Rocco Forte Hotels

Rocco Forte Hotels is a British luxury hospitality group established in 1996 by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi. It was created after Granada plc acquired the Forte Group, the hotel business built by their father, Lord Forte. The new company initially operated under the name RF Hotels and had to develop its business without immediate access to the Forte name. Its first acquisition was The Balmoral in Edinburgh in 1997, a former Forte property that had been placed on the market following the Granada takeover. The company rebuilt a family-controlled luxury hotel platform around historic buildings, prominent urban addresses, and resort properties. Its hotels are generally positioned as high-end, design-led establishments with strong local identities rather than as standardized international chain products. Olga Polizzi has played a central role in the design direction of the group, while Sir Rocco Forte has led its strategic and executive development. The portfolio has included landmark hotels in cities such as London, Rome, Florence, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Edinburgh, and St Petersburg, as well as resort properties in Sicily and Apulia. The group’s relationship with the Forte name changed in 2001, when the trademark was returned to Sir Rocco Forte after the de-merger of Granada’s businesses. The company adopted the name Rocco Forte Hotels in 2003, changed its public name to The Rocco Forte Collection in 2007, and reverted to Rocco Forte Hotels in 2011. These changes reflected both the restoration of the family name and the evolution of the brand’s international identity. Its offering extends beyond rooms and suites. Properties provide restaurants and bars, wellness facilities at selected hotels, meeting and event spaces, concierge services, and resort experiences. The group’s operating model has included both ownership and management of luxury hotels, while some properties associated with the Forte family remain outside the Rocco Forte Hotels brand. The portfolio has also changed over time through disposals, management transitions, and the planned redevelopment or rebranding of former locations. In December 2023, Rocco Forte Hotels announced that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would acquire a 49 percent minority stake. The reported transaction valued the business at £1.4 billion, creating a substantial outside investment while leaving the Forte family involved in the company. In August 2024, the group announced plans to expand with five additional hotels across Europe. As of April 2024, the company was reported to employ 2,470 people. The group’s sales offices include London, Rome, Frankfurt, Moscow, Madrid, New York, and Los Angeles, supporting a customer base that extends beyond the countries in which its hotels operate.

Rocco Forte Hotels emerged from the breakup of the Forte Group in the 1990s. In 1996, Granada plc acquired the Forte Group, the hotel company associated with Lord Forte. Lord Forte's children, Sir Rocco Forte and Olga Polizzi, subsequently formed RF Hotels to establish a new family-led hospitality business. The founders initially lacked the direct use of the Forte trademark, which had passed with the acquired business. The new company made its first major property move in 1997 by purchasing The Balmoral in Edinburgh. The hotel had previously belonged to the Forte Group and became an important early statement of the new business's focus on landmark properties. During the following years, the group expanded through acquisitions and hotel openings in major European destinations. Hotel Savoy in Florence was added in 1997, Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg in 1999, Hotel Amigo in Brussels and Hotel de Russie in Rome in 2000, and additional properties followed in London, Munich, Sicily, and elsewhere. The Forte name became available to the family again in 2001. Following the de-merger of Compass Group from Granada's media interests, the Forte trademark was returned to Sir Rocco Forte as a gesture intended to resolve the continuing association between the family and the contentious takeover. The company changed its name to Rocco Forte Hotels in 2003. On 29 July 2007, it adopted the name The Rocco Forte Collection, before reverting to Rocco Forte Hotels in 2011. The group developed a portfolio combining city hotels, resort properties, and historically significant buildings. Brown's Hotel in London, Hotel de Rome in Berlin, The Charles Hotel in Munich, Verdura Resort in Sicily, Masseria Torre Maizza in Apulia, Hotel de la Ville in Rome, and Villa Igiea in Palermo became part of the wider story of the brand. Several locations were later sold, transferred to owners, or placed under different management. These included Château de Bagnols, St David's Hotel & Spa, The Augustine in Prague, the Abu Dhabi property, The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, and Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt. Hotel de Rome in Berlin was also scheduled to reopen under a different operator as a Four Seasons property. The group's ownership and growth structure changed again in December 2023, when Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund agreed to acquire a 49 percent minority stake. The deal was reported to value the business at £1.4 billion. The investment provided a new source of capital while preserving the Forte family's continuing role in the company. In August 2024, the group announced a further expansion involving five hotels across Europe. As of April 2024, it reportedly employed 2,470 people. Its sales network included offices in London, Rome, Frankfurt, Moscow, Madrid, New York, and Los Angeles.

• 2024

  European expansion announced

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The group announces plans to expand with five new hotels across Europe.

• 2023

  Saudi sovereign wealth fund takes a minority stake

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The Public Investment Fund announces an agreement to acquire 49 percent of the company.

• 2011

  Brand name reverts to Rocco Forte Hotels

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The group returns to the Rocco Forte Hotels name.

• 2007

  Brand becomes The Rocco Forte Collection

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  On 29 July, the group changes its public name to The Rocco Forte Collection.

• 2003

  Company adopts the Rocco Forte Hotels name

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The business changes its name to Rocco Forte Hotels.

• 2001

  Forte trademark returns to the family

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The Forte trademark is returned to Sir Rocco Forte following the Granada and Compass corporate changes.

• 1997

  The Balmoral becomes the first acquisition

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The newly formed company purchases The Balmoral in Edinburgh, a former Forte Group hotel.

• 1996

  RF Hotels is established

  [1]Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Rocco Forte and Olga Polizzi establish RF Hotels after Granada plc's acquisition of the Forte Group.

European luxury hospitality centered on historic properties, individualized service, distinctive interiors, and connections to local culture and destination identity.

• Hotel accommodation

  Luxury city hotels

  The group operates high-end urban hotels in European cultural and business destinations. Examples include The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Brown's Hotel in London, Hotel de Russie and Hotel de la Ville in Rome, Hotel Savoy in Florence, Hotel Amigo in Brussels, The Charles Hotel in Munich, and Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg. These properties emphasize landmark locations, individually designed interiors, restaurants, concierge support, and personalized service.

• Resort accommodation · 2009

  Luxury resorts

  Rocco Forte's resort offer includes destination properties in Italy, notably Verdura Resort in Sicily and Masseria Torre Maizza in Apulia. These hotels complement accommodation with leisure, dining, wellness, and destination-based experiences, allowing the group to serve both traditional city-break guests and luxury resort travelers.

• Hospitality services

  Restaurants, bars, and events

  Restaurants and bars are integral to the group's hotel proposition, alongside meeting facilities, private events, and celebrations. The exact offer varies by property, but the service model is designed to connect dining and events with each hotel's local setting and design identity.

• 2024

  Expansion with five additional European hotelsStrategy

  Background

  The group continued to pursue growth in its core European luxury-hospitality market.

  Action taken

  Rocco Forte Hotels announced plans to expand with five new hotels across Europe.

  Source

• 2023

  Minority investment by the Public Investment FundM&A

  Background

  Rocco Forte Hotels sought additional capital for continued growth while remaining a privately held, family-involved hospitality business.

  Action taken

  The company agreed to sell a 49 percent minority stake to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was reported to value the business at £1.4 billion and introduced a major institutional investor without transferring a majority stake.

  Reported enterprise valuation. £1.4 billion (December 2023 transaction announcement)

  Source

1. 1Rocco Forte Hotelsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rocco Forte Hotels official websiteroccofortehotels.com