Rocco Forte Hotels has today announced the appointment of Blanche van Berckel as General Manager of the Hotel Amigo, Brussels. Ms van Berckel, who will start in September, takes over from Jacques Vitu who recently left the company.

In her new role, Ms van Berckel will oversee all aspects of the 174-bedroom luxury hotel which enjoys a prime location in the heart of the old town close to the famed Grand Place. Catering to both an international and local clientele, she will be tasked to further develop corporate, leisure and meetings business segments, maintaining the Hotel Amigo’s trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service. 

Commenting on the appointment, Ivan Artolli, Rocco Forte Hotels’, Operations Director UK, Belgium and Eastern Europe, said: “We are delighted that Blanche will be taking the helm at the Hotel Amigo.  She is a seasoned hotelier who brings with her a blend of luxury hospitality expertise and operational experience, and I am confident that under her guidance, the Hotel Amigo will continue to flourish as Brussels leading luxury hotel.”

With over 20 years’ hospitality experience, Ms van Berckel brings significant management skills to the role, combined with considerable knowledge of the luxury hotels market from both an operational and a consultancy perspective. She joins Rocco Forte Hotels from the Fairquest Group, a hotel management consultancy, where she was a director, and she also held a senior role at CHIC Ltd, where she established a portfolio of luxury boutique hotels for a group of private investors. Prior to this, Ms van Berckel was responsible for opening and managing Blakes Amsterdam, having spent ten years building her career at IHG and Golden Tulip Hotels in a variety of locations in Europe and North America.

Born in the Netherlands, Ms van Berckel is fluent in English, French and Dutch. She holds a degree in International Business & Languages from Schoevers University Amsterdam, and has completed a number of programs at Cornell University.