Elite Traveler January-February 2016

INSPIRE THE BIG INTERVIEW

Hotelier Sir RoccoForte on taking the helmof his father's empire – and on the hostile takeover that still haunts him AVERY FAMILY AFFAIR

Sir Rocco Forte is a natural performer. You only have to watch him having his picture taken to see it. The whole time the photographer is cajoling him to look this way or walk there, Sir Rocco is working the room, playing to the small crowd. He seems to relish the attention of the lens, so much so that the photographer suggests he has “done this before”. In fact, he has done it before – many times over. If you consider Forte’s heritage, it’s fair to say he has been prepared, perhaps since childhood, for his role. Born in England in 1945, he is the son of the late Lord Charles Forte, the legendary entrepreneur and hotelier, himself born in Italy – as Carmine Forte – but who emigrated to Scotland aged four and founded his first milk bar in London in 1935, paving the way for the family’s expansion into the hospitality world. Forte himself has maintained strong links with Italy and plays on this dual heritage, with hotels in Rome and Sicily thriving because people think an Italian runs them, while in the UK his Brown’s Hotel is quintessentially British. He joined the family firm after graduating from the University of Oxford and training as a chartered accountant, and was later handed control of the company, Trusthouse Forte, by his father. However, only a few years later, it was seized in a hostile takeover deal by Gerry Robinson’s Granada and later broken up. Although this was 20 years ago – and although it bagged almost $540.3m for the family, along with a new and growing collection of luxury hotels – Forte is still upset. “It was such a good business and the people who bought it didn’t know anything about it,” he says. “It was a complete waste.” This was the first serious setback for Forte in what had until then been a gilded life. “I was protected by my father. I was put on a fast escalator,” he admits. But since then, he has certainly learned how to fight, having steered his company through the 2007 financial crash. He explains: “I went through things I’d never imagined I’d ever have to go through… That’s been very salutary and it’s been interesting in a perverse sort of way.” Initially set up as RF Hotels, his company later became the Rocco Forte Collection (the name was handed back to ease “lingering hostility” after the Granada takeover) and is now more commonly referred to as a group because customers in the Middle East apparently struggle with this use of 'collection'. Whether a collection, chain or group, the business has expanded and retrenched over the 20 years since Forte purchased the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and Brown’s in London. “We’ve rebranded, adjusted our brand values and changed our operating standards and training,” he says. One aspect of the business he has focused on is customer service and ensuring it is "uniform". He explains: “You don’t want staff asking the usual questions. I hate it when you go to a hotel and you’re asked five times how your flight was. You start wondering whether they know something you don’t.” What’s also striking is that wherever you look in Forte’s business, there is no escaping family. His sister, Olga Polizzi, is responsible for all design, while his two daughters also work for him. “It’s fantastic for me because they are an extension of me,” he says. “They think in the same way, but are younger and have all the energy and open-mindedness. When you get to my age you get cynical, you’ve been round the tracks a few times. But it’s important they make decisions and take responsibility for them. That was one thing my father never did, because he was terrified I would make a mistake. He never wanted me to have responsibility. Eventually, when I did have it, the mistakes I made were big ones.” So, is Sir Rocco building a dynasty? “Eventually I’d like [my children] to succeed me,” he says. “But I got married late so they’re young relative to my age. My son is still at university, so I hope he will come in too. The trick is to organize it so they can work effectively together and complement each other.” He adds: “I don’t want to force them, but they enjoy what they do and are passionate about it.”

Words Richard Cree Photographs Richard Ansett

A fuller interview with Sir Rocco Forte can be found on economia.icaew.com