make him an invaluable addition to our organisation.
Edoardo Zacchera, Feasibility and Development Manager
Edoardo joins Rocco Forte Hotels as feasibility and development manager from his previous role at Eidos Hotel Capital Partners, a hotel asset management and advisory firm specialized in luxury hospitality developments in Italy. Alum in business administration and finance from the prestigious Bocconi University, he also gained knowledge of the hotel business by working in various roles in the hospitality family business. Edoardo also worked in the financial industry at SC Lowy and Ways Advisory.
In his role, Edoardo will support in identifying, evaluating and executing opportunities for new hotel developments. He will work closely with cross-functional teams and external partners to ensure that our projects align with our brand’s standards and values, contributing to the continued success and growth of our iconic collections of hotels.
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.
Our Collaborators
Paul Smith
Renowned British fashion designer, who created the Sir Paul Smith Suite at Brown’s Hotel, London
Laudomia Pucci
Daughter of Florentine fashion designer Emilio Pucci, credited with the international expansion of the fashion house, and design partner on Hotel Savoy
Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen
The architect-designers at the helm of award-winning design studio and design partners on the new Carlton, Milan
Tomasso Ziffer
Esteemed architect and designer of Valentino boutiques, collaborator on Rocco Forte hotels in Rome: Hotel de la Ville and Hotel de Russie
Inge Moore
Co-founder of design lab Muza, integral collaborator in the redesign of Brown’s Hotel London
Martin Brudninski
Known for the design of some of hospitality’s biggest names, from Scott’s and the Ivy to Soho House and Annabel’s – and co-designer of the Balmoral’s Brasserie Prince
Development Inquiries
Rocco Forte Hotels, 70 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6NY
United Kingdom
Charles Forte
T: +44 (0)20 7321 2626
E: cforte@roccofortehotels.com
Marios Michaelides
T: +44 (0)207 321 2626
Edoardo Zacchera
T: +44 7789 178110