Belmond Limited

Belmond Ltd. (formerly Orient-Express Hotels Ltd.) is a hospitality and leisure company that operates hotels, train services and river cruises and safaris worldwide. In 2024, the company has 47 properties in 28 countries and territories, with 32 hotels, six tourist trains, seven river cruise boats and two safaris.





== History ==

The company was founded in 1976 by the American entrepreneur James Sherwood with the acquisition of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy, from the Guinness family for £900,000. Sherwood then bought a number of carriages from the original Orient Express train, which he restored and used to offer rides from Paris and London to his hotel in Venice, thus the former name of the company. Much of the history of the company is documented in Sherwood's memoir Orient Express: A Personal Journey.

On 10 March 2014, Orient-Express Hotels Ltd was renamed Belmond, and on 1 July 2014, Belmond's holding company was also renamed Belmond Ltd.

In April 2015, Belmond partnered with Irish Rail to launch the train Belmond Grand Hibernian in Ireland. In July 2016, Indian Hotels Company Limited sold most of its 5.1% stake in Belmond, retaining only 0.44% after the sale.

In December 2018, the company agreed to be acquired by LVMH in a $3.2 billion transaction which would delist the company from the New York Stock Exchange and make it 100% privately owned.