ROCCO Forte Hotels has announced that it will open its first property in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the city of Jeddah, marking the start of the luxury hotel group's expansion into the region. With construction already complete, the Assila Hotel will open in September this year when it will join the Rocco Forte family of multi-award winning luxury hotels and resorts, each characterized by a unique sense of style inspired by its location. With a prime site on Jeddah's fashionable Tahlia Street, the Assila Hotel will be a landmark building that adds 210 rooms and suites to the growing need for hotel accommodation in the rapidly expanding hospitality sector of the region's largest market. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Saudi GDP was SR218.0 billion in 2014, accounting for 7.7% of GDP. This is forecast to rise by 4.4% pa to SR356.6 billion (9.0% of GDP) in 2025. This projected increase is due to Saudi Arabia's impressive tourism attractions and the ongoing growth of religious tourism. In addition to the 210 hotel rooms and suites, Assila Hotel offers 94 residential suites, the first fully-serviced apartments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With a choice of one bedroom, two bedroom and four bedrooms apartments available, residents can enjoy the exquisite design and facilities of the hotel, whilst utilizing the housekeeping and concierge service as they wish. The design of the Assila Hotel is contemporary, punctuated with traditional Arabic elements in the lighting, colorful materials and artwork. Art at the hotel has taken center stage, with over 2,000 pieces of handpicked original art, both contemporary and traditional, all from Saudi Arabian artists. Established in 1996 by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi, the Rocco Forte Hotels family includes the Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; Verdura Resort, Sicily; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; Brown's Hotel, London; The Charles Hotel, Munich; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; and the Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg.
