Sir Rocco Forte “Pre-pandemic hospitality was the third-largest industry in the private sector and was estimated to contribute £133.5bn to national gross domestic product and employed over 3.2m people — about 10 per cent of the workforce — according to UK Hospitality. Allowing the sector to recruit the staff it needs will result in higher turnover, more jobs and the resultant taxes returning to pre-pandemic levels more quickly.” – Letters to the Financial Times, co-signed by Sir Rocco Forte, 27/09/2021
The Knight of the Order of Luxury Hospitality – 25 Years ‘Forte’ 2022 – A very eventful year for the history of Britain and for the rest of the world. The year of the Platinum Jubilee where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated seventy years on the throne. The year in which, speaking remotely before the UK parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill "We will not fail. We will fight till the end." The year of the cryptocurrency and financial (S&P 500) bear market clearing the path to a possible future economic recession. The year in which entrerpreneur Sir Rocco Forte and his designer sister Olga Polizzi toast (with a 1841 Veuve Clicquot, no doubt), their 25th anniversary in the modern luxury world of the hospitality industry. The two descend from a “Royal” linage of generations of entrepreneurs, hoteliers and memory-makers – the Forte Family. 25 years ago, a revolutionary vision for a brand-new approach to hospitality. One that would feature chic, design-driven, and culturally enchanting hotels, all distinguished by a special fusion of European flare and historical charm.