ASSILA HOTEL CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

Assila Hotel, a Rocco Forte hotel, celebrated its grand opening on Sunday 12 March in the presence of HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Arabian Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, and HRH Prince Mishaal bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Jeddah.

Hosting the event, Sheikh Mohammed Alissa performed the ribbon cutting ceremony in the presence of the two princes, as well as a great many esteemed and distinguished guests from across the kingdom.

“We are greatly honoured by the attendance of Prince Sultan bin Salman and Prince Mishaal Bin Majid,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “I am personally delighted to welcome Sir Rocco Forte to Jeddah for the opening of Assila Hotel.  The addition of the Assila to the highly respected and internationally renowned Rocco Forte Hotels family, further highlights Jeddah’s prominence as a vitally important international business destination as well as a cultural tourism terminal.”

Responding to Sheikh Mohammed’s welcome, Sir Rocco said, “I am delighted to join you and be part of this prestigious event here in Jeddah. This hotel is the result of an excellent cooperation between the Alissa family and Rocco Forte Hotels. When they came to me eight years ago their vision was to create a hotel which differentiates itself from the other luxury hotels in this part of the world with its elegance and European flavour. This is a hotel that sits well with the image of our group which includes properties such as Hotel de Russie in Rome, The Charles Hotel in Munich and Brown’s Hotel in London. I think we have succeeded in creating a very special hotel. I sincerely hope it will be the first of many hotels in Saudi Arabia and the GCC.”  

The design concept created by the celebrated Olga Polizzi, the sister of Sir Rocco Forte, and the prolific designer Martin Brudnizki, combines contemporary and classical elements to mix the aesthetic of a traditional Middle Eastern interior with the elegance of European design.

The interior is adorned by Assila Hotel’s collection of more than 2,000 artworks that represent the best of traditional and contemporary Saudi Arabian art, curated with art consultant Nora Alissa, under the title Made in Saudi Arabia: From Heritage to the Future.

Assila Hotel occupies two towers in a prime central location on Tahlia Street, Jeddah’s most fashionable business and luxury shopping area. The hotel offers 304 deluxe rooms and suites, ranging from rooms with full city views out to the Red and Sea beyond, to the Royal Suite which occupies 600m2 with private elevators.

Assila Hotel guests enjoy a varied choice of restaurants and other food and beverage outlets each with a unique concept, developed by Lydia Forte, Restaurant and Bar Development Manager of Rocco Forte Hotels and daughter of Sir Rocco Forte. The restaurant concepts range from traditional Arabic mezze, to fine dining experiences with culinary delights represented from around the world.  

Guest and visitors can enjoy Pampas, the authentic Argentinean restaurant with open kitchen for grilling meat and seafood; Twenty Four, Assila Hotel’s breakfast restaurant with an all-day buffet, the most delicious pizzas fresh from the oven and Il Caffé, serving delicious homemade Italian pastries, ice creams and cakes. In addition, shisha and traditional Arabic mezze are served on the terrace overlooking Prince Mohamed bin Abdulaziz Street

Soon to open is Aubergine, a Mediterranean style restaurant located on Assila Hotel’s rooftop area, with stunning views looking out over the pool deck and the city; as well as Coco’Ba, a chocolaterie and bakery specializing in delicious homemade Vienoisseries and chocolates from the show kitchen. Healthy snacks are available in the Assila Spa.

Assila Spa consists of separate facilities for men and women. The women’s spa features a hair dressing salon as well as exclusive Rocco Forte beauty treatments using Rocco Forte Organics branded products.  Other features of Assila include a rooftop pool and two squash courts.

For business functions and social events Assila Hotel offers a range of diverse meeting rooms as well as the magnificent Assila ballroom which has a separate entrance from the side street, a pre-function lounge and a VIP/bridal lounge. The property includes 550 parking spaces along with a valet parking service.

Established by Sir Rocco Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 11 individual hotels and resorts including Hotel de Russie in Rome, The Charles Hotel in Munich and Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt. All of the hotels are landmarks of the destinations, whether contemporary or buildings of historical interest. Led by the Forte family who has been in hospitality for four generations, the hotels are united by their distinctive approach to service ensuring guests experience the best of the cities and surrounding areas in which they are located.