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LEADER – GILDA PEREZ-ALVARADO, CEO ORIENT EXPRESS AND ACCOR CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: "ORIENT EXPRESS IS ABOUT CRAFTING MEANINGFUL JOURNEYS, NOT JUST STAYS"
One year after our first conversation, Gilda Perez-Alvarado returns to Journal des Palaces to share the latest milestones in what she calls “the most ambitious project to date” for Orient Express, and its parent company, Accor. |
Category: Worldwide - Industry economy
- Interviews and portraits
- Hotel opening - Hotel projects - Interviews - Industry leaders
Interview made by Vanessa Guerrier-Buisine on Wednesday 23 July 2025
 Gilda Perez is both CEO of Orient Express and Chief Strategy Officer of Accor
Photo credit © Rodrigo Varela / Orient Express
Since Gilda's appointment to lead the brand in January 2024, Orient Express has made remarkable progress. La Dolce Vita train, which took its inaugural trip this April, transports travellers through Italy's most iconic landscapes, evoking the glamour of the 1960s. Meanwhile, the hotel Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, also having just opened this April, followed by Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice due by the end of this year, are each designed to tell its own unique story. On the high seas, Orient Express Corinthian – set to become the world’s largest sailing yacht – promises to redefine luxury travel with a blend of cutting-edge technology and timeless craftsmanship.
But beyond these individual projects, Gilda Perez-Alvarado has a vision of tailor-made journeys combining trains, hotels and yachts, with the legendary Orient Express as the common thread, offering travellers a unique way to discover the world without leaving the brand. This vision, deeply rooted in the DNA of Orient Express, requires a meticulous approach – one that respects the past while boldly embracing the future.
Gilda speaks with Journal des Palaces about her ambitions, the challenges of bringing Orient Express into a new era, and how she is ensuring that its legend remains as captivating for the next century as it was for the last.
Journal des Palaces: In our last interview, you mentioned the launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express train and Orient Express La Minerva hotel in Rome in 2025. Could you tell us about these two openings?
Gilda Perez-Alvarado: La Dolce Vita Orient Express and Orient Express La Minerva have just made their debut this Spring, and we're incredibly excited about it. It's a different positioning for Orient Express. This is Italy in the 1960s, a new way of discovering the country, through eight different itineraries, on average around two nights.
Travelers often visit Venice, Rome, Portofino, etc., but we aim to offer a different perspective. La Dolce Vita Orient Express’ design has been crafted by Dimorestudio, and it's a stunning interpretation of the Orient Express spirit in train travel. At Orient Express La Minerva, we are experiencing a very positive response, with international guests and locals alike. We are home to Gigi Rigolatto, complete with the most exceptional panoramic views of the city.
How is the Venice hotel coming along?
Later this year, we will unveil Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice, which has a completely different identity compared to Orient Express La Minerva, singular and unique by its essence. Designed by Aline Asmar d’Amman, our hotel in Venice is an exceptional 1400s palazzo. What's distinctive about it is that its restoration and renovation is done in close collaboration with respective Italian authorities to ensure the preservation and renovation are done with the utmost care and respect.
It's intimate, less than 50 rooms, with an enchanting atmosphere. In terms of service, we're working closely with our guest experience teams to provide exclusive access to and privatise parts of the city that are normally not available to the public.
It's about curating experiences, shaping the journey to keep nurturing and expanding the myth, the legend that is Orient Express. It’s not just a physical product, but also all about the service.
How will you be creating synergies between the hotels and La Dolce Vita Orient Express train?
The goal is to be able to sell Orient Express’ journeys, which can be a combination of hotel and/or trains and/or yachts – or maybe just one. At the end of the day, we want to ensure that each guest can curate their own adventure.
Each of the assets has its own personality and positioning. For example, La Dolce Vita Orient Express is a train with its own personality and spirit, with a very refreshing way to experience Italy. Orient Express La Minerva, housed in a historic building dating back to the 1600s – is beautifully situated in Rome. Its design, created by Hugo Toro, contrasts history with a modern interpretation.
Orient Express is expanding its hotels in Italy. How does Orient Express intend to differentiate its properties in these already highly competitive markets?
We are witnessing a new renaissance in Rome and in Italy in general, with the beginning of the next five to ten years of new brands coming in and elevating the guest’s experience. So, it's a beautiful and exciting time for us to be in Rome. There's the demand, and the tourism numbers are at an all-time high.
So yes, you can combine it with a train or a yacht journey, make it part of an itinerary, but we're very happy to be in great company with the rest of the luxury hotels that have entered, and have by themselves really elevated the offering. So, the competitive field is there, which is good.
Orient Express is such a unique product and what's interesting about the brand itself is this duality or juxtaposition of things – it’s facts as much as it is fiction. It's classic in its origins, yet it embraces technology and innovation, all while respecting and preserving craftsmanship – that very delicate savoir-faire.
What are the challenges associated with the construction and launch of the Orient Express Sailing Yachts, and how does Orient Express plan to redefine the standards of hospitality at sea?
Next year, we’re excited to be welcoming Orient Express Corinthian – the world’s largest sailing yacht – to the collection. The yacht’s exterior has been developed by Naval Architect Vianney Vautier at Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Its interior design is crafted by Architect Maxime d’Angeac, Artistic Director of Orient Express. Maxime has conducted extensive research to ensure that the yacht’s design stays true to the aesthetic principles of Orient Express’ origins.
The level of craftsmanship is extraordinary. The yacht’s sails are fully operational – not just decorative – which allows us to blend classical elegance with modern engineering. What sets us apart is our sailing concept: our sailing yacht has just 54 suites, which aligns with the intimacy found in each of our trains and hotels. Additionally, each of our assets – whether trains, hotels, or yachts – can be privatised.
Today, multi-generational travellers have diverse expectations, requiring us to be agile, adaptable, and resilient in our approach. We must be very entrepreneurial and almost scientific in terms of how we're operating.
As CEO of a legendary brand like Orient Express, how do you balance respecting its DNA while guiding its expansion?
It’s a great honour to be the custodians of this 140-year-old brand, to be part of it. Our mission is to make sure that it continues to be as glorious for the next 140 years.
One of our greatest treasures is our in-house historian, Arthur Mettetal, who holds a PhD in the history of Orient Express. He has rediscovered original Orient Express carriages, which are now being restored. It's a complete labour of love, using extensive archives.
When considering new destinations, we explore their historical ties to the brand. We reference the ethos of the brand, even from a sustainability perspective. It’s all about thoughtful progress. It is crucial to work with craftsmen and engineers… Everyone has its own idiosyncrasy.
At its core, Orient Express is a collective effort, a masterpiece shaped by many.
With all that in mind, do you target specific destinations to develop Orient Express?
From a big picture perspective, we must be very selective, because we want to make sure that we are offering meaningful travel experiences. It's not just a hotel stay or a train ticket or that you go on a luxury yacht for a handful of days. It is this journey.
So, when we're looking at destinations or assets for development, we must understand if it makes sense from a brand DNA perspective. We ask ourselves: did it have a chapter in its past? Does it have a role in its present and future? Above all, our ambition is to sell journeys, and it needs to be done with care.
In 2024, you announced a strategic alliance with LVMH. How will LVMH's expertise in ultraluxury influence Orient Express' positioning and operations? How do you differentiate yourself from Belmond, an LVMH brand that also owns Orient Express trains?
With Orient Express, we are crafting a modern legend, one that honours the extraordinary legacy of the brand while writing a new, emotionally resonant chapter for a new generation of travellers.
Orient Express is a brand with its own rhythm, its own aesthetic, and a clear creative vision. From the train to the hotels to the sailing yacht, every asset is designed to deliver a singular, cohesive experience. Expectations are high and rightly so. Our approach is deliberate, nuanced, and built for long-term distinction. By contributing to the revival of this iconic brand, LVMH adds its unique expertise in high-quality products and services.
What collaborations could we expect between LVMH’s brands and Orient Express?
The Orient Express approach is about crafting an immersive experience where each element – from service to product – resonates with our history, our identity, and elevates the guest journey across train, hotel, and yacht. LVMH brings world-class expertise in luxury consumer goods, from beauty to spirits.
Where a collaboration makes sense, where it adds value for our guests, we will explore it. But always with relevance and in full coherence with the Orient Express universe.What are your next priorities?
After having just opened our first hotel in Rome and launching the La Dolce Vita Orient Express train, our next priority is launching our Venice hotel, Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, Orient Express Corinthian and its sister yacht, and the new Orient Express train. Our goal is to build a community of like-minded travellers eager to explore. It’s a step-by-step strategy.
 Orient Express trains offer luxurious comfort and respect the historic heritage of Orient Express
Photo credit © Orient Express
 The Orient Express La Minerva hotel opened its doors in April 2025
Photo credit © Alexandre Tabaste / Orient Express
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