Orient Express (Accor)

Last updated

Orient Express SAS
Industry Hospitality
Headquarters Paris, France
Key people
Omer Acar (CEO Orient Express & Raffles)
Services Trains, Hotels, Cruises
Owner
Website orient-express.com

The Orient Express is a private luxury train service and luxury hospitality company operated by Accor. It will carry passengers between Paris and Istanbul, like the original Orient Express , beginning in 2025. [2] It will also offer journeys around Italy. [3]

Contents

Trains

The Orient Express

In 2017, Accor purchased a 50% stake in the Orient Express brand from SNCF for the right to use the name. [4] In 2018, Accor began renovation work on 17 CIWL carriages from the defunct Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express, which date back to the 1920s and 1930s, to create a modern Orient Express. [1] [5]

Two services will be operated, Central Europe (France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Czechia) and the mythic/original route (France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey). [6] The first service will begin in 2025. [2] The service has no relation to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express , which is owned by Belmond. [7]

Orient Express La Dolce Vita

A total of six Orient Express La Dolce Vita trains, each accommodating 62 guests, were constructed in Brindisi, Italy. The interiors are inspired by 1960s Italian design. The trains will offer overnight journeys around Italy, with itineraries including Rome, Venice and Portofino. [3] [8] [9] The service was first announced in 2021 and was supposed to launch in 2023 but delayed till 2024 and later 2025. [10] Its inaugural journey will embark on April 4, 2025. [11]

Private events for up to 62 people can also be reserved, including for weddings and corporate events, with the option to choose custom decor, menus, and itineraries. [12]

Hotels

Logo of Orient Express Hotels Orientexpresshotelslogo.jpg
Logo of Orient Express Hotels

Accor purchased a 50 percent stake in the Orient Express brand from SNCF in 2017 to launch a chain of Orient Express hotels. [13]

In 2019 it was announced that the first Orient Express hotel would open in Bangkok, Thailand at the King Power Mahanakhon skyscraper. [14] It was planned to open in 2020 and would have had 154 rooms. [14] In 2020 Orient Express and King Power mutually agreed to part ways and the Orient Express Hotel Bangkok was cancelled. [15]

In February 2022 Arsenale S.p.A acquired The Grand Hotel de la Minerva  [ it ] in Rome, Italy. [16] In July, the opening of an Orient Express hotel in the space was announced. [16] [17] Also in 2022 the opening of an Orient Express at the Palazzo Dona Giovannelli in Venice was announced. [18] The hotel will open in 2025.

Properties
NameNo. of RoomsCityCountryOpeningRef.
Orient Express La Minerva 93 (34 suites) Rome Flag of Italy.svg  Italy April 2025 [19] [6]
Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli 45 Venice Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 2025 [20] [6]
Orient Express Diriyah Gate 80 Riyadh Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia [21] [6]
Aqaba Gulf HotelUnknown Aqaba Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan Unknown [6]
Under negotiation
UnknownUnknown London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Unknown [21]
UnknownUnknown Paris Flag of France.svg  France Unknown [21]
UnknownUnknown Istanbul Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Unknown [21]
Legend Old Cataract Unknown Aswan Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt Unknown [22]
Winter Palace Unknown Luxor Unknown [22]

Other

Cruises

A superyacht cruise line will also be launched under the Orient Express name. [23] The Orient Express Silenseas will be the largest sailing yacht in the world and services will start in 2028. [24] [25] [22] A second yacht has also been commissioned and both will be built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. [26]

Products

In 2021 a collection of travel objects called "Steam Dream" launched with pop ups at La Samartaine (a Parisian department store) and the IFC mall in Hong Kong and online. The collection includes items made by Au Départ, Smythson, Cire Trudon, Bernardaud, Duvelleroy and more. [27] [28]

In 2023 in a collaboration with Montblanc they launched a limited edition collection of seven Orient Express themed pens for Montblanc's High Artistry Collection. [29] [30] [31]

Racing Team

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Orient Express</i> Luxury passenger train service in Europe

The Orient Express was a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, with terminal stations in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul in the southeast, and branches extending service to Athens, Brussels, and London.

<i>Palace on Wheels</i> Indian luxury tourist train

The Palace on Wheels is India's first luxury tourist train launched by the Indian Railways in joint collaboration with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The train was launched in 1982. The train has been renamed as Heritage Palace on Wheels.

Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MSC Cruises</span> Cruise line registered in Switzerland

MSC Cruises is a Swiss-Italian global cruise line based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1988 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In addition to being the world's largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries as of 2017, MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group, with a 10.2% share of all passengers carried in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montblanc (company)</span> German company known for luxury pens

Montblanc is a German manufacturer and distributor of luxury goods, founded in Berlin in 1906, and currently based in Hamburg. The company is most known for its luxury pens; it also designs and distributes bags, perfumes, small leather goods, and watches. Since 1993, Montblanc has been part of the Swiss Richemont group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits</span> French railway car company

Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits is a Belgian-founded French company known for providing and operating luxury trains with sleepers and dining cars during the late 19th and the 20th centuries, most notably the Orient Express. Founded by Georges Nagelmackers in 1872, CIWL developed an international network of trains beginning in Europe, and later expanding to Asia and Africa. The trains provided luxury and comfort at a time when travelling was still rough and dangerous. The Armistice with Germany was signed in a CIWL train carriage, the Compiègne Wagon, on November 11, 1918.

Orient Express was the name of a long-distance passenger train service that ran from 1883 to 2009.

<i>Belmond Royal Scotsman</i> Scottish overnight luxury train service

The Belmond Royal Scotsman is a Scottish overnight luxury train, started in 1985 by GS&WR, and run since 2005 by Belmond Ltd. Its itineraries include 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- or 7-night journeys around the Scottish Highlands, visiting castles, distilleries and historic sites. Once each year, it also makes a 7-night journey around the whole of Great Britain.

<i>Venice Simplon-Orient-Express</i> Private European luxury train service

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is currently owned by Belmond.

Dolce vita or la dolce vita is Italian for "the sweet life". It may refer to:

<i>Eastern and Oriental Express</i> Train service in mainland Southeast Asia

The Eastern & Oriental Express is a luxury cruise train that carries passengers between Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Limited</span> Hotel and leisure company

Belmond Ltd. is a hospitality and leisure company that operates hotels, train services and river cruises and safaris worldwide. In 2024, the company has 47 properties in 28 countries and territories, with 32 hotels, six tourist trains, seven river cruise boats and two safaris.

<i>Golden Chariot</i> Indian luxury tourist train

The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala & Tamil Nadu as well as Puducherry, depending on the selected itinerary. The train is operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and The Maple Group handles the hospitality services on the train.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Villa San Michele</span> Luxury hotel in Florence, Italy

The Belmond Villa San Michele is a hotel situated on the hill of Fiesole overlooking Florence, Italy. It is named after the church of St Michael the Archangel. Today it is owned by Belmond Ltd. and is operated as a luxury hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniworld</span> Cruise line

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is a luxury river cruise line located in Los Angeles, California. Uniworld also has operational offices located in the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and China. Their fleet of 19 ships sails the rivers of Europe, Egypt, India, Peru, and Southeast Asia. The company is part of The Travel Corporation group, which also includes businesses such as Trafalgar Tours and Contiki Tours.

<i>Maharajas Express</i> Luxury tourist train in India

The Maharajas' Express is a luxury tourist train owned and operated by The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). It serves four routes across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of October and April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxury train</span> Special train, designed for elegance and comfort

A luxury train is a premium passenger rail service. Some luxury trains promote tourism in destinations across a region, while others take passengers on a ride through a single country. Luxury trains include restaurants, bars, bathrooms, and sleeping and seating areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond British Pullman</span> Private luxury train service

Belmond British Pullman is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain. Until 2023, it also served as the British leg of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) service between London and Venice.

Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator, and investor headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, with more than 550 hotels in over 55 countries across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, and the Americas. Minor Hotels operates as a subsidiary of Minor International, one of the largest hospitality and leisure companies in the Asia-Pacific region. The group operates hotels under the brands of Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Avani Hotels & Resorts, Elewana Collection, Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites, NH Hotels, NH Collection, nhow Hotels, and Tivoli Hotels & Resorts.

Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a Singaporean chain of luxury hotels which traces its roots to 1887 with the opening of the original Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The company started to develop internationally in the late 1990s. Since 2015, Raffles is part of Accor.

References

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  2. 1 2 Yevhenii Podolskyi (26 October 2022). "The revived Orient Express will leave Paris for Istanbul in 2025". DIP.
  3. 1 2 "Orient Express La Dolce Vita". The Luxury Train Club. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. Christina Jelski (12 January 2023). "Orient Express will venture into luxury cruising". Travel Weekly.
  5. Sarah Kuta (1 December 2022). "You Could Soon Ride in Historic Carriages From the Orient Express". Smithsonian .
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  7. Lucy Alexander (23 April 2023). "How Luxury Trains Are Transporting Travelers to a Bygone Era of Old-World Opulence". Robb Report .
  8. "Wealthy travelers are reserving seats onboard Italy's new Orient Express train before construction is even complete — see why". Business Insider. 4 September 2023.
  9. "A First Look at Italy's Gorgeous La Dolce Vita Orient Express Train—And How to Book It". AFAR. 19 March 2024.
  10. "Orient Express returns to Italy with Dolce Vita redesign". New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  11. "Select your itinerary - La Dolce Vita". Accor. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024.
  12. "Events - Privatize La Dolce Vita Orient Express train". Accor. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  13. Rosenthal, Victoria (2017-10-04). "AccorHotels buys 50-percent stake in Orient Express brand". Hotel Management. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  14. 1 2 "Miss the original? The Orient Express is returning..." Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  15. Hamdi, Raini; admin (2022-04-20). "How The Standard Ends up Managing What was to be the World's First Orient Express Hotel in Bangkok". Hotels-Asia. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  16. 1 2 "Rediscover The Glory Of Venice With Orient Express". 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  17. "Brochure Orient Express" (PDF).
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  19. Fontaine, Emma (2023-10-17). "Giampaolo Ottazzi appointed as General Manager for the first Orient Express Hotels in Rome & Venice". Accor – Newsroom. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
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  21. 1 2 3 4 "Orient Express Hotels - Factsheet" (PDF).
  22. 1 2 3 "Orient Express Hotels Brand Presentation" (PDF).
  23. "Orient Express Cruises to Set Sail on World's Largest Superyacht". Bloomberg.com. 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  24. Sturges, Connor (2023-01-11). "This is the future of luxury cruising – an exclusive look at the Orient Express ship". CN Traveller. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  25. "Orient Express will venture into luxury cruising". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  26. "Accor to build super-yachts for Orient Express at Chantiers de l'Atlantique". seatrade-cruise.com. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  27. Diderich, Joelle (2021-09-18). "Orient Express Launches Collection of Travel Objects". WWD. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  28. "Orient Express is coming to town at IFC Mall | Things to do in Hong Kong". Time Out Hong Kong. 2021-11-13. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
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  30. "inkstable.com | Montblanc High Artistry A Journey On The Orient Express". inkstable.com. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
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