Big interview
Sir Rocco with his sister Olga Polizzi and children Irene, Lydia and Charles who take an active role in the hotel’s business.
up roughly 45% of business in some of Rocco Forte’s hotels and 35% total in the company. “We’re looking at quite a rosy position at the moment despite the doom and gloom you hear about as of late, so we’re able to really focus on service delivery and expansion.” Things are never black and white, Forte explains, there are not normally changes overnight when it comes to the hotel industry and trends. What one normally sees is a gradual evolution of guest requirements, he points to intergenerational travel, which was present before the pandemic but has increased since. The main change that Forte highlights is that guests are staying longer in hotels than before, preferring to explore a particular destination instead of moving on after a night or two. Business travel is still one that is slow to return, in thanks to the various vocational tools that came out of the pandemic.
“I’m in the business of giving high levels of personalised service to my guests, so that requires large numbers of staff.”
500 14
The number of jobs created by the Rocco Forte’s Verdura Resort development in Sicily.
Looking to the future, Rocco Forte has a busy few years ahead with several hotels opening up as part of its expansion plans. With a hotel opening on the edge of Via della Spiga, Milan opening in 2025, a hotel deal signed in Sardinia from the Costa Smeralda with hopes to open by 2025, and a 60-bedroom hotel in Naples planned for 2026, which is expected to make a big impact in the Naples hotel market. The hotel also has five other projects in the works, such as the hotel’s serviced apartment concept Rocco Forte House that started in Rome with one opening in Milan at the beginning of 2024. Forte also points to the company’s project in Greece with a hotel in Athens and Mykonos opening in 2026, if not earlier. “My son Charles is now
in charge of developments, and since he’s been doing that we’ve seen an acceleration in the number of projects we’re looking at, which he has handled very well,” Forte praises.
A distinctive service Working with the local communities and creating a programme for guests to visit the surrounding area and things of interest is part and parcel of Rocco Forte Hotel’s philosophy. One of the most “interesting” examples is the group’s Verdura Resort in Sicily; set in 550 acres of land, the resort was built from scratch and bought from 72 different owners to make up the land and a €40 million grant from the Italian government. Creating 500 direct jobs from the hotel resort alone, Forte was made an honourary citizen of Sciacca as well. “The mayor, when he awarded me that honour, said that 1,000 small businesses would be created as a result of Verdura,” he adds. “So, we created not only direct employment but a much wider net of employment in an area which had very little employment before.” Forte points to this as one example of how the right sort of investment can create economic growth in certain areas. “In terms of this country, there are a lot of rural environments which could be developed with tourism if the government pays the right support.” The industry as a whole is difficult for Forte to define, with widespread development across hospitality and innovative ideas. With many hotels opting for a more streamlined approach, with fewer staff, check-in and check-out with very little interaction, this is not the business Forte is in. “I’m in the business of giving high levels of personalised service to my guests, so that requires large numbers of staff.” If his time in the hotel industry says anything, it’s that Forte is a true hotelier at heart. ●
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Rocco Forte
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
