Olga Polizzi: The Hotel Visionary Who Shaped a British Hospitality Dynasty
Olga Polizzi is one of the most influential figures in British hospitality. She is a hotelier, interior designer, company director and former councillor whose career covers luxury travel, design, family business and charity work. Many people know her as the mother of Alex Polizzi or the sister of Sir Rocco Forte. Yet her own achievements are equally important. She helped shape the original Forte hotel empire, co-founded Rocco Forte Hotels and created three British properties under The Polizzi Collection.
Who Is Olga Polizzi?
Olga Polizzi, Lady Shawcross CBE, is a British hotelier and interior designer. Her full company name is Olga Marie Louise Anna Polizzi di Sorrentino, while her birth name was Olga Forte. She was born in London in February 1946. Companies House confirms the month and year, though her exact birthday is not widely available. She is 80 years old in 2026. Her career combines hotel design, company leadership, private hotel ownership, public service and charity work. She remains involved with Rocco Forte Hotels and The Polizzi Collection.
Olga Polizzi’s Early Life and Family Background
She was born into the Forte family, one of Britain’s most famous hospitality families. Her father was Charles Forte, Baron Forte, an Italian-born British businessman who built a vast hotel, catering and leisure group. Her mother was Irene Mary Chierico Forte.
Hospitality was part of family life. From a young age, Olga saw how restaurants, hotels, kitchens and service teams worked. She also took holiday jobs, including making sandwiches at an airport and helping in the kitchens of the Café Royal.
Parents and Siblings
Olga was one of six children and the eldest of five daughters. Her best-known sibling is Sir Rocco Forte, with whom she later built a new luxury hotel company. She also had several sisters, although Rocco became her closest business partner. Their shared experience helped them rebuild after the Forte empire was lost in the 1990s.
Education and First Marriage
Olga completed her A-levels and married young. She met Alessandro Polizzi di Sorrentino as a teenager and married him when she was 19. The couple moved to Rome, where she attended art school. Her time in Italy deepened her interest in colour, architecture, furniture and design. It also strengthened her connection to Italian culture.
Alessandro Polizzi di Sorrentino
Her first husband came from an Italian noble family. He is often described as a count or marquess, though the safest description is that he had an aristocratic Italian background. They had two daughters, Alex and Charlotte. Their marriage ended when Alessandro died in a car accident in 1980. His death left Olga with two young children. She returned her focus to work and family while continuing the Forte tradition.
Olga Polizzi’s Husband Today
Her current husband is Sir William Shawcross, a British writer, journalist and biographer. They married in 1993 and remain together. Through this marriage, she became stepmother to Conrad Shawcross, a British sculptor, and Eleanor Wolfson. William later received a knighthood for public service, giving Olga the social title Lady Shawcross. She continues to use Olga Polizzi professionally.
Olga Polizzi’s Daughters
She has two biological daughters.
Alex Polizzi
Alex Polizzi is a hotelier, businesswoman and television presenter. She is best known for presenting Channel 5’s The Hotel Inspector. Alex also works with her mother on hotel projects, especially The Star in Alfriston. She has two children, Olga and Rocco, making Olga their grandmother.
Charlotte “Charlie” Polizzi
Charlotte Polizzi, often called Charlie, has worked in fashion, hospitality and retail. She previously ran Onda in St Mawes and later worked as a womenswear buyer. She is married to restaurateur and broadcaster Oliver Peyton. Charlotte Polizzi and Charlotte Polizzi di Sorrentino are the same person, not two different daughters.
Olga Polizzi and the Forte Hotel Empire
After the death of her first husband, Olga joined the family business. She worked in the design department of Forte Hotels and later became director of building and design at Forte plc. Her role involved planning rooms, choosing materials, working with architects and creating spaces that were attractive and practical.
She learned that hotel design must serve guests and staff. Furniture needs to be comfortable, bathrooms must work well, lighting must be flattering and fabrics must be durable.
The Granada Takeover
In the mid-1990s, Granada launched a hostile takeover of Forte plc. The Forte family fought to keep control, but Granada completed the takeover in 1996. Olga and Rocco lost their positions in the old company. Instead of leaving hospitality, they started again. That decision became one of the most important moments in her career.
Olga Polizzi and Rocco Forte Hotels
Olga and Sir Rocco Forte founded Rocco Forte Hotels in 1996. She became deputy chairman and director of design. In this role, she helped shape luxury properties across Britain and Europe. The group includes Brown’s Hotel in London, The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Hotel de Russie in Rome, Hotel Savoy in Florence, Villa Igiea in Palermo and Verdura Resort in Sicily.
Olga Polizzi’s Design Philosophy
Her design style is based on place, history and comfort. She does not believe every hotel should look the same. Instead, she studies the building, local culture, landscape and traditions before creating the interior. Her rooms often include antiques, local artwork, natural fabrics, books, comfortable chairs and carefully chosen colours. She mixes old and new pieces so that each space feels warm.
Comfort Before Fashion
She places comfort above short-lived fashion. A hotel room must feel welcoming, calm and easy to use. Her work balances beauty with daily needs. This practical approach has kept her respected across several generations of hotel design.
Olga Polizzi Hotels
Her own British properties form The Polizzi Collection.
Hotel Tresanton
Hotel Tresanton stands in St Mawes, Cornwall. Olga bought and restored the property during the late 1990s. She transformed it into an elegant seaside hotel with white buildings, sea views, antiques and Cornish art. The hotel became known for quiet luxury and personal design. It proved that she could build an independent hotel identity beyond the Forte name.
Hotel Endsleigh
Hotel Endsleigh is near Tavistock in Devon. Olga bought the historic country house in 2004 and restored it with help from Alex. The building stands in gardens linked to landscape designer Humphry Repton. Its interiors include books, botanical prints, antiques, fireplaces and traditional bathrooms. The atmosphere is relaxed and connected to the landscape.
The Star in Alfriston
The Star is a historic inn in Alfriston, East Sussex. Olga developed it with Alex after buying the property in 2019. It reopened in 2021 following a major renovation. The hotel has 29 bedrooms and combines a timbered old inn with modern spaces, a courtyard, restaurant and library. It became the third property in The Polizzi Collection.
Business Appointments
Companies House holds her career under two near-identical officer records because her surname was entered as both Sorrentino and Sorrentini. Together, the records show 25 appointments, including 14 current roles across 13 organisations. Her active positions connect her with Rocco Forte Hotels, Hotel Tresanton, Hotel Endsleigh, The Star, Forte Trustees, Millers Bespoke Bakery, Roseland Properties and the Landau Forte Charitable Trust.
Political and Public Service
Olga served as a Conservative councillor on Westminster City Council from 1989 to 1994 and represented Lancaster Gate. She was also vice-chairman of planning. Her planning work matched her knowledge of architecture, property, conservation and development. In 1990, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for political and public service.
Charity and Cultural Work
Olga has supported education, culture and community causes for many years. She has held roles with the Forte Charitable Foundation, the Landau Forte Charitable Trust and the British-Italian Society. Her work reflects her family’s links to Britain and Italy and extends beyond commercial hotels.
Olga Polizzi Net Worth
Her personal net worth has not been confirmed. Older wealth estimates combined the fortunes of Sir Rocco Forte, Olga and the wider Forte family. These figures cannot be treated as her individual wealth. Rocco Forte Hotels has received a high company valuation, but that is not the same as personal wealth. Her exact shareholding, property, investments, debts and private assets are not fully known.
The fairest conclusion is that she is part of a wealthy hotel family and holds major business interests, but no reliable individual figure is available.
Olga Polizzi Today
In 2026, Olga remains active in design, hotels and company leadership. She continues as deputy chairman and director of design at Rocco Forte Hotels. She also remains connected with Hotel Tresanton, Hotel Endsleigh and The Star. Her career has survived personal loss, a major corporate takeover and decades of change in hospitality. She has remained successful because she combines taste with discipline, business knowledge and practical thinking.
Olga Polizzi has helped shape some of Europe’s best-known hotels while creating a family collection of her own. Her legacy rests on experience, resilience and a belief that great hotels should feel personal, comfortable and true to their location.
FAQs
1. Who is Olga Polizzi?
Olga Polizzi is a British hotelier, interior designer and company director. She is deputy chairman and director of design at Rocco Forte Hotels. She also created The Polizzi Collection, which includes Hotel Tresanton, Hotel Endsleigh and The Star in Alfriston.
2. How old is Olga Polizzi?
Olga Polizzi was born in February 1946 in London. She is 80 years old as of July 2026. Her exact day of birth has not been publicly confirmed.
3. Is Olga Polizzi married?
Yes, Olga Polizzi is married to British author and biographer Sir William Shawcross. They married in 1993 and remain together. She is also known by the title Lady Shawcross.
4. How many children does Olga Polizzi have?
Olga Polizzi has two biological daughters, Alex Polizzi and Charlotte “Charlie” Polizzi. Alex is a hotelier and television presenter, while Charlotte has worked in fashion and hospitality.
5. Who was Olga Polizzi’s first husband?
Olga Polizzi’s first husband was Alessandro Polizzi di Sorrentino, an Italian nobleman. They married in 1966 and had two daughters. Their marriage ended when Alessandro died in a car accident in 1980.
