Rocco Forte Hotels, the prestigious family-run hotel group, led by Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi, unveiled its newest hotel in Sicily, Villa Igiea, on 3rd June 2021. Olga Polizzi, Deputy Chairman and Director of Design, in collaboration with renowned architects Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen of Nicholas Haslam Studios, led the preservation and creative reinvention process. Originally built as a private palazzo at the end of the 19th century, the Florio family purchased and restored Villa Igiea transforming it into one of the most luxurious hotels in Sicily. The hotel soon became one of the epicentres of society and Belle Époque aristocracy in Europe. The Grand Hotel Villa Igiea welcomed royalty, dignitaries and Hollywood luminaries with Nicholas II of Russia, Edward VII and George V of Great Britain, Chulalongkorn of Siam and the Duc d'Orléans among its early patrons. Meanwhile, the likes of Baron Rothschild and John Pierpont Morgan would arrive by yacht. The 100-room Grade 1-listed landmark has undergone a meticulous renovation over the past two years; every effort has been made to preserve its unique heritage features whilst blending them with a contemporary flair to exquisite effect to provide the utmost comfort for guests. In turn, the palazzo has been brought back its former symbol of elegance and hospitality whilst evoking the feeling of the private residence, which it once was.