The Family Series

To mark the 25th Anniversary of Rocco Forte Hotels, we sat down with the Forte Family members to discover the stories, aspirations and memories that have shaped what the brand is today. 

Part 1:
The Design

"Both my mother and my paternal grandfather Rocco had a real sense of style"

You wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a house style to Rocco Forte Hotels. But what there is, in abundance, is style, at every hotel. Since Rocco Forte first acquired and reinvented The Balmoral in Edinburgh in 1998, the collection has innovatively ‘un-done’ conventional hotel design as it’s grown. In its place, it has privileged two objectives: to create a sense of a home in every hotel (albeit a very sleek, elegant home); and to capture, through decor and ambience, a sense of place. What you’ll never encounter when you walk into a Rocco Forte hotel or resort is a commodified brand, identikit feel. Quite the opposite; and very much by design.

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Part 2: The Art of Eating and Drinking

"Italian grandparents who really cared not just about the food but the hospitality, was a lifelong learning experience"

“Luxurious, elegant, but also warm and inviting”: Lydia Forte is evolving the art of eating and drinking well, Forte family style—in London, Rome, Milan and beyond. Food and drink are two of the great avenues to storytelling in our culture. Provenance, preparation, flavours and aromas: they can all, alone or together, convey a sense of place more immediately, and effectively, than almost anything else. They are also at the very root of hospitality: there’s little in the world that’s more welcoming, or that connects you to a setting and the people in it, than being offered a delicious meal prepared with care and talent, in equal measure.

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Part 3:
Well and Good

"There’s always a focus on nature and science working in tandem”

With drive, determination and a passion for all things natural, Irene Forte sets a bar for wellness excellence. One of the key pillars of the Rocco Forte experience is a sense of place: environments and experiences that tell the story of Rome or Puglia, Berlin or Mayfair. Another intrinsic part of every stay, though, is well-being – something for which the brand is increasingly recognised around the world. That bar of excellence is the sum of many components: superlative spas and fitness centres, indulgent organic in-room amenities with serious research behind them, and therapists impeccably trained in both aesthetic and therapeutic treatments. 

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Part 4: A Developing Story

"Having worked for the company for six years or so, it’s rewarding to have what’s now a legitimate, meaningful input"

At just 30, Charles Forte is Rocco Forte Hotels’s director of development. The fourth-generation to help steer the company has his eye firmly fixed on the future—but also honours his family’s illustrious legacy.

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