Accor is to “reignite” the Orient Express hotel and luxury train brand under new leadership.
The French hospitality giant has recruited experienced hotelier Stephen Alden in the new role of chief executive of Orient Express as well as the Raffles hotel group.
Alden’s experience includes time at Starwood where he opened the St Regis in New York and led the St Regis and Luxury Collection brands globally.
He spent nine years as chief executive of Maybourne Hotel Group, whose flagship properties include Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley in London.
He was appointed chief executive of The SET, owner and operator of London’s Hotel Cafe Royal, The Conservatorium in Amsterdam and the Lutetia in Paris, in 2016.
Alden most recently created and launched the Dedica Anthology brand in 2017 with a portfolio of nine properties across Europe.
He said: “It is a privilege to be taking on the stewardship of these two magnificent brands.
“I am greatly looking forward to this next episode, working closely with all functional and operational teams and leveraging Accor’s exceptional talent and resources globally.
“We have a unique opportunity to accelerate Raffles’ forward momentum, as well as to reignite the Orient Express brand, successfully bringing its glamour and timeless qualities to a new generation of hotels starting with our first property in Rome.”
Accor chairman and chef executive Sebastien Bazin said: “We are pleased to welcome Stephen, a highly respected and visionary leader within the international luxury hotel space.
“His experience and expertise will strongly contribute to further building momentum of our Raffles brand and to making the highly anticipated launch of the Orient Express hotel brand a tremendous success.”