Rocco Forte Hotels Refreshes Senior Leadership Ahead of Its Milan Debut
The luxury hotel group has named new general managers in Rome, Florence, Brussels, and Munich, and appointed a managing director for Northern Italy to oversee the November opening of The Carlton Milan.
Anna Gricini, newly appointed General Manager of Hotel de la Ville, Rome. Photo: Courtesy of Rocco Forte Hotels
Rocco Forte Hotels has appointed new leadership across five of its European properties as the group prepares for its next phase of growth, including the upcoming debut of the Carlton Milan in November. The changes include four new general managers and one new managing director for Northern Italy.
In Italy, Francesco Roccato has been promoted to managing director of Northern Italy and will oversee the launch of the Carlton Milan, opening on Nov. 6. Roccato joined Rocco Forte Hotels more than seven years ago as cluster general manager for Northern Italy and general manager of Hotel de la Ville and Rocco Forte House in Rome. His expanded remit reflects the group’s growing investment in the region, where Milan is set to anchor its northern portfolio alongside Florence.
Anna Gricini takes the helm at Hotel de la Ville in Rome after 16 years with the company, most recently as regional sales and marketing director. Her experience spans openings from Masseria Torre Maizza in Puglia to Villa Igiea in Palermo—knowledge that positions her to deepen the Rome property’s post-pandemic recovery and strengthen its integration within the brand’s Italian network.
Matteo Gentile joins Hotel Savoy in Florence from Lungarno Collection, bringing two decades of international experience across Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, and his own Los Angeles-based hospitality consultancy. His appointment follows steady repositioning at the Savoy under Forte’s design partnership with Olga Polizzi, aimed at blending contemporary Florentine style with heritage service.
In Brussels, Maximilian Von Reden will lead Hotel Amigo after senior posts with Mandarin Oriental, Ritz-Carlton, Peninsula, and Kempinski. Most recently, general manager of Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa, he brings a strong food-and-beverage background and experience managing legacy city hotels with global clientele.
Ulrich Schwer, previously general manager at Hotel de Rome in Berlin, now heads the Charles Hotel in Munich. His 25-year career includes leadership at the Savoy London, the Plaza New York, and Belmond La Samanna in St. Martin, grounding him in both urban and resort operations.
Together, the appointments strengthen Rocco Forte’s senior bench at a time of accelerated development. The Carlton Milan will open as the brand’s 16th hotel and its eighth in Italy, capping a years-long expansion that has broadened the company’s European base while maintaining its family-led, design-driven identity.
