“With Jeddah, this will be the calling card for our group and it will encourage more hotels in this part of the world.
“Jeddah is not particularly well-served with hotels at the moment. This hotel is quite special, it’s located in the middle of the main shopping street. It’s a sophisticated hotel, it’s got a European feel to it. It’s not going to be the usual style of hotel you can see in this part of the world — outside of Dubai.” The property will offer 210 keys, with 146 rooms and 62 suites, the latter of which start from 80m2 up to 568m2. The property also has 94 residence units, primarily focused on long-stay guests.
Forte’s sister and the group’s deputy chairman Olga Polizzi worked with Martin Brudniski Design to create the interiors, which is highly art-driven.
From a meetings perspective, the property offers a whole floor with 11 meeting rooms, with one ballroom able to fit up to 500 people. The individual meeting rooms are named after all of the group’s hotels across the world.
Now that the hotel is getting closer to opening, I ask whether Forte is casting an eye across other areas of the region. Oman has been considered, as has Dubai, but he isn’t certain whether it’s the right time for the group.
“Oman was of interest; that’s the only place I’ve really looked at. I have looked at a number of projects in Dubai but none of them have been really exciting, they can’t differentiate themselves in any way. There are so many different hotels opening all the time, you’ve got to do something which is distinctive. And I’m not sure what it is and I’m not sure exactly where I’d put them.”
He continues: “This is an exciting phase for the company. The next year is generally good, with sales pattern growth in forward bookings for the year ahead. Last year was a great year and we’re seeing the continuation of that trend.”
Currently, 30% of Rocco Forte Hotels’ business comes from the United States, with that prompting Forte to consider having hotels in gateway cities like New York and Los Angeles. And while the events in Brussels have set the company back in that country, he is keen to target opening more hotels in Europe, with a focus on Italy in particular.
Going from a company overseeing hundreds of hotels to a boutique portfolio of 10, I ask what he thinks about the recent mergers and acquisitions in the hospitality industry. He is positive about the effect it will have — on his company.
“It’s quite frightening now when you think about the Marriott Starwood deal — 37 different brands. It must be a nightmare for everyone. Accor’s bought Fairmont, that’s a huge conglomeration of brands,” he explains.
He concludes: “Niche players like me are in a very good position to move forward and offer owners something different and something special.”
Lydia Forte talks Food and Beverage
Lydia Forte, bar and restaurant development manager at Rocco Forte Hotels, says the ground floor houses Italian coffee lounge, Il Caffé, which will be open 24 hours. It has an outdoor terrace which overlooks Tahlia Street and serves Arabic mezze and shisha. Forte says: "It’s got very colourful interiors, lots of cushions. It's a place to relax, drink speciality coffees, play board games, which we will have in abundance."
On the first floor is the hotel's all-day dining restaurant, Twenty Four, which will have a range of cuisines on offer, along with freshly baked breads on-site. Forte says the venue will also host special themed evenings.
"Pampas is the Argentinian steak restaurant. It is one of the most exciting in terms of interior design. It’s a great place for large groups of friends and family to enjoy meats and fish from an open grill. It will be one of the only places to serve Arabic non-alcoholic beer on draft, and a range of fresh fruit juices."
On the top floor by the pool, with a view of Jeddah, will be Aubergine, serving Arab, Mediterranean, Lebanese and Armenian dishes. "It [has] colourful tiled tabletops, comfortable lounge sofas, white awnings... it’s a cool breezy place to enjoy food late into the night. It will be open for private events as well," says Forte.
Finally, Coco’Ba is the brand's chocolatier bakery, which is located just under the apartments.
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A brief history
Established by Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 10 operating hotels and resorts:
• Hotel de Russie, Rome
• Hotel Savoy, Florence
• Verdura Resort, Sicily
• The Balmoral, Edinburgh
• Brown’s Hotel, London
• The Charles Hotel, Munich
• Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt
• Hotel de Rome, Berlin
• Hotel Amigo, Brussels
• Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg
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