It's far from a done deal, but a sale could make sense. Accor could potentially retain some of the benefits of Orient-Express without having to manage an ultra-luxury brand. LVMH would reduce brand confusion.
Glossy magazines and digital marketing can’t always deliver the connections that luxury brands want to foster with their top customers. Physical hospitality experiences are where we’re seeing the most creativity.
In 2025, Belmond is rolling out offerings with old-school opulance that feels ripped from the pages of an Agatha Christie novel — if Christie's characters had wellness spas and farm-to-table dining. Think of Belmond as an anti-Aman: less minimalist zen, more maximalist glamour.
Nothing like a world-shattering crisis to force companies to look into the mirror and contemplate a makeover. Will consumer travel preferences change forever because of coronavirus? Forever is a very long time.
The state of luxury is evolving and morphing. And the commonality of those who are forging resonant experiences is that they are looking outside of some of the tried-and-true formulas, mining heightened sensory territories that evoke something deeper in guests.