Peek Inside The Presidential Suite Aboard Accor’s New Orient Express

French hospitality group Accor has ambitious plans to bring the Orient Express brand back to life over the next few years with the return of the iconic Orient Express train in 2023 (Orient Express La Dolce Vita) and a handful of Orient Express hotels, including Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice, both slated to open in 2024.

While it will be a bit more time before the train officially hits the rails, Accor has recently offered a sneak preview of the train’s lavish new Presidential Suite at the noted international design fair, Design Miami/ 2022.

At 69 feet long and 9 feet wide, the nearly 600-square-foot suite will take up an entire carriage and will feature a spacious private bathroom; bedroom dressed in velvet; and bespoke living area with Lalique glass panels and a gas fireplace. The furniture is largely handmade to fit the space and antiques will also be included. The carriage itself is a refurbished car from the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, discovered several years ago on the border of Belarus and Poland.

The redesign of the newly discovered carriages comes care of French architect Maxime d’Angeac, who will also be working on the hotels and whose 20-year résumé includes international projects for luxury French heritage brands Hermès and Guerlain (there will also be a Orient Express Guerlain spa).

“The Orient Express Presidential Suite captures the essence of the future train. It is a work carved out of excess, inspired by the geniuses and pioneers of Art Deco, Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann and Armand-Albert Rateau, and by the importance of refinement and the absolute finesse of detail,” d’Angeac says via press release. “It is a Suite where travelers can experience history, extreme luxury and ultimate comfort all at once.”

The new Presidential Suite will be one of 17 total carriages on the train, which will also include a bar car, restaurant car and suites with private bathrooms. The carriages will be gradually revealed to the public before the official launch in 2023.