By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Accor and LVMH want the Orient Express to go off the rails … but in a good way.
Accor is a travel company that acquired Orient Express in 2022, while LVMH is one of the world’s largest companies dedicated to the luxury market, working in categories like Wines & Spirits, Fashion & Leather Goods, Perfumes & Cosmetics, Watches & Jewelry and Selective Retailing.
Accor and LVMH have now entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of Orient Express, a legendary House synonymous for more than a century with the most exclusive travel experiences.
“Orient Express is a legend ever since its creation 140 years ago, drawing on its roots and its oneiric universe while remaining at all times firmly focused on the future,” said Accor CEO and Chairman Sébastien Bazin. “With Orient Express, Accor is reinventing the art of travel, discovery and great odysseys.
“With LVMH today, we are opening a new chapter in this exciting journey, with the ambition of exploring new horizons and embodying the audacity and creative passion that drive our groups,” he added. “We’re delighted to enlist LVMH’s rare expertise to continue pushing further the frontiers of this legend and bringing its embodiment to life in an ever more singular way.”
Feature: Time for Licensing To Hit a Home Run With Baseball Legend Josh Gibson
Since the inaugural voyage of its train in 1883, Orient Express has become a legend in the travel industry, considered the ultimate in luxury train travel. That distinctive charm has also caused the train to be featured in various books, films and TV series. Most famously, the train was the star of the show in the Agatha Christie novel Murder on the Orient Express, which has been made into films, but it was also featured in Graham Greene’s Orient Express and Stamboul Train, and Lindsay Jayne Ashford’s The Woman on the Orient Express.
Accor and LVMH now want to broaden the brand to go beyond the train experience, as they are developing new ventures for trains, hotels and sailing ships, with exacting standards that will reflect an extraordinary positioning within the travel world.
“Orient Express has embodied adventure and elegance since its origins,” said LVMH CEO and Chairman Bernard Arnault. “Its name has become part of our cultural heritage and remains a source of inspiration for the greatest artists. Orient Express epitomizes the art of refined living and the audacity that drives each of our Houses.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Accor to accelerate the renewal of this travel icon,” he added. “Each of our groups will bring the best of its expertise to take Orient Express to the pinnacle of the art of hospitality.”
The renaissance of an historic train and the launch of the first Orient Express sailing ship in 2026 will be the next steps in this new growth initiative, the partners say. In parallel with these launches, Orient Express will open its first hotels in Rome and Venice while continuing the selective development of its global destinations.
Under the terms of the agreements, LVMH will be joining forces with Accor through a strategic investment in the Orient Express brand, in the company that will operate the future hotels and trains, and in the entity that will own the two sailing ships. The first ship is currently under construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France, and the two groups will continue to search for a third partner for this new venture.
By contributing to the revival of this iconic brand, LVMH says it will add its unique expertise in high-quality products and services, illustrated in particular, in the world of travel, by the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train and the five other trains also operated by Belmond around the world.
Within its Luxury and Lifestyle Division, Accor brings together the leading collection of luxury brands with a century-old legacy in the hotel and fine dining sectors. The heritage and history of several of these brands, including Raffles, Fairmont and Potel & Chabot, have enabled Accor to rejuvenate the experience for clients in search of excellence and distinctiveness.
Accor says this vision of creating unique travel experiences at the pinnacle of the luxury travel market is at the heart of the Orient Express project.