UK-based Rocco Forte Hotels recently finished its financial year 2012/13 on a high with record revenue delivered from the Middle East, amounting to more than $13 million.

The region is now in the company’s top five source markets and represents Rocco Forte Hotels’ third largest international outbound market, a company statement said.

Taking part in its third Arabian Travel Market this year, Rocco Forte Hotels continues to consistently attract leisure and business travellers from the Arab world, it added.

At several of its properties such as The Charles Hotel in Munich, Brown’s Hotel in London and Hotel de Russie in Rome, guests from the Middle East are traditionally included in the top three groups of nationalities while other hotels such as Hotel Amigo in Brussels, Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg and Hotel Savoy in Florence are also seeing an increasing number of visitors from the region, according to the statement.

“We are pleased to be reporting record revenue from this vitally important source market,” said Richard Power, brand managing director, Rocco Forte Hotels.

“With growing demand for our product across the region, in 2012 we expanded our team here with the appointment of Nader Hamarna as regional director for the Middle East, a new role and the first Rocco Forte Hotels’ sales person to be based in the region. Later on this year, we will also be recruiting a sales professional, based in Riyadh, to focus on Saudi Arabia and surrounding regions.”

Rocco Forte Hotels has invested further in many of its hotels over the year including a new 3,500 sq ft Czar Suite at Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg, to be unveiled later this May; a major refurbishment of The Balmoral in Edinburgh and the opening of a dedicated wellness centre Vita Health at Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily.

Rocco Forte Hotels will also open a new property in Jeddah, located in the heart of the city’s fashionable shopping district, close to the Corniche, a short distance from the central business and a 20 minute drive from the airport, said Power.

Rocco Forte Hotels’ 12th property, the property consisting of two towers will house a 19-floor hotel consisting of 209 rooms, with a high proportion of suites, while the opposite tower will contain 94 serviced apartments.

Visitors and locals will have the choice of three restaurants and a tea lounge. Other facilities include a business centre, a ballroom, conference space, and a 1,600sqm fully equipped health club with separate male and female facilities, including a 25-metre swimming pool on the roof top. – TradeArabia News Service