Our Policy
At Rocco Forte Hotels, we understand our responsibility to protect the people, practices and heritage that make each of our destinations so special. Our policy is structured around a balanced approach.
Our Community
We aim to operate with the highest ethics and in respect of the locales where we are present.
Our People
We develop our people to be strong supporters of caring for the individual.
Our Planet
We make strives to work with local suppliers and minimise of CO2 footprint.
Our Business
We work to engage and support with local charities and be seen as global but local.
Our Planet
At Rocco Forte Hotels, we are constantly striving to innovate and develop new initiatives to protect our planet with the objective of reducing emissions, keeping waste to a minimum and preserving natural resources.
In alignment with the first United Nations Environment Assembly Manifesto from 2014, Rocco Forte Hotels agree that economic growth and natural resource depletion are not a logical consequence of one another.
Our commercial success as a leading luxury hospitality operator is intrinsically reliant on the natural beauty of our planet – this is the primary reason why people travel to the destinations we operate in.
We are constantly striving to improve and develop our initiatives to protect the planet. Our growing list of initiatives includes:
- Working with equipment manufacturers who practice sustainable production techniques
- Choosing refrigeration units in accordance with the latest, most stringent International Standards, e.g. R290.
Energy:
- In-room key card system automatically switches off electricity when guest room is vacated
- Individually controlled air-conditioning systems in all hotels
- Energy-saving PCs
- Energy-saving and Energy Code-certified kitchen appliances
- Movement sensitive lighting in Back of House areas
- LED bulbs installed throughout our hotel
- We have already installed solar panels at Verdura Resort and are exploring the use of solar energy across more of our destinations
Water:
- Serving guests a local water choice to reduce our carbon footprint
- Option for guests to have linen and towels washed every second day
- Dual flush toilets installed across hotels
- Time-sensitive water taps in Back of House areas
- Exploring rainwater harvesting system, which we already introduced at Verdura Resort
Waste:
- Separate plastic, paper and general waste management bins used throughout Back of House
- Recycling initiatives such as using equipment to dewater, shred and/or compress organic wastes, for re-use as compost in parkland
- Recycle kitchen oil, ink cartridges and coffee capsules
Paper:
- Offering our guests a Press-Reader to enjoy online newspapers
- Use of QR codes and mobile apps for restaurant menus and digital directories
- Invitations sent by e-cards
- Reusable metal tags rather than paper tags in cloakrooms
- Recycled paper across Back of House departments
- Sustainable reusable drink coasters across Food & Beverage outlets
- Recycled toilet paper in Back of House areas
- Bamboo toilet paper in guest rooms, as we have already done at Brown’s Hotel
Plastic:
- Biodegradable or washable straws, stirrers and fruit picks throughout our bars and restaurants
- Glass bottled water provided to guests in-room and throughout our bars and restaurants
- In-room bathroom amenities and dispensers across public WCs made from post-consumer recycled plastic, as well as working with ‘Clean the World’ to recycle old containers
- Plastic-free in-room amenities, including corn starch razors, bamboo toothbrushes, corn starch shower caps, corn starch sanitary kits, straw sewing kits and wooden combs
- Hanging laundry returned in hessian covers, and folded laundry returned in tissue paper
- Promote use of recycled plastic water bottles
- In-room Bar selection of plastic-free products
- Gyms to be fitted with post-consumer recycled plastic or vegetable plastic water bottles
- Use of biodegradable cups, cutlery and plates in staff canteen
Our People
At Rocco Forte Hotels, we consider every Team Member as part of our family and are proud to support and nurture all of Our People. Like our guests, we aim to treat each and every Team Member equally, fairly and ethically, whilst providing a healthy environment to promote physical and emotional wellbeing.
We constantly strive to improve and develop our sustainability initiatives to support our teams’ welfare and career development.
Rocco Forte Hotels is committed to attracting and recruiting the best talent for each role based on an individual’s experience, skills and qualities in accordance with the Equalities Act 2010. The Group seeks to develop people and provide our people with promotion opportunities wherever possible. Training and development is of paramount importance to this objective and the Group has internally developed bespoke industry leading training programmes, including: The Art of Service; Forte Future Leaders; Cross Training Programme; and Map My Future. Externally, the Lord Forte Foundation invests heavily in the industry’s training and education needs.
Performance in this area is tracked through targeted KPIs, focusing on: engagement survey results; staff retention; reporting on diversity by seniority; time and investment in training; employee turnover; and number of internal promotions.
Rocco Forte Hotels strides to continue as a market leader in developing Our People as highly talented hospitality professionals, who meet and exceed the expectations of our guests.
Employee Engagement:
Having an engaged team goes beyond mere employee satisfaction – it involves a sense of pride and passion for one’s job that drives both the employer’s and the employee’s results.
Much like engaged guests, engaged Team Members will positively promote our hotels and their services, and they will also take pride in their job and try to improve our business, as they feel like they are part of the family.
All our hotels engage their Team Members in a survey to improve their life in the company, drive their loyalty and retention.
Lord Forte Foundation:
Rocco Forte Hotels and the Forte Family have a distinguished track record of investing in hospitality education programmes and initiatives, supporting Our People and the wider community.
Sir Rocco and Olga Polizzi are Trustees of The Lord Forte Foundation, a registered charity incorporated in 1987 with the stated aim of encouraging excellence within training and education in the hotel, catering, travel and tourism industries.
The Foundation achieves its aim by making awards to educational establishments which provide training courses and carry out research relating to the hospitality industry. The Foundation seeks to reward innovation and excellence, and provides financial support in meeting the costs of study for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Each year, the Foundation provides support to a number of universities and training centres with grants ranging from £1,000 to £50,000 per application. Annual awards amounted to £120,500 in the 2020 financial year. Over the last few years, the Foundation has continually supported the Innholder’s Charitable Foundation and the Wine Guild Charitable Trust. This funding has enabled participation in the Gold Service Scholarship, which is the UK’s most prestigious award for people who work in front of house roles. Training was managed in conjunction with the Lausanne Hotel School.
In recent years, the Group has invested in initiatives such as Map My Future which provides team members with access to a company career map showing all the possible career paths beyond their role, as well as the training requisites to advance. This innovative platform enables employees to set career goals, access relevant training content and receive appropriate mentoring.
Rocco Forte Hotels is committed to providing Team Members with the skills and support required to deliver unrivalled service and, most importantly, to grow in their careers. In supporting Our People, the group partners with a number of leading international hotel universities to attract talented graduates and support the development of existing Team Members.
Our Community
We are proud champions of the local and national communities who make each of our destinations so special. We support a number of local charities and help to promote tourism in each of our locations through exciting partnerships and campaigns.
We are constantly striving to nurture our communities as best we can.
Design:
Rocco Forte Hotels is a collection of individual hotels and resorts in unique locations whose design emphasises a sense of place. Each hotel holds its history and location at the heart of the design philosophy. Throughout every aspect of the design process, from acquisition to final completion, an integral focus is placed on ensuring local artisans, artworks and traditions are utilised, allowing Our Community to tell its story.
Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels, Olga Polizzi, uses local artisans and designers across each of the hotels. At Villa Igiea, the Sicilian hotel that opened in 2021, every effort has been made to preserve its unique heritage features by involving the local community and drawing on its expert knowledge and talent. Not only in design, but additionally in the building’s actual construction, local workers and artisans from the region were employed.
Most of the furnishings are made in Italy – and many in Sicily – to support local enterprises and artisans. For example, every maiolica tile was either reclaimed or custom designed by Scianna Ceramiche, the oldest artisanal producer in Bagheria, east of Palermo. The family-run art studio recreates ancient tiles based on historical designs and with materials and methods used in the past.
Other ceramic design elements were created by local Palermo artist, Nicolo Giuliano, as well as the pine cone emblems and typical artefacts seen throughout the hotel.
The designers worked with the world-famous San Patrignano Community in Italy to design unique wallpaper for each of the guestrooms and suites. Each design was carefully hand-painted and printed by San Patrignano residents who have learnt the craft at the not-for-profit rehabilitation centre in Italy. They also created the bedspreads as well as many wooden pieces of furniture across the hotel.
Local Engagement:
Many Rocco Forte Hotels are institutions that play long-standing roles within their communities. Not only as places of work for many locals, but also as outlets that support Our Communities through a variety of initiatives.
Wherever possible, the hotels donate furniture, towels and mattresses to a local charity. When replacing the equipment in Hotel de Russie’s gym, it was donated to the Blind Association in Via Margutta.
Many of the hotels work with Clean the World to recycle bathroom amenities, giving those in need all around the world life-saving hygiene education. Hotel Amigo collaborates with the Salvation Army, donating bathroom amenities and old blankets and pillows.
Hotels consistently organise charity lunches, raffles and baking competitions for the less privileged in areas such as Sciacca in Sicily and Puglia. At Brown’s, charitable causes include Children with Cancer and Great Ormond Street Hospital. The Balmoral’s Green Team Committee nominates three charities each year and employees vote for the one which they will support. In 2021, Hospitality Health was the benefactor of fundraising.
During the pandemic, Rocco Forte Hotels supported all seasonal workers with food tokens, donated computers and organised lunches for those in need in the Sciacca region.
In addition to charity efforts, Rocco Forte Hotels supports and sponsors local cultural events and programmes like Associazione Via del Babuino, Art in Mayfair, Mayfair Art Weekend and Frieze. This cements the hotels’ positions among key community events across the globe.
Our Business
In order to create a thriving commercial business built and to support a dynamic working environment, we aim to act with integrity, honesty and without prejudice at all times.
We constantly strive to improve and develop our sustainable business initiatives.
Our Policy & Aims:
Rocco Forte Hotels endeavours to operate as a leader in the hospitality industry with an ethical and fair corporate governance that is focused on maintaining the profitability of business thus ensuring the livelihood of employees across the company. The board of Rocco Forte Hotels works regularly with management to optimise financial performance, cost controls, service standards, employees’ skills and satisfaction utilising both internal controls and external industry accepted performance indicators. The Rocco Forte Executive Committee works to mitigate any risk due to adverse market conditions and force majure.
The company’s three values of individuality, authenticity and, in particular, the Forte Family ensure a warm welcome and strong rapport between staff and guests. These are the unique keys that uphold and build on Rocco Forte Hotels’ success.
A strong focus on compelling interior design utilising local designers, artisans and craftsman, while sourcing quality materials and furnishings that represent the best of the local culture ensure each hotel is highly respected and appreciated in its community and internationally. This is coupled with an extensive, yearly renovation program to ensure our properties look their best at all times.
Within the restaurants and bars of our hotels, our teams showcase regional cuisine prepared with innovation and creativity while supporting local producers by sourcing the finest and freshest produce and ingredients.
The Art of Service and other Rocco Forte training programs constantly work to elevate guest satisfaction. Each part of the customer experience is measured using internal KPIs and benchmarked with industry standards through mystery shoppers from our official partner, Leading Quality Assurance. Each property must achieve a rating of at least 85% or more. Guest satisfaction and travel agent surveys provide further insights in order to better drive the quality and level of excellence, from staff to service delivery.
The Rocco Forte global sales, PR and marketing network work to promote each property and in particular its unique destination, educating and informing consumers and travel agents on rich local culture and activities to experience. The Rocco Forte website is a rich source of content and information vital to the success of the business. The latest version of the website, launched in autumn 2021, offers state of the art CMS with Akamai antennas worldwide ensuring viewing in less than two seconds with zero seconds downtime.
Local Food Suppliers:
Working with seasonal, fresh ingredients that are locally sourced is the trademark of celebrated two star Michelin chef, Fulvio Pierangelini, Food Director of Rocco Forte Hotels in Italy. In each of the six Italian properties, Fulvio and his chefs ensure that all menus celebrate the authenticity the richest traditions of local cuisine with seasonal, regional ingredients. As one of Sicily’s largest resorts, with 200 rooms and featuring banquets for up to 500 persons, Verdura has the ability to significantly support the local food supply chain through the sheer size and scope of its requirements.
Many ingredients are zero kilometre sourced thanks to Verdura Resort’s own farm which also produces olive oil, marmalades and sauces. Verdura Resort’s five restaurants capitalise on the Sicilian island’s supply chain by sourcing fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish and beef through local and regional suppliers. The wine list features an extensive selection of Sicilian wines from both larger vineyards such as Planeta as well as more niche producers in areas such as Etna.
In Puglia, at Masseria Torre Maizza, a 16th century farmhouse transformed into an exclusive retreat, Chef Fulvio Pierangelini has used an almost identical approach both locally and throughout the Apulian region while a similar philosophy is present at our hotels in Rome and Florence.
Sourcing local food suppliers in central London is to be taken more with a sense of responsibility rather than literally, simply because not a great deal of food is produced in London. The team of Michelin star Chef Adam Byatt and Executive Chef Andrew Sawyer of Brown’s Hotel focus on British produce through their extensive knowledge of the supply chain by sourcing producers who are passionate about their produce, rather than using middle men.
Buying direct from source and working with small, independent producers for individual items such as eggs, flour, chocolate, fish, meat and edible flowers yields the best produce. This is not always the most efficient or cost effective way to procure ingredients but as provenance and flavour are at the heart of what they do, this is the best way to elevate the menu and food offering.
Some key examples are: flour from Shipton Mill, chocolate from Islands Chocolate; eggs from St Ewe’s and Clarence Court and meat from Rhug Estate.