Accor Names New CEOs for Luxury Hotel Brands Orient Express and Fairmont

The idea of a “meal fit for a king or queen” gets plenty of lip service among those with no experience eating food served in a castle, or presiding over a monarchy. Taken literally, what would be the perfect royal meal for luxury food tourists searching the globe for a unique experience?

Poland’s landlocked capital has a complex history that has seen the “Phoenix City” bounce back from conflict over multiple conflicts. Modern Warsaw is a mishmash of restored medieval structures and cutting-edge skyscrapers among which stands Varso Tower – the tallest building in the European Union.

Belmond, the luxury company behind the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE), made a historic announcement this week that will delight those who love luxury European luxury train travel. The company said that in June 2024, the VSOE will travel to the Italian Riviera for the first time on a three-night experience that links Paris and the Ligurian coastal resort of Portofino. Once in Portofino, guests check into the Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, for two nights.

Ready to depart next Summer, the extravagant Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond Train, will travel to the Italian Riviera for the very first time in its four-decade history, connecting Paris and Portofino. The new, annual overnight journey will see the train winding through the French countryside and along the coastline of the Mediterranean Riviera, concluding at Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, where guests will stay for two nights.

When choosing a hotel for your December vacation, “sterile” and “corporate” simply won’t do. Winter is upon us. Christmastime is here. The holiday spirit should ooze through every check-in kiosk, ice machine and fitness center―the more, the merrier.

This summer, travelers can experience the Italian Riviera like never before—by arriving on Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE).

Hilton is considering as many as 14 names for upcoming hotel brands, its recent trademark filings show.

It appears American Express' pilot program of a luxury vacation home rental platform is doing well enough to expand to new destinations and invite more members into the mix.

Dubai’s home-grown hotel group FIVE is looking at potentially expanding beyond the emirate into the world’s largest hospitality markets. This includes a potential resort in party haven Las Vegas and in the conservative Gulf kingdom Saudi Arabia.

High-speed rail in the United States may soon be a reality. The White House recently announced the allocation of $8.2 billion in funding for several key rail projects including a Las Vegas to Los Angeles corridor; a Raleigh, North Carolina to Richmond, Virginia, route; new service throughout California’s central valley; and more. The investment is a component of President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” Agenda.  While high-speed rail has been a popular wish among travelers for many years, the allocation of funding helps put the project in motion, with one administration official sharing with Travel + Leisure that the Las Vegas to Los Angeles route could be completed in advance of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “If you’ve ever seen the standard of passenger rail service in Japan, Germany, Spain, or Italy, and come home and wondered, 'Why can’t we have these nice things?’ This is the beginning of the answer to that. Help is on the way,” Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, told T+L during a press briefing on the announcement.  Buttigieg said that the lack of investment in new rail services over the last several decades is a trend that is now being reversed and that while change won’t happen overnight, travelers will see improvements within a few years.  Over 35 rail projects were named as part of the funding announcement, including: 

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Luxury hospitality brand Inspirato has a new CEO: Eric Grosse.