How Sir Rocco Forte Built His Luxury Hotel Empire

At 14 years old, Rocco Forte went to work at the family business, Trusthouse Forte—the world’s largest hospitality group at that time. By 1992, the then-51-year-old Forte had ascended to chairman, only to be forced out by a hostile takeover. Undeterred, he launched a new hospitality brand five years later, anchoring the new company with Edinburgh’s Five-Star landmark The Balmoral. Last month, the 81-year-old founder of Rocco Forte Hotels received a lifetime achievement award at the Forbes Travel Guide Summit in Monaco and reflected on his decades in the business. “I don’t know if........

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