NEW YORK— RF Hotels, the seven-property strong Rocco Forte collection, is planning to add “at least a half-a-dozen” hotels to its portfolio within the next few years, according to David Pantin, the company’s senior vp. According to Pantin, negotiations are currently underway for sites in Venice, Italy and London. Paris, Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany are additional key target markets in which the company hopes to establish a presence. “We are financed to grow at the moment. Our ultimate goal is to grow the RF Hotels portfolio to comprise 25 distinctive hotels, mainly in the European market,” said Pantin. The company’s expansion plans follow the April opening of the 164-room Lowry Hotel in Manchester, England. RF Hotels’ portfolio, primarily concentrated in Western Europe, is comprised of The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Scotland; The St. David’s Hotel & Spa in Cardiff Bay, Wales; the Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg; the Hotel Savoy in Florence, Italy; Hotel de Russie in Rome and the Hotel Amigo in Brussels, Belgium. While RF Hotels has defined the specific cities in which it will be adding hotels, the company will pursue its growth through a variety of equity, ownership and management positions. “We will pursue new-build, conversion and acquisition opportunities. We would love to be able to take on existing hotels and bring them up to the RF Hotels standards to help us grow,” Pantin added. Pantin mentioned that although the U.S.— a market in which the company has no presence— is not a market of interest for RF Hotels, the company would consider adding a New York City location if the “opportunity arose.” Other markets outside Europe of interest to RF, according to Pantin, are Dubai, India and the Caribbean. A property in Dubai, in particular, would fit well into the RF portfolio because, “it can be managed well from the U.K. or Italy because of proximity,” said Pantin. He further noted that other Middle Eastern markets are being explored for opportunities as well, but that Dubai offers “upscale hotels, great shopping and can be leveraged as an excellent leisure destination.” While the company is beefing up its portfolio by adding new hotels, it is also expanding and renovating the spas at two of its existing properties. The spa at The Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh is undergoing a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation slated for completion in October. The Balmoral, according to Pantin, is “the top business hotel outside of London.” Concurrently, RF Hotels is expanding the spa at its St. David’s Hotel & Spa in Cardiff, by 4,000 square feet. Pantin explained that dance rooms and a restaurant are being added to the two-year-old hotel’s spa facilities. As RF Hotels pumps up the appearance and size of its spa facilities, the company is also developing and promoting special packages ranging in length from two days to one week to stimulate consumer interest in its spa venues. As for the design and décor at its new properties, Pantin explained that Olga Polizzi, Rocco Forte’s sister, has been overseeing this function. Pantin noted that Polizzi has developed both contemporary and Victorian concepts for RF Hotels, and added that the design for a particular property is based upon specific regional tastes. RF Hotels’ has also executed some changes within its hotel management ranks. The company recently announced two internal promotions: John Philipson, former GM of The St. David’s Hotel & Spa, has taken over the same position at the new Lowry Hotel, while Debbie Taylor is now GM of The St. David’s Hotel. She was previously the property’s director/sales and marketing.
