Winter Edition 2019

A Five-Star FAMILY
Legendary hotelier Sir Rocco Forte is synonymous
with his chain of luxe hotels. He talks to Amanda
Morison about his legacy and the exciting properties
that will open over the next few years
Say the word “Forte” and you’re in Dyson,
Hoover and Selfridges territory because
the name and the brand are the same. Sir
Rocco Forte’s father Charles founded the
hospitality chain aged 26 in 1935 with the
Strand Milk Bar, swiftly expanding into motorway
service stations, restaurants and
hotels. Sir Rocco took over as
CEO in 1983, and despite losing
the brand name in a hostile
takeover bid in 1995, now presides
over 12 of the world’s most luxe
hotels, with up to 10 more to
come over the next few years.
Sir Rocco worked from a young
age during school holidays, in the
kitchen, housekeeping, behind
the snack bar: “You name the
department, I worked there. I
don’t care if someone is from a
Swiss hotel school, if you haven’t
come through the industry
you can’t run a hotel”. This
uncompromising – but unfailingly
courteous – attitude helps define
Sir Rocco. Having spent his entire
life in a hotel environment –
“When I’m in one of my hotels it
feels like home”, when he’s a guest
he knows exactly what he wants.
I meet him at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, and
a member of his retinue asks if he’d like a double
espresso. “It’s the afternoon!” he exclaims, “Tea
please. Why would I want coffee?” he asks, in a
tone of some surprise. My first sentence to Sir
Above: Brown’s Hotel London: the recently
renovated Front Hall, and the Kipling Suite,
named after the author who penned The Jungle
Book here. Right: Sir Rocco’s children, Lydia,
Irene and Charles, and his sister, Olga Polizzi,
Deputy Chairman and Director of Design.
Rocco is greeted in similar style. I comment
on how Italian Brown’s Hotel Mayfair feels.
“Italian? How? This place aims to be very British”, he
says, while I stutteringly explain I meant that many
of the staff and guests are Italian-speaking, and
there’s the wherewithal to make a complimentary
Bellini in the lobby.
I turn the conversation into
what I hope is less contentious
territory than the right time
of day for caffeine – family. Sir
Rocco founded RF Hotels, now
Rocco Forte Hotels, in 1996 with
his sister Olga Polizzi. His three
children Lydia, Irene and Charles
work in the business. He believes
family gives a unique atmosphere
and “sense of belonging” that
rival five stars simply don’t have.
I ask if he’d have supported his
children in different dreams, say
becoming a comedian? A stare, a
pause, and the answer: “ I didn’t
force them, they wanted to come
in. Being a comedian isn’t exactly
remunerative, so no, I’m not very
keen on that idea”.
Hospitality has never been
known for as a nine-to-five
environment, and Sir Rocco
believes it’s no easier today. “I never resented it. I had
my lie-ins, and was perfectly capable of staying up
till 4am and being back at work at 9”. Asked about
a work life balance, he calls it, “a bit of a nonsense. If
you believe in something you think about it all the