You have more than Agatha Christie to thank if you immediately think of “Orient Express” when someone introduces the concept of luxury train travel (preferably by sans murder).
Venice-Simplon Orient Express is still operating today thanks to the travel agency Belmond (formerly known as Orient Express Hotels). The luxury train operates between various cities, including Paris and Istanbul, and will set passengers back a hefty penny: A five-night trip between the two cities next August costs over $36,000 for a historic cabin for two. on VSOE.
Want a nicer set? That would run over $86,000.
Sign up for our daily newsletter
With prices like that – and trains regularly selling out – it’s no surprise that others are entering the luxury train orbit and why more and more luxury train services are available around the world.
For more TPG news delivered to your inbox every morning, Sign up for our daily newsletter.
In Japan, people don’t just book an overnight ride on the Seven Stars train service – you sign up to be chosen from a lottery. If selected, visitors will go on a 1- to 3-night cruise through Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island known for its volcanoes and beaches. Fares range from $6,332 for a suite for one person on a one-night cruise to almost $17,000 for a deluxe suite for one person on a three-night cruise.
Belmond, declined to be questioned for this story, operates trains such as the Royal Scotsman and British Pullman in the UK. In Asia, there is the Eastern & Oriental Express, and in Peru, Belmond offers the Andean Explorer.
A newer in the luxury sector comes from the hospitality sector. Accor plans to launch its own Orient ExpressOrient Express La Dolce Vita, around next year in the context of Orient Express brand expanding further into the hotel sector.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a brand that people dream of – a true luxury brand is the one that everyone dreams of – a true luxury brand is the one that everyone dreams of – a true luxury brand is the one that everyone dreams of” you can love”. TPG earlier this year. “Who hasn’t dreamed of taking a trip with the Orient Express?”
Hotel on the railway
It may seem a bit confusing for hotel companies to get into the train transport business, but experts say it’s not an infrastructure game off the field. hotel. Instead, it’s like how Marriott International is getting into the yacht business while Four Seasons launches a private jet Service.
Bottom line: The Orient Express service chain or the Belmond line of luxury trains isn’t exactly the Northeast Amtrak between Boston and New York City.
“I am not sure that hotel train service will become mainstream. I think it’s still going to be a niche service, it’s going to be an interesting service,” said Nicolas Graf, associate dean at New York University’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality. “I don’t discount that [possibility]but I don’t think it’s something that will develop as another type of motel. “
But there is still a reason to go even after the most niche travel sector, as customers in this sector tend to spend more on travel. In recent years, hotel companies have made various plays for the luxury consumer, and those protests have grown during the pandemic.
IHG acquires ultra-luxury brands such as Regent and Six Senses. Marriott International launches vacation rental platform Homes & Villas. Mandarin Oriental has gone a step further by launching its own branch of vacation rentals, but the division went through a 700-point checklist to ensure the homes that Mandarin Oriental offers were essentially the same quality as a actual Mandarin Oriental hotel.
“If your goal is to get close to 100% market share in your guests’ travel wallets, you want to scale enough that they never need to look outside your ecosystem,” said Marriott International CEO Anthony. Capuano said at this month’s Skift Global Forum, also introducing why the company is launching Homes & Villas.
Using that logic, why wouldn’t a hotel company or two go after tourists with luxury trains? It’s a way to bring another new experience to the booming leisure travel segment.
“I am not surprised that Accor is involved in it. It’s great because it’s another extension of the hotel experience to be able to offer something new and different,” said Leora Lanz, assistant dean of academic affairs at the School of Hospitality Management. Boston University said. “For me, this is just another creative proposition to provide an entertainment experience. It’s about creating memorable experiences.”
Trainspotting
Just because there’s a market for something like this doesn’t mean you should expect Belmond or Accor to suddenly start running luxury trains along the Northeast Corridor or across America. has ties to luxury train travel such as Europe and parts of Asia.
It also means using historic train routes that take longer to traverse to give riders a nicer route – and enough time to make it look like they’re making money.
“If you look at the rail system, the modern rail system has, for the most part, been designed for efficiency. Instead of going up the mountain, they built a tunnel. Now, more historic trails go through windy roads, up mountains, and across lakes. They have a completely different scene,” Graf said. “You need these ingredients to make it worthwhile. I will look at where these cars are historically built because they are the things that will provide the ingredients for the super luxury train experience. “
Sorry, Northeast area. Maybe in a few hundred years you’ll have your Venice-Simplon Orient Express moment.
