For over 140 years, Orient Express has been more than a name: it has been the symbol of luxury travel, timeless refinement and cultural curiosity.

With Accor, this legendary brand is embarking on a new era, seamlessly weaving heritage with innovation. With a bold vision for the future, Orient Express is redefining the global travel landscape through a trilogy of experiences: Hotels, Trains, and Sailing Yachts. Drawing on its storied roots while firmly focusing on its bold future, Orient Express is reinventing the art of travel, discovery and great odysseys.

The Evolution of Orient Express: From Trains to Hotels and Yachts

Born on the rails of Europe with its inaugural train voyage in 1883, and celebrated in the world’s collective memory, the brand has always been more than a mode of transport: it is a symbol of travel at its most poetic, refined, and transformative. And what began as innovation in luxury train travel is now expanding into a full universe of experiences: trains, luxury hotels and sailing yachts, all connected by a common ambition to revive and reinvent the art of travel.

From the upcoming return of the original Orient Express train, entirely reengineered with French artisans and craftsmen, to La Dolce Vita Orient Express - launched recently, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Italian train journeys - which captures the spirit of 1960s Italy through curated journeys and refined design, each project invites guests to rediscover the romance of motion.

But the journey doesn’t end at the station. With the opening of its first hotels Orient Express La Minerva - the first Orient Express hotel in the world now open in Rome, anchored in history and emblematic of a refined approach to travel, and marking the breathtaking revival of a 17th-century palazzo situated on Piazza della Minerva, meticulously restored by award-winning artist-architect Hugo Toro - and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice - the second Orient Express hotel, a unique encounter between the legendary luxury brand and the Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a treasured palace originally built in 1400 and now being restored by Aline Asmar d'Amman, Orient Express brings its ethos of cultural depth and timeless style into the heart of cities steeped in meaning. As soon as the hotel opens, passengers on La Dolce Vita Orient Express will be able to disembark directly at the Venice Santa Lucia Station and reach the Palazzo Donà Giovannelli by foot or by boat.

Opening the doors of Orient Express La Minerva marks a powerful moment in our journey. A city of layered beauty and bold character, Rome offers the perfect canvas to reimagine the legacy of Orient Express through new purpose and experience - where Romans gather, and international aesthetes unite. In partnership with Arsenale Group and through the visionary work of artist-architect Hugo Toro, we have the privilege to breathe new life into a heritage property deeply rooted in the fabric of this timeless city. - Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Chief Strategy Officer and CEO Orient Express

In 2026, the brand will extend this narrative to the sea with the launch of its first sailing yacht and world’s largest sailing yacht, the Orient Express Corinthian, a floating expression of innovation and serenity. Designed with groundbreaking sustainable technology, the yacht - like the trains and hotels - offers not only an escape, but a perspective: a way of moving through the world with purpose.

Two-time 3-Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Alléno, one of the most innovative and prestigious chefs on the international culinary scene, will be the Executive Chef, in addition to the legendary Orient Express Train. This collaboration marks a milestone in the history of Orient Express, combining the brand’s timeless heritage with the very best of French excellence.

A second exceptional sailing yacht boasting spectacular interiors will set sail in 2027, the Orient Express Olympian.

A Strategic Ambition in Luxury

Orient Express is part of Accor’s leading collection of luxury brands with a century-old legacy in the hotels and fine-dining sectors. In 2024, Accor and LVMH entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of Orient Express, with the ambition of going further in exploring new horizons and bringing the embodiment of Orient Express to life with audacity and creative passion.

With Orient Express, Accor is curating a living, evolving legend that resonates with today’s global travelers, rejuvenating the experience for clients in search of excellence and distinctiveness, and speaking to a growing demand for story-driven, and emotionally rich journeys, experiences that blur the lines between movement and meaning, between discovery and art.