The globetrotter

Lydia Forte, group director of food and beverage at Rocco Forte Hotels

Do you have a favourite hotel? Within our group, I’m not allowed to have favourites, but if pushed, maybe Hotel de la Ville in Rome or Villa Igiea in Palermo— they’re the newest and I have been fully involved in all the details, including tableware and menus, and I love how they have turned out. Outside of our group, Villa Tre Ville in Positano and Villa Feltrinelli in Lago di Garda… do I just like villas? Have you had any travel disasters? I tend to see travel disasters as travel ‘experiences’. One that stands out, however, is when I was travelling with a friend in Guatemala and, after a six-hour drive, arrived at a tiny hostel surrounded by spectacular waterfalls and rock pools in Semuc Champey. It turned out that the phone lines weren’t working and there was no reception. On the way there, I’d been speaking to my then boyfriend (now husband) about the treacherous roads and how sick I was feeling. I couldn’t contact him for three days… he thought we’d been kidnapped and a local militia had been sent out to look for us.

Where’s top of your travel bucket list?

Japan! I still haven’t been, but want to go for the food alone.

What do you never travel without?

My extra-long mobile phone-charging cable and wedge espadrilles (the most comfortable shoes with a heel for short people like me).

What’s your number one travel tip?

Go with the flow.

A cold or hot holiday; beach or culture?

Culture and adventure; neither too hot, nor too cold.

Is there a hotel or destination that’s taken you by surprise, in a good way?

Bhutan is still up there as one of my favourite trips of all time, because it’s so different from everything I’m used to and for how peaceful it is and for the breathtaking views.