THE Rocco Forte Collection will make its debut in the Middle East when it opens a hotel in Abu Dhabi this year and one in Jeddah in 2010. SIR ROCCO FORTE took over the family business in 1993, and has since established The Rocco Forte Collection across Europe. Shalu Chandran caught up with him.
What brings you to the Middle East?
The Rocco Forte Collection’s main focus was Europe. Now the opportunities have opened and we are in a position to take advantage of it. We have a great deal of business coming into our hotels from the Gulf already which helps us to bring more business into the existing hotels. There is a lot of growth here it in the short term future, it is one of the few areas that will continue to prosper. The Middle East is a part of the world that I like and it is nice to be back there.
How will the Middle Eastern properties be unique within The Rocco Forte with brand?
Using the same philosophy and approach of all our hotels, we will try to create the same intimate feel and personalise the experience. The Abu Dhabi hotel with 280 rooms will be much bigger than our other hotels. It is part of a larger complex with shopping malls and apartment buildings also be managed by us, and will have several F&B outlets and extensive meetings and conference facilities. The challenge will be to keep the intimate feel in the hotel. Jeddah, which is still in its design stage, will have 159 rooms.
The company has also gone into resort properties; can we expect to see more of these projects?
We believe the time is right to extend our brand into luxury resorts. I have always wanted to do a luxury golf resort and currently have our own under construction in southern Sicily. We are investing over $210 million in developing this, the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, opening this year. We have also signed a golf and leisure resort in the Assoufid estate outside Marrakech, Morocco, scheduled to open in 2010.
In what other cities would you like to open a Rocco Forte property?
We are continuously targeting a number of cities that we don’t have representation in currently, like Paris, Madrid, Milan, Moscow and Amsterdam. In the Middle East we are looking at something in Cairo, though it is too early to speak about it. There is so much happening in terms of development in the region that I wouldn’t be surprised if we develop a network quite quickly.
What can luxury hotels in the Middle East learn from you having been in the business for some time?
For most of the international luxury brands that operate in the Middle East, in terms of the physical structure, there is no expense spared. They are well invested and are very high quality hotels, which is important. Service levels are good too since there are very high staff-customer ratios.
What kind of luxury trends do you see developing in the region?
More and more people are travelling nowadays. There are lots of gimmicks and in the luxury world, but at the end of the day it’s all about service to the customer. For us, creating a friendly atmosphere is what works. Clients are not looking for discounts but they are looking for value for money. It’s our job to enhance the customer experience.
How environment friendly are your hotels?
We believe a common sense approach is needed. It goes beyond wanting your towels changed or bed made. I am on the sceptic side of global warming - I think it is a bandwagon which developed and on which a lot of people jumped onto for different reasons. We are looking at other approaches like using solar energy and recycling
plans for the water and so on.
How would you define a Rocco forte hotel?
We have a saying of “The art of simple luxury”. Our hotels have an intimate feeling and relate to the locality they are in. None of our properties are too big – so we can offer a tailor made, friendly and comfortable level of service to our guests. Some luxury hotels tend to be quite pompous, we are more relaxed.
New Prague hotel taking bookings
The Rocco Forte Collection’s newest property, The Augustine in Prague is now taking bookings from May 1 onwards. The 101 bedroom property located close to Prague Castle is being created from a set of seven historic buildings, the largest and most important being the 13th century Augustinian St Thomas’s Monastery, after which the hotel is named. The hotel’s elegantly designed bedrooms all boast stunning views over the courtyards, the monastery chapel or Prague Castle. Rooms at Rocco Forte’s The Augustine start from $520 (Dh1,918) per room, per night, excluding tax and service.