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Rocco Forte Hotels

Rocco Forte Hotels: A surname transformed into the architecture of time

The story of the Forte family does not begin with billion-dollar deals or the glossy facades of European "palaces of hospitality." It begins almost intimately—in mid-1930s London, when Charles Forte, the son of Italian immigrants from the small town of Monforte in Italy, opened a small milk bar. The bar quickly became a fashionable spot: the freshness of milkshakes and simple European food were in high demand in interwar Britain. It might seem like an episode from a city chronicle, but it was from here that the future Trusthouse Forte empire would grow—a network that, by the 1980s, would unite thousands of hotels and restaurants worldwide, from Little Chef roadside cafes to the legendary George V in Paris.

In 1996, the family lost control of their empire following a hostile takeover by Granada. The deal, valued at £3.9 billion, became a sensational event in the British corporate world: every newspaper wrote about it, comparing it to a "battle for the crown" of the hospitality industry. For the Forte family, it was not merely a defeat—it was the end of an entire era built by the efforts of the founding father. However, when it comes to family names, there is one unbreakable rule: they cannot be erased. Just a year later, Sir Rocco Forte, together with his sister Olga Polizzi, started anew—and did so in their signature style: not from the mass market, but with one precise, carefully chosen acquisition.

The first hotel in the collection of the new brand, Rocco Forte Hotels, becomes the Balmoral in Edinburgh. Its clock tower, set three minutes ahead, immediately establishes a metaphor for the entire company: a hotel that lives by its own time, slightly ahead of reality. In one of its suites, J.K. Rowling would later write the final chapters of *Harry Potter*—and the Balmoral would forever enter literary history.

Thus emerged the philosophy of the new family-owned chain: "not a brand in a city, but the city within the brand." Each hotel must speak with the voice of its location. Brown’s in London—the capital’s oldest hotel, founded in 1837: it was here that Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call in Britain, and here that aristocrats, artists, and writers have stayed. Hotel de Russie in Rome—a blend of Valadier’s classical architecture and the famed "Secret Garden," once strolled by Picasso and Diaghilev. The Savoy in Florence opens its windows directly onto Piazza della Repubblica, offering guests not just service, but "life inside history." In Sicily, Verdura becomes a world of its own: 230 hectares of land, golf courses, a private farm, and organic ingredients that later find their way into Irene Forte’s skincare line. Villa Igiea in Palermo brings Art Nouveau back into the city’s cultural context—with frescoes by the artist Bergler, restored down to the finest line. Each of these hotels is like a stage where the guest steps into the role of an actor. Here, it is not standardization that matters, but a unique "scenography."

Rocco Forte Hotels is not merely a business structure but a family ensemble, where each member plays their distinct role. Sir Rocco is the strategist—a former triathlete, a man of discipline and endurance. His biography itself resembles a marathon: former president of the British Hospitality Association, Knight of the British Empire, an amateur athlete competing in Ironman events, he views business not as a race for quick profit but as a long-distance endeavor. His sister, Olga Polizzi, is the chief designer and curator of the collection’s aesthetic: her interiors are recognizable yet never repetitive, as she weaves the architectural codes of each city into every property.

The next generation has already established itself within the structure. Irene Forte, Wellness Director, created her own brand, Irene Forte Skincare, based on natural ingredients sourced from a Sicilian farm. Lydia Forte oversees the F&B division: under her responsibility, the restaurants have long transcended the category of "hotel dining" and become culinary destinations in their own right. Charles Forte focuses on development—his task is to bring new properties into the collection while preserving the family’s distinctive style.

Text: Editorial Team

This is not merely succession—it is a familial craft where each member oversees an entire vertical: architecture, design, gastronomy, wellness, and strategy. In 2023, Rocco Forte Hotels struck a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund: 49% of the group was acquired by the fund, valuing the company at approximately £1.4 billion. For the market, this was a clear signal: a family-owned business with 16 properties had achieved the status of a global player. Yet, control remained with the Forte family, and the capital was allocated for expansion—into Milan, Sardinia, Noto, and Naples.

What makes Rocco Forte Hotels unique? In the era of "quiet luxury," the brand finds itself at the intersection of cultural trends and its own philosophy. Today’s luxury segment clients are tired of standardized experiences—they seek authenticity, tranquility, and privacy. This is precisely what the family-owned collection offers: not a logo, but a story. A guest at the Balmoral feels the breath of Edinburgh, a visitor to the Hotel de Russie becomes part of Rome, and a guest at Verdura lives within the Sicilian landscape, not just "another five-star resort."

This is legacy in the practical sense: the ability to transform a family history into a product that functions not only as a service but also as a cultural experience. The Forte family has mastered the art of materializing memory: every building, every interior detail carries a "trace of time," yet remains contemporary.

All of this rests on the personality of Sir Rocco. He is over 70 but continues to run the business with the discipline of an athlete. "The secret is to maintain endurance"—his words about triathlon apply equally to the hotel industry. He still competes in international Ironman races, viewing them as a metaphor for business: a long-distance endeavor, alternating crises and ascents, requiring a constant rhythm.

The year 2025 marks a new growth milestone. The Carlton in Milan on Via della Spiga and Palazzo Castelluccio in Noto—two projects designed to demonstrate that heritage can be dynamic. These are not museums but living spaces where past and future converge in interiors, service, and wellness philosophy.

The story of Rocco Forte Hotels is not merely a corporate chronicle or a collection of impressive hotels. It is a novel written by a family across the pages of European cities. Each address has its own chapter, each wall its own whisper.

Sir Rocco Forte, like a true novelist, weaves his own discipline and athletic endurance into the fabric of the business. His sister, Olga, crafts the language of imagery, framing every scene. The new generation—children and nephews—continue the novel, shifting its genre while preserving the plot: succession, respect for the city, and the art of engaging with memory.

In the era of "quiet luxury," where wealth no longer requires loud gestures, the Forte name demonstrates that true legacy is the ability to connect time and place. Their hotels are not just buildings, but chapters of a single European story — one you can live in, if only for a few days.

And perhaps the greatest secret of Rocco Forte Hotels is that this novel is not written by the family alone. Every guest who crosses the threshold of Brown’s, Verdura, or Villa Igiea becomes a co-author. Because legacy is not what we preserve—it is what we continue.

By the end of 2024, the group’s revenue reached £312 million, and in 2025, investments in renovations were increased to £64.4 million—more than double the previous period. At the same time, the number of hotels intentionally remains small: unlike giants like Marriott or Hilton, the Forte philosophy is "quality of address, not quantity of locations."