Rocco Forte adds to its seriously stellar collection

Swell hotels are their forte

When it comes to Rocco Forte Hotels, we say the more the merrier. That’s why we were delighted when they recently announced three brand new hotel openings for 2019; and, as you may guess, all of them rock. In a return to the family’s Italian heritage, they have two Italian properties opening in late spring; they are also making their first foray into China later in the year with a Shanghai hotel. A word on each . . .

 CHINA

Summer 2019

The Westbund Hotel towers above Shanghai, with panoramic views over China’s financial capital. Designed by Olga Polizzi and Inge Moore, the elegant and sophisticated, East-meets-West, contemporary-meets-traditional décor perfectly places the hotel in Shanghai’s newest cultural regeneration project: the dynamic, design-conscious West Bund.

52 floors above the tree-lined avenues and museums the 219 spacious rooms and suites gaze out over the Huangpu river and aerial cityscape, while the Chinese and Italian restaurants, and rooftop cocktail bar will become the social focus of the re-emergent West Bund.

The Westbund Shanghai is ideally placed to access everything Shanghai has to offer from The Bund to Disneyland.

PUGLIA

Spring 2019

Shrouded by ancient olive groves and a stone’s throw from the Adriatic, the stunningly beautiful Masseria Torre Maizza—a 16th-century former farmhouse—is being transformed into a spectacular coastal retreat in Italy’s deep south. Puglia is one of Italy’s less discovered regions and is famed for its charming, white-washed hilltop towns, wonderful cooking, the freshest of seafood, delicious wines and culture that reaches back over millennia.

“Puglia is one of Italy’s greatest treasures, a land of extraordinary architecture, color, intense flavors and untouched nature,” explains Sir Rocco, Chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels.

Masseria Torre Maizza’s will re-open after an extensive renovation that will capture the Forte family’s skill of marrying contemporary elegance with heritage architecture, unparalleled service, culinary excellence and mastering the art of relaxation. The 40-rooms and suites, private beach club, 9-hole golf course and verdant gardens will be the perfect destination for an Italian idyll.

ROME

Spring 2019

Above the Spanish Steps, Hotel de la Ville is Rome’s most exciting new destination. Inspired by the era of the Grand Tour, the hotel elegantly marries 18th-century architecture with contemporary luxury and unparalleled service. The interior, a collaboration between Olga Polizzi and renowned architect Tommaso Ziffer, entwines traditional design elements with state-of-the-art technology to stunning effect.

The vibrant restaurants and playful cocktail bars will make Hotel de la Ville the gathering place for the city’s bright and beautiful, while visitors will find the location in the heart of Rome—among iconic sights such as the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain—irresistible.