| Rocco Forte Hotels | |
| Industry: | Hospitality |
| Foundation: | 1996 in London, England |
| Location: | London, England |
| Key People: | Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman |
| Services: | Hotels |
| Num Employees: | 2,500 (2015) |
| Owner: | Forte family (51%) |
Rocco Forte Hotels is a British hotel group that was established in 1996 by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi. The group owns and operates 14 hotels across Europe.[1] Sir Rocco Forte is Chairman and Chief Executive, while Olga Polizzi is Deputy Chairman and Director of Design.
Following the takeover of the Forte Group by Granada plc in 1996, Sir Rocco Forte and Olga Polizzi (the children of hotel magnate Lord Forte) formed RF Hotels. The rights to the Forte name were initially lost in 1996, when Granada plc bought the Forte Group. The first hotel purchased by the newly formed company in 1997 was a former Forte Group hotel, The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, which had been put up for sale by new owners Granada plc.
In 2001, following the de-merger of Compass Group from Granada's media interests, the use of the Forte trademark was returned to Sir Rocco Forte in a gesture intended to dispel the bitter legacy of the takeover.[2] In 2003, the company changed its name to Rocco Forte Hotels, and The Rocco Forte Collection on 29 July 2007. The group name then reverted to Rocco Forte Hotels in 2011. The group's sales offices are located in London, Rome, Frankfurt, Moscow, Madrid, New York City and Los Angeles. As a brand of Rocco Forte Hotels Limited, the group owns and manages luxury five-star hotels. Brown's Hotel, Hotel de Rome and Hotel Amigo are members of The Leading Hotels of the World.[3]
In December 2023, the company announced the sale of a minority stake of 49% to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The deal valued the business at £1.4 billion.