History
• 1522: Construction of the original building.
• 1957: The Hotel is rebuilt by the Blaton family, a construction family from Belgium.
• 1958: Brussels Expo Universelle.
• 2000 January: Acquisition by Rocco Forte.
History of the Rocco Forte Collection
• 1935: Charles Forte, an Italian immigrant to the UK, opens a « Milk Bar » on Regents street in London … the company becomes the Forte Hotel Group (Trusthouse Forte)
• 1993: the Forte Hotel group faces a hostile takeover bid from the Media Conglomerate Granada the founding family is ejected with a settlement payment of £350 million. Two of the 6 children, Rocco Forte and his younger sister Olga Polizzi decide to reinvent their fathers Hotel business.
• 1996 May: Sir Rocco Forte founds RF Hotels.
• 1997 Frebuary: Opening of Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh..
• 1997 December: Acquisition of Hotel Savoy in Florence.
• 1999 January: Acquisition of Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg.
• 2000 January: Acquisition of Hotel Amigo in Brussels.
• 2000 April: Opening of Hotel de Russie in Rome.
• 2003 July: Acquisition of Brown’s Hotel in London.
• 2006 March: Opening of Villa Kennedy (Villa Speyer) in Frankfurt.
• 2006 October: Opening of Hotel de Rome (formally seat of Dresdner Bank) in Berlin. The list only mentions those hotels in the Rocco Forte Collection, which are historic places and which are part of Palace Hotels of the World.com.
• 2007: Rocco Forte Hotels are renamed Rocco Forte Collection.
Article by « Grand Hotels of the World & VB.com », written from « Cremerie de Paris ».
