The Orient Express epic, which began 140 years ago, now takes on a new dimension.will soon be heading out to sea. By taking over this legendary travel brandThe Accor group has made no secret of its desire to give the hotel a new lease of life worthy of its status. This ambition has already resulted in the relaunch of new luxury trains between Paris and Venice by 2025, while an Italian version, La Dolce Vita trains, will be running across Italy from 2024. The hotel group has also offered the brand new luxury outlets, with two hotels in the pipeline in Rome and Venice.
The adventure will soon continue on the seas. The French hotelier has joined forces with Chantiers de l'Atlantique to the construction of the world's largest sailing boatchristened the Orient Express Silenseas. A consortium of shareholders - including Accor, with a minority stake - has placed an order for two of these XXL-sized sailing ships of the future: 220 metres longThree rigid sails with a surface area of 1,500 metres each and tilting masts reaching a height of 100 metres. "This concept, born in our design offices in 2018, is the quintessence of our expertise in naval architecture, the outfitting of sophisticated hulls and the fitting out of luxurious premises." said Laurent Castaing, Managing Director of Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
Relying on the power of the wind, the Orient Express Silenseas is clearly part of the a world of cruising that respects the environmentt, with a liquefied natural gas engine added to the propulsion system until the use of green hydrogen is permitted. " Innovation is at the heart of this ultra-modern yacht, which will revolutionise the maritime world with ground-breaking technologies to meet the challenges of sustainability." said Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin.
The Orient Express Silenseas aims to be a benchmark in environmental protection, and to offer its passengers absolute comfort. While the interior design and layout has been entrusted to the same architect as for the luxury trains, Maxime d'Angeac, the yacht will house 54 suites averaging 70 square metres. These luxurious accommodations include an immense presidential suite measuring 1415 square metres, including a private terrace. The rest of the facilities are equally impressive, offering passengers the quintessence of luxury with two swimming pools, a spa, two restaurants and a speakeasy bar. Passengers will be able to enjoy an amphitheatre-cabaret as they cruise through the ports of call. Departure expected in 2026.
