Rocco Forte Hotels Renovates Its Historic Properties in Florence and Rome


Rocco Forte Hotels rénove ses adresses historiques à Florence et Rome - Depositphotos.com, AnnaNepaBO

TAP Air Portugal


Rocco Forte Hotels poursuit ses investissements dans ses établissements italiens.

À Florence, l’Hotel Savoy a achevé une rénovation complète menée sur trois ans, avec un investissement de plus de 9 millions d’euros.

À Rome, l’Hotel de Russie vient de finaliser la dernière phase de sa rénovation, consacrée notamment à ses espaces d’accueil et de réception.

Les deux projets ont été pilotés par Olga Polizzi, directrice du design de Rocco Forte Hotels, en collaboration avec le Studio Ferrari à Florence et le Studio Moschino à Rome.


9 million euros invested in Florence

Located on the Piazza della Repubblica, the Savoy Hotel reimagined its interiors around local materials and craftsmanship: Arabescato marble, stone, wood, bespoke parquet floors and textiles.

The 46 rooms and suites affected by the renovation have been redesigned with more flexible layouts, notably to accommodate families and groups.

The project also extends to the dining spaces. The Irene restaurant reopens with a new décor and a Tuscan cuisine offering imagined by Fulvio Pierangelini.

A new bar, Artemisia, completes the offering with a cocktail menu created by Salvatore Calabrese in collaboration with Federico Pavan.

The hotel also strengthens its local experiences with the Suite & Beyond program, which notably includes private tours of Palazzo Strozzi, calligraphy classes, and visits to Florentine leather workshops.


In Rome, a renovation centered on the guest experience

At the Hotel de Russie, the renovation focuses primarily on the arrival and reception areas. The new layout now distinguishes three zones: the entrance, the front desk, and the concierge, with a conversation space.

More than 90% of the furniture and finishes have been custom-made with Italian artisans and manufacturers. The project combines walnut woodwork, contemporary materials, and historic pieces.

Through these two renovations, Rocco Forte Hotels aims to strengthen the local identity of its properties while modernizing the experience offered to its upscale clientele.


Amelia Brille Written by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Writer
View all articles by Amelia Brille

  • picto Linkedin
  • picto email
Add TourMaG to your Google News feed Google Actualities icon  

China Transforms Benin’s Historic Slave-Trade Site into a Marina

The Beninese government is seeking to transform what was once a pivotal site along the “Slave Route” into a sprawling port complex named “La Marina,” with the backing of China. This colossal project unfolds in Ouidah, a southern coastal town in Benin located about 40 kilometers from the economic capital Cotonou, and is being built by the state-owned Chinese company Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group.

According to the South China Morning Post, the works are financed by two loans extended by the Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, totaling more than €257 million.

The tourist site, which is expected to open this year, features a 3,500-seat open-air arena, a life-size replica of a slave ship, luxury hotels including the Dhawa Ouidah, a four-star 132-room property, as well as 4 kilometers of underwater breakwaters designed to calm the sea for visitors.

Ouidah, a historic site at the heart of the slave trade

If this project is attracting attention, it is also because of the historical weight of the site. Ouidah, a coastal town located about forty kilometers west of Cotonou, was one of the main ports of the transatlantic slave trade.

Nearly 2,000,000 Africans enslaved were taken along the two-kilometer “Slave Route” connecting the place of sale to the beach, before passing through the “Door of No Return,” a monumental triumphal arch that still stands today at the spot where enslaved people boarded. By turning this historic site into a tourist complex, the Beninese government aims to attract Afro-descendant tourists from around the world.

Benin, a new arena of Chinese influence in Africa ?

This project sits within a broader Chinese strategy to expand influence across the African continent. Across Africa, Beijing has stepped up investments in cultural and tourist infrastructures. South China Morning Post recalls in particular funding for Senegal’s National Grand Theater, the Algiers Opera, and the modernization of Ghana’s National Theatre.

In the case of the La Marina project in Benin, it is the government itself that has entrusted the construction of the complex to Chinese state-owned enterprises. In the medium term, Cotonou hopes to raise the number of visitors to 3,000,000 per year.