Beattie scoops 4m global Rocco Forte hotels account

Beattie McGuinness Bungay has won the £4m global advertising business for luxury hotel chain Rocco Forte Hotels (RFH). The agency won the global integrated marketing account following a pitch against four undisclosed agencies.

RFH owns a number of upmarket hotels including Brown’s in Mayfair, Edinburgh’s The Balmoral, Hotel de Russie in Rome and Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg. The chain, which announced plans to sell Manchester’s Lowry Hotel and St David’s in Cardiff in December, is also planning to expand internationally. Future developments include Munich, Prague and a Sicilian golf and spa resort.

BMB is now developing marketing design concepts, a digital customer relationship management (CRM) strategy, as well as traditional above- and below-the-line communications. It is thought to be RFH’s first retained global agency.

RFH managing director of sales and marketing Richard Power says the appointment demonstrates the leisure company’s ambition to capitalise on its credentials as a leading European luxury hotel brand.The company, which was founded by Sir Rocco Forte, says it aims to provide a five-star hotel in each key city throughout Europe.

The group was founded in 1996 to create a collection of hotels with “individual” styles. It has ten hotels but plans to expand to 15 by the end of 2008. RFH is expected to make at least £75m by selling its Cardiff and Manchester properties.