Pierre&Cédric

Big move!
I wonder what will happen in the next coming month. Do they plan to expand the Cheval Blanc collection?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/catheri.../#645db3c7765a

behuman

At least the VSOE remains in good hands. We had to many hotel groups being sold to owners of whom many prefer NOT to be customers. Look at Aman!

DavidO

I had heard the rumors for awhile that Belmond was on the auction block... I'm very relieved that the buyer was not Accor, a name I had heard mentioned. Accor would have had no idea what to do with a small, boutique luxury collection.

I've done a site inspection at Cheval Blanc in the Maldives, a small, stunning, and extremely high-end resort. I get positive vibes from the idea of VSOE acquiring the Belmond properties

Kagehitokiri

not sure how fast LVMH would announce changes

unlikely belmond would accept stock deal from accor

SNCF (acquired Orient Express traincars from accor in past) announced plan for Orient Express train of their own, did joint venture with accor for Orient Express hotels

behuman

Sorry by VSOE I mean the Venice Simplon Orient Express which is operated by Belmond with original refurbished carriages (air suspension, but no bathrooms and no air conditioning). A rolling museum and fantastic for train fans like myself. They also operate lovely trains in Ireland, the UK, Peru and SE Asia. They had even (failed) operations in Australia.
Indeed SNCF made drafts of a modern version of Orient Express with all comforts, but I doubt given the sore state of the French rail network (except high speed lines), their demotivated staff and disastrous finances that this project will have any future.

Kagehitokiri

sorry, i know you have followed, was posting for others, including accor connection

re australia train, belmond held long time, then recently moved it to peru to operate

Kagehitokiri

re castello di casole, 10 months ago belmond acquired hotel and 16 villa lots saying 3 lots were reserved

not sure how many villas were sold / built, some remain managed by timbers, 7 were originally sold to Exclusive Resorts (both american companies)

could be very interesting if LVMH invests and sells really nice villas. LVMH could even buy some of the owned villas, redo them, sell / rent for a lot more, basically turn it into cheval blanc level luxury like in maldives (IIRC cheval blanc maldives still planning and developing residences)

if arnault liked any belmond, he may do some incredible renovations, could even buy Orient Express name (only 1 hotel contract announced) from accor / SNCF

arnault owns half of LVMH, market cap $29B net income $6.4B
interesting he took dior private, but didnt then take LVMH private

Kagehitokiri

travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/LVMH-to-acquire-Belmond-for-3-2-billion
the very best luxury properties have great owners

could do more collaborations with jean michel gathy
new build - cheval blanc maldives
historical aman - venice, sveti stefan, summer palace, bora bora
tented aman - wana, ikhas (belmond has african safaris)

skift.com/2018/12/14/what-lvmhs-belmond-buy-means-for-the-future-of-luxury-travel/

behuman

That is exactly my hope, Luis Vuitton matches the excellence of the VSOE.
The bland tower in a crap city becoming an Orient Express Hotel is really bad news and the name Accor makes it worse. In the same tower there is already the only Atelier de Joël Robuchon worldwide which is really a disaster from the poor wine service to the nickel and diming and the surly staff.

Kagehitokiri

residence owners at belmond properties may also be happy to pay towards renovations to dramatically raise income, or at castello di casole to avoid being excluded from hotel rental

some could add residences

likely by far best brand sale, though rosewood buyer building many hotels

if buying back OE name, could do trains with few cabins including for charter.
charter train more luxurious than belmond charter barges would be interesting

always curious re value of brand names when there are only a couple properties

r281

https://skift.com/2018/12/19/how-accor-landed-its-first-orient-express-hotel-in-bangkok-bumping-a-planned-marriott-edition/

Sorry if this was posted already

Kagehitokiri

seems like a lot of potential >

napasai - residences, all-villa
castello di casole - residences
samanna - residences, cottages
cap juluca - residences, villas with 1-6 rooms
encanto - bungalows with 1-6 rooms
maroma - like encanto & juluca ; had villa?
residencia - 3BR villa
caruso - 2BR villa margherita
villa san michele - 3 room villa ; 1 other?
cipriani - 23 room palazzo vendramin

if you could pick designers etc - who?

seems cap juluca has 3 owned villas so far
belmond mentioned being able to sell rest