You and your sister inherited a family legacy, how were you able to handle it and add your significant mark on it?
My grandfather, Lord Forte, was one of the most renowned hoteliers in European history with his empire Trusthouse Forte. My father, Sir Rocco Forte, who founded Rocco Forte Hotels with my Aunt, Olga Polizzi, carried this on. It could be said that hospitality is in our blood. We grew up surrounded by conversations about the industry and took all of our holidays and internships at the hotels. It was very natural for us to join the business.
As I had experience in restaurant management from running a well-known London eatery, I was able to take on the role of working with restaurants and bar concepts, working with my Aunt, Olga Polizzi, Director Of Design, as well as the Chefs. As such a food lover, it is a role that I was able to be truly passionate about. I particularly enjoyed creating the concepts at Assila Hotel in Jeddah, working with local flavors whilst bringing in the best cuisines from around the world was fascinating and it was an honor to work with so many talented Chefs.
You own hotels all around the world with each region being so different, how do you manage your strategy in terms of management?
Each hotel is very different, some attracting many leisure guests, some many for business, all of different ages, styles and inclinations. However, the one thing that unifies all of our guests is that they appreciate outstanding and bespoke service, something we have become known for at Rocco Forte Hotels, whatever the destination. There are very few family owned hotel groups and with just eleven, our level of care and attention we can give our guests is unparalleled. Browns Hotel in Mayfair in London and The Charles Hotel in Munich are particularly popular with Middle Eastern travellers. The teams at the hotels know many of these guests personally as they come back again and again.
Your first Middle East hotel was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, why did you decide to open in Jeddah and not Dubai for example, as Dubai always gets more attention than Saudi Arabia in general.
My father always selects destinations that he feels drawn to and knows that Rocco Forte Hotels can offer something really unique and special with our European proposition. We prioritized Jeddah, as it is such a hub in Saudi Arabia with much business travel and religious tourism. The city itself has a very interesting cultural scene, which I am particularly interested in and we were able to have a lot of fun with that when designing the hotel.
How was your Jeddah Hotel experience?
I love staying at the Assila hotel. I am always working when I am there but creating new menus for our Argentinian restaurant, Pampas, or tasting the local flavors at Aubergine restaurant on the rooftop, of opening new spaces like the Cocoa Bar. It is always an absolute pleasure.
In your hotel chain you always emphasize art, and the art collection you have in each of your property estate is carefully curated, when it came to Jeddah Assilah hotel, how did you choose the art pieces used for it unique interior design
My aunt, Olga Polizzi, Director of Design, always brings in traits and traditional designs from the city where the hotel is located. She believes that you should always be able to know where you are in the world, without opening the curtains. With the help of Martin Brudnitzki, the famous designer in Europe, they have created something really special with gently riffing Arabian motifs like filigreed screens, polygonal lamps and brightly hued silks.
Nora Alissa, a prominent Saudi art consultant, whose work had been displayed in London, twice curated the entire collection. We chose pieces that were particularly pertinent to the city; for example, one of the most prominent pieces in the lobby is made from antique doors and fretwork resembling those found on the city as ancient balconies, or mashrabiya in Jeddah. With over 2000 pieces, we have one of the largest collections of Saudi Arabian art in the world.
Are you planning to expand the Rocco Forte chain in the Middle East soon? Where will be your next hotel located?
We are certainly looking at further Middle Eastern destinations, but first we are to open a new hotel in Shanghai and a second hotel in Rome, following the success of the Hotel de Russie, one of our flagship hotels. Both of these will open in 2019 so we look forward to welcoming you all there.