Family of ten hotels and resorts, Rocco Forte Hotels, has appointed Maurizio Saccani as the new global director of operations.
In his new role, Saccani will be responsible for operations, sales marketing and HR. He will be a member of Rocco Forte Hotels’ executive committee and will report to Karim Naffah the managing director. 
Saccani most recently served as chief of product development and executive vice president for Italy and Spain at Belmond Hotels, formerly Orient Express Hotels, with whom he has worked for over 30 years. The hotels under his control included iconic names such as the Cipriani in Venice, the Splendido in Portofino, Villa San Michele in Fiesole and the Caruso on the Amalfi Coast.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sir Rocco Forte, chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels, said: “I am very pleased indeed that Maurizio is joining us. He is an experienced hotelier with great knowledge of the detail which drives high levels of customer service. He has a proven record in developing the hotels under his control and improving their levels of profitability. He will add considerable operational strength to our business as we pursue a new phase of expansion in a number of major markets with a particular focus on Italy. We are opening a new hotel in Jeddah in September of this year and in Shanghai in 2018.”
Rocco Forte Hotels was established by Sir Rocco Forte and sister, Olga Polizzi in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 10 individual hotels and resorts. All of the hotels are landmarks, both old and new, occupying magnificent buildings in exceptional locations. Led by a family who has been in hospitality for four generations, the hotels are united by their distinctive approach to service ensuring guests experience the best of the cities and surrounding areas.
Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: 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.
Future openings: Jeddah in 2016, Shanghai in 2018
