Belmond Train has expanded its range of slow luxury experiences on board the Orient Express with the addition of a new carriage: L’Observatoire
While many struggle for a small space in the sand of a crowded beach or look for tourist accommodation in one of the new fashionable destinations, millionaires are looking at other options for traveling and enjoying their vacations: the train. Specifically, the Orient Express, a century-old train on which their great-grandparents probably traveled.
The new journey of the ultimate luxury train is committed to a new concept of luxury that Belmond, a company belonging to LVMH group of Bernard Arnault, calls Slow Luxury. In its latest proposal, the luxury experiences firm presents its car L’Observatoire, a bubble of luxury within the luxury train.
An exclusive car just for you
The new addition to the Belmond catalogue will be operational from March 2025 and is a unique work designed by French artist JR specifically for Belmond.
L’Observatoire is a step further towards extreme luxury and the price of its reservation is a testament to this. Booking this exclusive accommodation costs $100,000 per night. Without doubt, this is one of the most expensive tickets in the world, with accommodation for only two people on each journey.
The sleeping car offers all the luxury expected of a train like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, covering the 3,012 kilometers between Paris and Istanbul, passing through Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Romania with stops in Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest.
The carriage occupied by L’Observatoire is divided into several rooms including, of course, a double suite with a bathroom including a free-standing bathtub reminiscent of the classic luxury of the early 20th century.
True to the philosophy of slow luxury, the carriage includes a library with over 1,000 books selected by the French publishing house Gallimard, which conceals a secret tea room with a fireplace and a scale model of the train.
The designer JR was inspired by Renaissance astronomical observatories and cabinets of curiosities when developing this space. So when guests lie down to rest on the bed in the suite they have a direct view of the sky as they travel, thanks to an oculus in the roof of the carriage.
“I imagined the carriage mainly through shapes, with curved corners and round windows, so that guests have little places where they can daydream. Guests can now stay in an artist’s private space while on board the world’s most iconic train; experiencing this creative crossroads during a journey is very special and has never been seen in this way before,” the designer said at the presentation of the project.
What Belmond’s train division is proposing with L’Observatoire goes beyond a simple train journey. The designer has created a complete experience, from the selection of the photos that decorate the walls to the musical selection in the carriage, chosen specifically by the designer and available on vinyl.
In addition, the accommodation brand offers guests who choose this travel experience through time all the services and amenities on board. That includes an exclusive 24-hour cabin butler service, the finest wines and spirits, and a private dining experience in the suite as they cruise through the landscapes of Central Europe.
