While the opening of our two new hotels has held much of the limelight recently, there are plenty more exciting developments. From hotly anticipated appointments to prestigious global awards and events, here are the freshest updates to share with your clients.
Gastronomy
The Balmoral’s Michelin-starred Number One welcomes a new Head Chef to its helm. After 13 years honing his craft at some of the world’s finest dining establishments, Mark Donald felt it “time to come home to Scotland”, with his Highland wagyu beef having already garnered a dedicated following.
In London, Maestro Salvatore Calabrese has crafted an innovative cocktail menu inspired by films and fashions of the 1960s. Served in the Donovan Bar among iconic portraits by celebrated photographer Terence Donovan, Our Generation is a fitting tribute to one of London’s most evocative decades.
Culture
Our long-standing partnership with the Royal Academy of Arts continues with our Rocco Forte Architecture Award, which was judged at 2019’s Summer Exhibition - we announce the winner later in this newsletter.
We’re delighted to partner with Sotheby’s for Treasures of Chatsworth: The Exhibition at the auction house’s New York galleries from 28th June–18th September. Showcasing 45 pieces from the stately home’s invaluable Devonshire Collection, it celebrates some of Britain’s finest treasures across the Atlantic.
Awards
We’re proud to announce that all 12 of our hotels have been listed for the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Events
For the opportunity to meet us in person, Rocco Forte Hotels is attending a number of upcoming expos, including IMEX America and ILTM Mexico. In addition, we’ll be hosting our C&I Showcase at Verdura Resort, Sicily, from 29th September - 2nd October 2019, due to be attended by approximately 50 C&I bookers from the UK, Germany, Switzerland, France, BeNeLux, Russia and the US.
For more information about any of the above, visit https://www.roccoforteknights.com/contact-us/
Vivacious, glamorous, powerful. Few figures encapsulate the effortless grandeur of the Belle Époque quite like Donna Franca, our Sicilian muse. Famed for her petite frame, thick dark hair and an exquisite fashion sense that has endured for over a century, Franca was the epitome of an era that placed beauty and high fashion at its forefront.
The festive season brings its own kind of sparkle - a flurry of celebrations, feasts, and time with those who matter most. To make gifting simple, we’ve curated a selection of bespoke experiences to delight everyone on your list. From candlelit dinners and Italian wine tastings to tranquil spa escapes and moments devoted to yourself, each experience thoughtfully crafted to offer moments of joy.
In a time when beauty shaped every facet of life — from the curve of a staircase to the vivid bloom of a painted iris — Italy’s Stile Liberty captured the optimism of a new century. Across Europe in the late 19th century, the Belle Époque blurred the line between art and the everyday, celebrating craftsmanship, elegance, and expressive freedom. Now, a new cultural itinerary, From Mucha to Florio, traces that movement between Hotel de la Ville in Rome and Villa Igiea in Palermo, two different cities, two glorious expressions of the same artistic impulse.
