‘‘The eye of the owner is very important”: It’s a translated Italian saying that Sir Rocco Forte refers to when discussing what sets?London-based Rocco Forte Hotels apart from other luxury brands.
The London-based hotel company is focusing on growth, with about a dozen properties open and a few more teed up, including hotels in Sicily and Shanghai. Forte says with his Italian origins and business relationships, he continues to look for opportunities in that country.
Being a family-run group brings a special atmosphere to their lodgings, and Forte credits the vision of Olga Polizzi, the group’s design director and his sister, to both differentiate their brand and attract clientele.
Contributed by Debbie Carlson
When designing a hotel, Polizzi hand-picks local artwork and carefully considers location and history to center each hotel in place, “which is different from the averagecorporate style of hotel,” Forte says.
In May, London-based Rocco Forte Hotels opened two new hotels in Italy: Hotel de la Ville in Rome and Masseria Torre Maizza in Puglia. They expand the group’s Italian footprint to five, with another set to open in 2020.
Their primary market is Americans, representing about 45% of their customers across the board, Forte says. Their aim is to create an attractive, comfortable feel that resonates with singles, couples and family groups of all ages, he says.
Masseria Torre Maizza, Puglia
Located in Puglia’s Savelletri di Fasano, just minutes from the Adriatic Sea, is Masseria Torre Maizza, a renovated 16th-century farmhouse. Inspired by the property’s orchards and 1,000-year-old olive trees, Polizzi created a rustic design using natural materials to evoke a laid-back, peaceful feeling.
Guest room windows are covered by shutters and linen panels embroidered with the initials TM. Rather than using bright colors on the wall, Polizzi chose statement headboards for beds and cushions decorated with birds and flowers. Working with local artisans, she added oversized ceramic plates to hang over the beds and sofas, and added books of poetry and short stories highlighting local writers.
“I’m very interested in having books in the rooms, so people can pick up something and read for a half hour and put it down again,” she says.
There are 28 guest rooms and 12 suites, including the Torre Suite, a two-bedroom, 860-square-foot space whose private, panoramic terrace?overlooks the Adriatic. All rooms have private?gardens, and deluxe rooms have plunge pools.
There is a main swimming pool and a private beach club, with Irene Forte, the group’s wellness director, overseeing the spa.
The existing restaurant, now called Carosello, had a “rather nice black and white floor,” Polizzi says, that inspired the rest of the space, using black and white fabrics and patterns. Local artists made six metal chandeliers for the restaurant, which serves traditional Apulian cuisine, using an amber-glass olive leaf motif.
Franco Girasoli, guest experience manager, says Carmelo, the masseria’s 16th-century barn-turned-bar, is a guest favorite for its daily live music and entertainment for the aperitivo. (Private dinners can also be organized in the orchard.) Other F&B highlights include the Sunset Terrace, featuring a panoramic roof bar serving cocktails and Italian wine, while the pool bar/restaurant serves drinks and light bites, including pizza served from the onsite wooden pizza oven.
The average room rate is €670 (US$733), plus VAT.
