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The luxury hotel group wins its fifth management contract

Rocco Forte Hotels to open property in Luxor
Egypt, Cairo: Rocco Forte Hotels recently announced it has entered into a contract to help refurbish and then operate the Luxor Hotel in Egypt from 2013 as a luxury hotel. The hotel is owned by the Egyptian Government through two of its departments, the Egyptian Endowments Authority (EEA) and Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels ( EGOTH ).

Welcoming this announcement, Sir Rocco Forte, chairman and ceo of Rocco Forte Hotels, commented: "We are very pleased to be working with the Egyptian Government on a second hotel, following the signing of a similar contract signed in 2009 to manage The Shepheard Hotel in Cairo. When this historic Luxor property joins Rocco Forte Hotels in 2013, following an extensive renovation, it will be one of the region's leading luxury hotels, with visitors to this stunning destination able to enjoy the stylish design and exemplary levels of service delivery that they have come to expect from our brand."

This is the fifth management contract secured by the company and reinforces Rocco Forte Hotels' commitment to expand its business in key destinations beyond Europe, with a particular focus on the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to Luxor, the company has signed contracts to operate properties in Cairo, Marrakech, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, which will open this year.

Occupying an outstanding location in the heart of the city, adjacent to the famous Luxor temple, The Luxor Hotel is currently closed and scheduled to open mid 2013 following an extensive refurbishment. Built in 1880 by John Cook, son of the travel pioneer Thomas Cook, the hotel provided a glamorous retreat for distinguished guests, including European royalty and the family of the Mohamed Aly Pasha, the founder of modern Egypt.

The 82-room property will be the company's second hotel in Egypt, joining The Shepheard, Cairo, will join Rocco Forte Hotels in 2013 once a full renovation has taken place. Together these landmark hotels will provide an ideal pairing for the significant numbers of international tourists combining visits to the country's ancient and modern capitals.

Sir Rocco added: "With the majority of international tourists to this magnificent country visiting key sites and monuments in both Cairo and Luxor during their trip, the Luxor Hotel will be a perfect partner to The Shepheard in catering to demand for luxury accommodation in both cities."

The hotel's owners and Rocco Forte Hotels will start work immediately on plans to restore and renovate The Luxor Hotel to transform it into one of the leading luxury hotels in the region. George Freeman and Associates of London have been appointed as the interior designers for the project and British company 3D Reid for architecture.

The refurbished Luxor Hotel will emerge as a luxury hotel within Rocco Forte Hotels brand in mid 2013 offering 82 large elegant rooms and suites, state-of-the-art facilities, outstanding design and the latest technology complemented by the highest standards of service and attention to detail.

Rocco Forte Hotels, which currently owns and manages thirteen luxury hotels and resorts in Europe, including Brown's Hotel in London, Hotel De Russie in Rome and Verdura Golf & Spa Resort on Sicily. For further information and photography please visit www.roccofortehotels.com

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About The Egyptian Endowments Authority (EEA)
The EEA is the majority shareholder of the Luxor Hotel, and owns significant assets, mostly buildings and land, which have either been bequeathed to the state or have been taken over by the Government because the ownership can not be identified. The income which EEA derives from its assets (including the profits it will generate from the Luxor Hotel) goes to help the poor and support education projects and other good causes.

About EGOTH
EGOTH is a subsidiary of the Holding Company of Tourism, Hotels and Cinema (HOTAC), one of the region's largest hotel-owning companies that work wit many leading hotel brands and owns a large inventory of land in prominent locations in Egypt for Touristic and Hotel development. EGOTH owns nine historic hotels and 20 contemporary hotels in prominent locations across Egypt. They have renovated 2,902 hotel rooms across Egypt in five years and plan to renovate around 1,227 existing rooms and create 320 new rooms in the next three years.

Rocco Forte Hotels
Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 13 individual hotels and resorts. Each property has a unique style, reflecting its nationality and location, but all share Rocco Forte Hotels' trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service.

Established by Sir Rocco Forte in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; The Lowry Hotel, Manchester; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Brown's Hotel, London; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; Le Richemond, Geneva; The Charles Hotel, Munich; The Augustine, Prague; Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily. Future openings: Abu Dhabi 2011; Jeddah 2013; Marrakech 2014; Cairo 2014. www.roccofortehotels.com

© Press Release 2011