Follow Belmond in one feed. This hub gathers the latest news and developments across the LVMH-owned luxury travel and hotel group, curated from trusted sources. Stay on top of a distinctive name in luxury hospitality and trains.
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Mirapolis Amusement Park, Opened in 1987, Closed in 1991 After Failing to Meet Visitor and Financial Targets
11 August 2026🎡 Architect Anne Fourcade conceived Mirapolis in 1980, opening on May 20, 1987, in Courdimanche, France. Despite initial expectations of 2.5 million visitors annually, only 600,000 visited in the first year, leading to a 20 million franc deficit. The park closed on October 20, 1991, after 5 seasons, with losses of 300 million francs. Future projects, including Uxco Group’s 2023 proposal, face environmental reviews and community relocation challenges. The Île-de-France authority flagged issues in July 2024.
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Hotel Cipriani in Venice Undergoes Renovation by Peter Marino, Adding Dior Spa and Redesigned Suites
11 August 2026🏨 Venice’s Hotel Cipriani, a Belmond Hotel, built in 1956 on Giudecca island, celebrates 70 years as a luxury icon. Recent renovations by Peter Marino, starting in 2018, introduced a Dior Spa and revamped Oro restaurant. The hotel offers rooms from 21 to 105 square meters, with suites featuring unique Venetian elements. Notably, it houses Venice’s only Olympic-sized seawater pool. The lush Casanova Gardens and signature Bellinis remain guest favorites at this retreat from Piazza San Marco’s crowds.
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Hotels Are No Longer Selling Rooms, A Great Restaurant Now Sells the Room Upstairs, Independent Hotels Risk Losing AI Bookings by Default
10 August 2026The week opens with three pieces that each challenge a foundational hotel revenue assumption. Belmond’s Lawrence Edwards argues that hotels still measuring themselves by room revenue are operating on an obsolete model. JLL puts hard numbers on what the right restaurant does to a hotel’s occupancy and RevPAR. And Lighthouse closes the loop on last week’s AI booking infrastructure debate with the most specific guidance yet on what independent hotels need to do to appear in AI results before OTAs…
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A Great Restaurant Is Now Selling the Room Upstairs
10 August 2026Many independent hoteliers still file the restaurant under overhead: a service the property offers rather than a reason anyone chooses it. The evidence out this year says the opposite. According to JLL’s analysis, luxury and upper-upscale hotels with a prestige restaurant, one built around a celebrity chef, a James Beard award, or a Michelin star, post 6.7 percentage points higher occupancy than comparable hotels without one, and earn 18.6 percent more revenue per available room. Behind those numbers is a…
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The Measure of Meaning: Luxury Hospitality’s Most Promising Era Is Just Beginning
10 August 2026There has rarely been a better time to work in luxury hospitality. The global luxury hotel market was valued at roughly $110.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $196.7 billion by 2033, with experiential and wellness-led travel growing faster still. Demand is strong, capital is flowing, and execution has never been more refined. And yet that very success carries a quiet risk worth naming: as investment pours in and best practices converge, luxury can begin to feel the…
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Hotels are no longer selling rooms. Here’s what that means
10 August 2026What are hotels actually selling? For a long time, the answer was straightforward. Rooms carried the business. Most of the technology investment followed, focused on distribution, pricing, and occupancy. It made sense. It was measurable, controllable, and commercially critical. But that clarity is starting to fade. Guests don’t remember the room in isolation, and hotels don’t operate as simply as their systems sometimes suggest. Restaurants, experiences, service, and everything that happens between them are where much of the value really…
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Italy’s Hotel Scene Expands with Noteworthy New Openings and Restorations Set for 2026 Across Iconic Locations
29 July 2026🏨 Italian hotel scene for 2026 features exciting new openings and restorations. In the Dolomites, Hotel Ambra Cortina d’Ampezzo debuts a HiFi Bar & Lounge, while Rosapetra Spa Resort introduces the Henge Suite with a private sauna and terrace. Florence’s Villa San Michele reopens with a new Guerlain spa. Lake Como’s Casabianca adds artistic suites, and the Lake Como Edition stands out with 148 rooms. Rome sees Casa JK Place with 12 apartments in May. Venice’s Danieli relaunches in August,…
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Italy’s Luxury Hotels See Up to 40% Revenue from Food and Beverage as Gastronomy Gains Importance
28 July 2026📰 In 2025, Italy’s luxury hotels generated significant F&B revenues, with luxury properties making 25-40% of revenue from F&B. Hotel Villa d’Este earned €115.3 million, with €830 per room from F&B. Rome Cavalieri reported €68 million total revenue with F&B contributing 37%. Italy plans to increase luxury hotels from 760 to 900 by 2029, representing an 18% rise. Relais & Châteaux has over 210 Michelin-starred venues worldwide, showcasing Italy’s culinary prestige.
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Supper Magazine Issue 49 Explores Culinary Journeys, New Restaurant Reviews, and Hospitality Industry Insights
20 July 2026🍴 Luke Nguyen’s journey from Vietnam to Australia features in Supper’s issue 49, tracing culinary heritage. Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett shares a trattoria memory, while Michael White discusses Italian cuisine. Reviews include Eneko Atxa’s La Sociedad Gastronomika in Madrid, Shayne Brady’s London restoration of Simpson’s in the Strand, and Ángell León’s Amura in Cape Town. Features highlight Damien Follone’s F&B studio launch and Austria’s high-altitude festival. The issue also includes “Head of the Table,” a global hospitality guide.
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Louis Vuitton Hotel Will Not Open
2 June 2026For more than two years, one of the most discussed hospitality projects in Paris was the rumored arrival of the world’s first Louis Vuitton hotel. Located at 103-111 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the project generated intense speculation across the luxury, hospitality, and travel industries. Now, that speculation has come to an end. According to reporting from La Revue des Hôtels, Bernard Arnault personally confirmed that Louis Vuitton will not enter the hotel business through the Champs-Élysées project, putting an end to…
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Maroma Hotel Reduces Waste and Supports Local Communities Through Local Sourcing and Zero-Waste Practices
5 May 2026🌿 Osvaldo emphasizes local sourcing at Maroma, partnering with Sian Ka’an lobster fishers and local farmers to reduce packaging waste. Freddy’s Bar follows a zero-waste cocktail philosophy, maximizing ingredient use. Since March 2024, Maroma donated 610.25 kg of surplus food (2,034 portions) to Contando con un Amigo, aiding 80+ children in Playa del Carmen. In 2025, Maroma’s Bee School will educate on bee conservation and climate issues, highlighting community and environmental impact.
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Minor Hotels Launches Anantara Private Jet Journeys, Expanding Luxury Travel to Remote Resorts by 2027
30 April 2026✈ Anantara Private Jet Journeys, announced by Ian Di Tullio, CCO of Minor Hotels, offers luxury air travel to remote resorts. Routes include the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, and Tanzania. This initiative aligns with a growing demand for seamless, immersive travel experiences. Minor Hotels plans to expand from over 560 properties to add 300 more by 2027, alongside launching two new brands to enhance its Anantara brand.
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Villa San Michele in Florence Reopens After 18-Month Renovation with Redesigned Rooms and New Spa by Guerlain
29 April 2026🏨 Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence, reopened on April 28, 2026, after an 18-month renovation. Located in the Fiesole hills, the hotel now features 39 redesigned rooms and suites, a Guerlain spa, and restored gardens. Renovations include 27 suites and 12 rooms by Luigi Fragola Architects. Guests can enjoy new dining options and curated wellbeing experiences. The gardens cover over 10,000 square meters, and the property offers seasonal programs like yoga and sound healing.
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Klaus Kabelitz Appointed General Manager of Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, Succeeding Retiring Serge Ethuin
21 April 2026📅 Klaus Kabelitz has been appointed as the new general manager of Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, located in Monaco, succeeding Serge Ethuin, who retired after over ten years. Kabelitz began his role in September 2024 at The Kensington in London and has prior leadership experience, including managing The Biltmore Mayfair and The Cadogan London. He aims to enhance the luxury hotel’s influence and guest experience with his extensive background in high-end hospitality across Europe and the U.S.
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AI Dominates European Travel Planning, Becoming Main Tool for Inspiration and Search Relevance
2 April 2026💻 AI is transforming travel planning in Europe, becoming the primary tool for inspiration. Meanwhile, Airbnb’s growth includes mundane additions like airport transfers. Major events show a disconnect with strong ticket sales but weak hotel bookings. A 40-day booking window trend indicates cancellations are high. In luxury markets, consistency over creativity is emphasized, with Belmond succeeding by slowing down. Social media faces scrutiny for promoting addiction, akin to tobacco’s past. An underlying software layer, often run on Excel, may soon…
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Arsenale Group Disrupts Luxury Hospitality with 10 Iconic European Assets and Expands Luxury Train Portfolio to 11 Trains
1 April 2026🛡 Arsenale Group, led by partners Nicola Bulgari (85), Luca Rovati (66), and Paolo (40), owns iconic hotels and trains across Europe, with 10 assets primarily in Italy. Their strategy diverges from the asset-light model, preferring ownership to align vision and service. They own 11 of 30 luxury trains globally, including the Golden Eagle and La Dolce Vita. Arsenale partners with Accor for Orient Express hotels in Rome and Venice. Expansion targets include Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus…
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Fast Company Names Belmond Among Most Innovative Companies of 2026 for Its “Slow Luxury” Approach
27 March 2026🏨 Fast Company named Belmond one of the Most Innovative Companies of 2026 for its approach in the hospitality industry. Known for emphasizing patience and craft, Belmond offers “Slow Luxury” experiences in its hotels, trains, boats, and lodges worldwide. This week, they were praised for their radical innovation of slowing down in a fast-paced world, ensuring that time is invested in creating memorable guest experiences rather than being spent hastily.
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Shiji Deploys Infrasys POS System on Eastern & Oriental Express to Enhance Luxury Train Service in Asia
12 March 2026🚄 Singapore, March 12, 2026 – Shiji’s Infrasys POS system, operational since July 16, 2024, is now enhancing the Eastern & Oriental Express, a luxury train in Southeast Asia. Covering routes from Bangkok to Singapore, this technology boosts service efficiency and guest experience, offering digital records and seamless billing. Shiji, a major hospitality tech provider with 5,000 employees, supports over 91,000 hotels globally, integrating modern solutions with historic charm.
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Elevates Luxury Dining on the Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train, Southeast Asia, with Shiji’s Infrasys POS
12 March 2026Shiji’s POS system has been operational since July 2024 on the luxury train route between Bangkok and Singapore, streamlining dining operations.
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Out of the past: Gilda Perez-Alvarado drives Orient Express down the track
23 February 2026🛡️ Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO of Orient Express for Accor since 2023, is leading the revival of the historic brand. Accor acquired full ownership of Orient Express by 2022 and opened the Orient Express La Minerva hotel in Rome in 2025. Plans include a Venice property debut in 2026 and a Caribbean yacht launch in 2023. Perez-Alvarado, influenced by her childhood in Costa Rica and her hotel industry background, aims to honor the brand’s rich history through these new ventures.
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The future of luxury hospitality: who will stand out, and why ?
20 February 2026🏨 The luxury hotel market, worth $112.4 billion in 2025, is projected to hit $219.1 billion by 2035, with a 7.7% annual growth rate. Economy hotels’ revenue per room dropped 1.8% through August 2025, while luxury saw a 5.3% rise. In 2025, Four Seasons was the most admired hotel group, and Mandarin Oriental ranked top luxury brand. Rosewood Hong Kong was named the world’s best hotel. Total US hotel labor costs reached $127 billion in 2025, up 15.3% since 2019.
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U.S. News Reveals the 2026 Best Hotels
10 February 2026🏨 U.S. News & World Report released its 2026 Best Hotels rankings on July 2023, featuring over 31,000 hotels across 400+ destinations. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii, retained the top U.S. spot, while Adare Manor led in Europe. Jade Mountain, St. Lucia, topped the Caribbean, and Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas was best in Mexico. The rankings evaluate hotels using star ratings, expert opinions, and online reviews.
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Belmond names managing director, global lodges
16 January 2026📰 Steve Mitchell was appointed managing director of global lodges at Belmond, reporting to Iain Langridge. He oversees the expansion of Belmond’s global lodge portfolio and existing safari lodges in Botswana, including Eagle Island Lodge and Savute Elephant Lodge. Previously, Mitchell co-founded Angama, leading its growth in locations like Kenya’s Maasai Mara. He also founded the Angama Foundation, supporting local communities. His appointment aims to enhance guest experiences and reinforce Belmond’s position in Slow Luxury travel.
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Belmond expands lodge platform as Slow Luxury strategy gains momentum
16 January 2026🏝️ Steve Mitchell will lead Belmond’s lodges globally, focusing on Botswana’s Eagle Island and Savute Elephant Lodge. Reporting to Iain Langridge, he aims to enhance guest experiences and community impact. Previously, Mitchell scaled Angama into a notable safari brand in East Africa over 12 years. Under CEO Dan Ruff, Belmond strengthens its executive team and European presence, opening Villa Beatrice in Italy. Laura Magnon Pujo will join as senior VP of HR in 2026.
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La Résidence Phou Vao in Laos Reopens After Stunning Transformation
9 January 2026🏨 La Résidence Phou Vao, located atop Phou Vao Hill in Luang Prabang, Laos, has reopened after a comprehensive renovation led by Sanya Souvanna Phouma and HMD Asia. The 37-suite hotel combines Lao heritage and French art with modern comforts, such as expanded private terraces and state-of-the-art facilities. Plans for 2026 include a wellness center and a Presidential Suite. The renovation honors its history while offering panoramic views of UNESCO-listed sites and sacred mountains.
