• March 30, 2026

Orient Express opens Venice hotel as brand expansion gathers pace

Orient Express opens Venice hotel as brand expansion gathers pace

Orient Express opens Venice hotel as brand expansion gathers pace 1023 684 micebook.

Orient Express continues its expansion with the opening of its new Venice property, Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, this week.

The hotel, which opens on 1 April, marks the latest step in Accor and LVMH’s revival of the luxury brand, following the launch of Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and the new La Dolce Vita Orient Express luxury train last year.

We recently attended an exclusive lunch event with Claire Hennebel, senior vice president of sales at Orient Express, to find out more about the brand’s growing collection…

A new chapter for Orient Express

The Venice opening forms part of a wider strategy to reposition Orient Express as a multi-dimensional luxury brand, linking experiences across land and sea, with its rail journeys, hotels and forthcoming ultra-luxury yachts.

Located in Venice’s Cannaregio district at the confluence of two canals, the palazzo was a noble residence built in 1436 during the reign of architect Filippo Calendario, the visionary behind the Doge’s Palace.

The property, which has never previously operated as a hotel, has undergone an extensive eight-year restoration that blends its heritage with contemporary luxury.

With 47 rooms and suites, Hennebel said it’s the perfect size for group buyouts and private events, particularly during key periods such as the Venice Biennale.

The hotel features a range of historic event spaces suited to private hire and small-scale gatherings. Key rooms include a baroque ballroom, library and music room, all retaining original architectural features such as frescoes, gilded detailing and period craftsmanship.

These spaces are complemented by a courtyard garden and canal-side arrival, allowing for private boat access and outdoor dining. The hotel’s culinary offering includes fine dining restaurant Heinz Beck Venezia, all-day dining space La Casati, and the Wagon Bar, a nod to the golden age of rail travel.

Expansion into ultra-luxury yachts

The next phase of the brand’s evolution will see Orient Express move into maritime travel, with the launch of its first yacht, Orient Express Corinthian, set to sail in May.

The 220-metre sailing yacht will feature just 54 suites, significantly fewer than traditional cruise ships, and is designed to operate more like a private yacht experience at scale.

“With 110 guests on board, it’s really that sweet spot,” Hennebel explained, positioning it between small private yachts and larger cruise vessels.

Like the train and hotel offering, the yacht has been designed with private charter and corporate use in mind, with demand already coming from both private clients and brands.

The yacht will operate primarily in the Mediterranean before crossing to the Caribbean in winter, with itineraries designed to be shorter, experience-led journeys rather than traditional cruises.

“It’s not a cruise, it’s designed to be more of an experience you do for three or four nights and combine with something before or after,” Hennebel said.

Connecting journeys across the portfolio

The company is already building itineraries combining its train journeys with hotel stays, with plans to extend this further as its yacht offering launches.

As the portfolio grows, the strategy is increasingly centred on creating connected journeys across destinations.

The brand also plans to bring back the original Orient Express train, which will travel across Europe on a route inspired by the historic Paris to Istanbul journey.

“We are lucky enough to be able to link all these assets from land to sea,” Hennebel said. “But I would always recommend having two nights in a hotel between two moving assets to enjoy Venice or Rome.”

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