Accor has joined forces with French luxury conglomerate LVMH to accelerate the development of the iconic Orient Express brand and speed up its revival. LVMH has entered into a partnership with Accor through a strategic investment in the Orient Express brand, which will be relaunching the historic train services as well as opening the brand’s first hotels and sailing ships.
LVMH has also invested in the company which will operate the hotels and trains, as well as in the entity which will own the two ships.
Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
The first ship is being developed at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France. Accor said in a statement that the two partners are currently looking for a third venture for the new venture.
Following Orient Express’ acquisition by Accor in 2022, the French hotel giant has been developing new ventures for the trains, hotels and sailing ships under the Orient Express brand. The debuts of the historic train and sailing ship are slated for 2026. Orient Express will also be opening its first hotels in Venice and Rome.
Created by the Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, the first Orient Express train traveled on June 5, 1883 from Paris to Vienna before connecting western Europe with the eastern extremities, eventually extending to Istanbul.
Accor has been revitalizing 17 original cars dating back to the 1920-1930s. The set of carriages last operated as the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, a train-cruise inaugurated in the early 1980s and traversing between Zurich and Istanbul.
“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. 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,” Sébastien Bazin, Accor group chairman and CEO said.
Orient Express is a part of Accor’s luxury and lifestyle division, which also includes brands like Raffles, Fairmont and Potel & Chabot.
LVMH has expanded its presence in the hospitality sector, following the 2018 acquisition of Belmond, the owner of the Venice Simplon—Orient-Express train service and five other trains, for $2.6 billion.
“Orient Express has embodied adventure and elegance since its origins. 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,” said Bernard Arnault, LVMH group chairman and CEO.
