PHOTO: Forte’s Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg is adjacent to the Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Yusupov Palace.

Rocco Forte Hotels, founded in 1996, recently announced plans to double its portfolio of luxury properties in the next five years, starting with the opening late this year of the new Assila Hotel and Residences in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The family-owned hospitality company, headed by founder Sir Rocco Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi, who is deputy chair and director of design, currently operates 10 five-star hotels and resorts, each a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Rocco Forte Hotels’ plans to add properties in Venice, Milan, Naples and Sicily, as well as in a couple of major U.S. destinations, says Richard Power, communications director. “Most of the target locations for new hotels are in Europe, but we are also interested in New York and Miami,” he said.

Rocco Forte Hotels focuses on destination hotels that have unique personalities and rich histories, reflecting their cities. The collection currently includes the Hotel de Russie in Rome, Hotel Amigo in Brussels, Hotel de Rome in Berlin, Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt, the Charles Hotel in Munich, the Hotel Savoy in Florence, the Verdura Resort in Sicily, the Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg, The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Brown’s Hotel in London.

In addition to great locations and luxury amenities, Rocco Forte Hotels focuses on providing exceptional service to its guests as the foundation of its success.

“We feel that the key to luxury in the hospitality business is outstanding service delivered by skilled employees who treat their guests as individuals and who can interact with their guests in a warm and informal way,” Power said. “That is why our guests will return to our brand whenever there is a Rocco Forte Hotel in the cities they are visiting.”

Power added that Forte plans to continue building its brand to set its hotels apart from the chains and the other brands. “That way, travel agents will have the confidence to recommend us to their clients,” Power said.

An Affinity for Travel Agents

“Our company is run by Sir Rocco Forte. His children are now working as executives in the company, bringing the experience of four generations in hospitality to our business. That is why the Forte family understands the key role that luxury travel agents play in the U.S., which is our largest source market.”

The London-headquartered company also highly values travel agents, in part because of its standing as a family-run business.

Power noted, “Many travel agencies in the U.S. are family businesses like ours, and so we understand their businesses, just as they understand ours. That is why, for example, Sir Rocco has made a pledge to guarantee to pay travel agent commissions within 20 days of checkout.”

The Rocco Forte Collection

Many Rocco Forte Hotels are travel attractions in their own right, with long histories with the destinations that they serve.

Brown’s Hotel, for example, was the first hotel ever in London, opening in 1837. A variety of historic figures have stayed at the hotel, including Theodore Roosevelt, Alexander Graham Bell, Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill. The hotel in London’s Mayfair district is near iconic attractions such as Fortnum and Mason, Savile Row, shopping at Bond Street and Dover Street and the spacious Green Park.

Hotel Amigo in Brussels began as a prison in 1522. The Spanish rulers misinterpreted its original Flemish name “vrunt” to mean “vriend,” or amigo. The name stuck so much that when the hotel was established on the site in 1957, the name lived on. Hotel Amigo is located between Brussels’ historic Ilot Sacre area and the ancient antiques district of Le Sablon, around the corner from the Grand Place.

Hotel de Rome is a rather interesting name for a property in Berlin. The name, though, is actually derived from a storied 19th-century hotel that once stood opposite the present-day property on Bebelplatz. Hotel de Rome is on the former site of Dresdner bank, and its 20-meter pool spreads out where the bank’s jewel vault once was. Beyond that, the hotel’s rooftop bar provides sweeping views of Berlin as well as the nearby opera house and Museum Island.

While its Berlin property is the Hotel de Rome, Forte’s property in Rome is called Hotel de Russie. That’s because it was a hotspot for Russians wintering in balmy Rome when the hotel opened in the early 1800s. Hotel de Russie has been a favorite for luxury travelers, Russian and otherwise, ever since.

French poet Cocteau called the hotel “paradise on earth” when he stayed there in 1917. The property now includes a softly lit secret garden and a restaurant designed by Fulvio Pierangelini, the renowned Italian chef. In true Italian fashion, hotel guests are treated to a welcoming apertivo, as well as tranquil rooms that are a walk away from Rome’s high-end designer shops.

It’s only natural that Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt would focus on the arts and sciences, considering its location near Frankfurt’s Museum Embankment. The Speyer family, the original owners of the villa at the center of the hotel, were friends of major figures in the European arts and sciences, including composer Richard Strauss and the German cellist Hugo Becker.

Villa Kennedy also has a large courtyard garden for those who want to relax, as well as a luxurious and eye-catching spa. The property is in a prime location for travelers, just 10 minutes from Frankfurt Airport.

The Charles Hotel in Munich is named after Sir Rocco Forte’s father, Charles Forte, who formed the company that would eventually become Rocco Forte Group. The Charles s adjacent to the city’s historic Old Botanical Garden. The walls of the hotel’s bar feature works of 19th-century local artist Franz Von Lenbach, and the porcelain decorations adorning its bathrooms are the work of Bavaria’s oldest porcelain manufacturer. Along with such historic touches, the Charles Hotel offers contemporary features, including spacious rooms and Munich’s largest indoor swimming pool.

PHOTO: Forte’s Hotel Savoy in Florence reflects the timeless characteristics of the Italian city.

Hotel Savoy in Florence celebrates the timeless characteristics of the Italian city, including art, design, fashion, craftsmanship and elegance. Built on the site of the Mercato Vecchio and the church of San Tommaso, the hotel dates back to 1893. Images of shoes on the wall of the hotel pay homage to Florentine fashion and leather craftsmanship. Carefully selected ceramics, artwork and fabrics reflect Florence’s arts scene. And luxurious and elegant materials such as marble and mosaic mirror the city’s design style.

Speaking of art, Forte’s Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg is adjacent to the Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Yusupov Palace. The Hotel Astor has hosted such notables as Isadora Duncan, Rasputin, Bulgakov, Sergei Esenin, Lenin, H.G. Wells, and Luciano Pavarotti. The Astoria Café includes photographs of the Mariinsky Theatre and the hotel’s bar features Lichfield nudes.

PHOTO: Forte’s Verdura Resort in Sicily.

Verdura Resort in Sicily is steeped in history, starting with its name, which pays tribute to original local landowners, the Verdura family. The resort’s architecture is a reflection of the civilizations that shaped Sicily, including the Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans and Spanish.

The resort also pays homage to Giuseppe Lampedusa, author of “The Leopard” and cousin to the last duke of Verdura. A copy of the “The Leopard” can be found in every room of the property. You’ll pass the old Verdura railway station and the 12th-century Torre Verdura on your way to the resort before settling in at the 230-hectare property, on the Mediterranean coast.

The Balmoral in Edinburgh, a grand railway hotel, is situated between Waverley Station and the department stores of Princes Street, and its clock tower is set three minutes fast so guests and travelers don’t miss their trains. And talk about location: The Balmoral is set within a short stroll of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle.

Forte’s newest property, The Assila Hotel and Residences in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is slated to open in late 2015 with 146 rooms, 62 suites, 94 residences, three restaurants, a rooftop pool, male and female spas, and extensive meetings and events space. Its location on Tahlia Street in Jeddah places it in a historic commercial and cultural hub of the Middle East.

For more information www.roccofortehotels.com.