Luxury hospitality group Belmond is putting its focus on Asia and travellers who prefer ‘slow luxury’

Luxury hospitality company Belmond’s story began in 1976 when its former incarnation, Orient-Express Hotels, acquired Hotel Cipriani in Venice. Since then, Belmond has established a sprawling footprint with 47 properties (hotels, trains, river cruises and safaris) spread across the globe. Many of these have become icons in their own right, like its famed luxury train Venice Simplon-Orient Express, Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, the Oxfordshire retreat helmed by renowned chef Raymond Blanc and the stately Copacabana Palace on Rio de Janeiro’s beachfront, which just celebrated its centenary. Closer to home, Belmond’s fabled Eastern & Oriental Express returned to the rails in Southeast Asia in February this year with newly refurbished interiors, itineraries and menus, with the latter designed by its new culinary creator, Andre Chiang.

Arnaud Champenois, senior vice president, global brand, marketing and communications at Belmond, has been pivotal in shaping the company’s long-term brand and marketing strategy. Champenois was previously based in Singapore for eight years and now works in London, where he continues to drive Belmond’s global presence and innovative strategy, which he outlined during a recent visit here.

MOVING FROM “QUIET LUXURY” TO “SLOW LUXURY”

According to Champenois, today’s luxury traveller wants to “recapture time”, which can mean reconnecting with friends and family, enjoying a great meal or gazing leisurely at the landscape from a train. It also means rethinking our mindset of getting to a place as quickly as possible, instead turning the journey itself into part of our holiday.

“If you wanted to go to Venice from Europe, you could get there in an hour on a plane, or you could take the train (like the Venice Simplon-Orient Express) over 24 hours,” said Champenois. “It’s an entirely different experience because train travel is not that different from time travel – it’s like being in a time capsule which also happens to include a great culinary experience.”

“Slow luxury is also about slow food. Like enjoying a delicious, long lunch with friends in Splendido (Belmond’s hotel in Portofino), while admiring stunning ocean views with a glass of pinot grigio in your hand.

“We have also invited some really cool chefs to join us, like Jean Imbert who is not your traditional Michelin chef and has a truly contemporary take on food. In Cusco (at Palacio Nazarenas), Pia Leon (2021 winner of World’s Best Female Chef) helms our restaurant, Mauka. And we are very excited to welcome Andre Chiang on the Eastern & Oriental Express. It’s his first time cooking on a train and in such a tiny kitchen but he’s creating Michelin-quality food.

INTRODUCING NEW ROUTES AND EXPERIENCES

In March 2024, the Eastern & Oriental Express launched its new Wild Malaysia itinerary, which includes excursions into Taman Negara National Park and activities that include learning about the endangered Malayan Tiger from volunteer conservationists, a wildlife photography class or exploring Merapoh’s caves. In May, a special Tiger Express journey in collaboration with Save Wild Tigers will raise awareness of tiger conservation efforts and conclude with two nights at the Datai Langkawi.

Elsewhere in the world, the Venice Simplon-Orient Express embarked on new first-ever journeys including one connecting Paris and Portofino, and its first alpine journey to the French Alps. Eight new suites displaying woodwork inspired by the train’s diverse scenery were added to the Venice Simplon-Orient Express in June 2023. And at this year’s Venice Art Biennale, Belmond unveiled L’Observatoire, an exclusive sleeper carriage with interiors designed by acclaimed artist JR, and which will join the train in 2025.

In June 2024, The Royal Scotsman debuts two new Grand Suites designed by Paris-based interior designer Tristan Auer, and which will include Dior spa treatments, and this month Belmond launched Coquelicot, its new river boat in Champagne which partners with Maison Ruinart.

“2024 is a great year for Asia – we’ve seen a very strong pickup in demand from travellers in Europe and US to return to Asia,” said Champenois. “Even before its launch, the Eastern & Oriental Express was almost fully booked for the first quarter from markets such as the US and UK, as well as Singapore and Australia, which is quite new for us.”

Challenges also lie ahead for Belmond in Asia. Champenois noted that slow travel is still a new concept for Asian travellers, who typically aspire to tick off “the top five things to do” whenever they visit a destination. They can also become confused if a brand tries to “push boundaries” or “does something different from the norm”. More pressingly, said Champenois, Belmond is focusing on strengthening its visibility in Asia and views the Eastern & Oriental Express relaunch as “the door to the brand” for customers in the region.

“China is a key growth market for us but we were quite slow to embrace our marketing there. We just launched our WeChat and are hosting roadshows in Beijing and Shanghai – we are taking Asia seriously moving forward,” said Champenois. “The Belmond portfolio is still very small here – we are definitely looking for opportunities in Southeast Asia and the region.”

HELPING TRAVELLERS GET UNDER THE SKIN OF A DESTINATION

According to Champenois, today’s luxury travellers want access to local culture and communities that can help them to experience a destination more organically and deeply. To this end, Belmond has introduced Curiosity Circles, for which it invites masters in diverse disciplines (such as wine or Italian sculpture) to share their expertise with guests in a series of experiences in surprising settings, such as taking a cable car down to a stunning oceanside organic garden in Madeira, Portugal. “For example, if you’re a big cinema fan and are in Venice, we can help you discover the city through the films that were shot there,” said Champenois.

“People want to go back to major events around the world, like the Carnival in Rio, Day of the Dead in Mexico, or the Palio in Siena,” said Champenois. “There’s a real desire to experience these almost ancestral rituals.

“I was at the Copacabana Palace to celebrate 100 years of this legendary property and 100 years of the Copa Carnival Ball. It was life-changing for me to witness Brazilians’ capacity for joy – their desire to embrace life is absolutely incredible. We travelled around Rio, joined local parties and went to the sambadrome (a parade area built for the Rio Carnival) – it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience I will never forget.”

INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO EVERY FACET

Belmond currently has a global partnership with EarthCheck, the leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism. It targets all its eligible properties to receive the EarthCheck Silver certification by this year, in which it will establish clear benchmarks for reducing energy, water and waste.

According to Champenois, Belmond will also soon announce a global partner “which will shape sustainable experiences and educational programmes” for the brand.

CELEBRATING THE PAST WHILE LOOKING AHEAD

“We are a heritage brand with an incredible history, so we need to tell these stories but also remain contemporary so we don’t become dusty. There’s this constant tension between our heritage brands and the cultural pulse, which I call contemporary nostalgia,” said Champenois.

To stay on the pulse, Belmond engages in extensive cultural programming such as MITICO, a contemporary art installation series which it curates together with Galleria Continua. For this year’s edition, French artist Daniel Buren placed large-scale works on the grounds of six Belmond hotels from Mount Nelson in Cape Town to Hotel Cipriani in Venice.

Belmond Legends, meanwhile, is a contemporary photography series where acclaimed photographers interpret various properties through their creative lens. “It’s something that’s never been done in the travel industry,” said Champenois. “For me, it’s not about showing the beds, it’s about showing what’s happening in a property.”

GOING BEYOND HOSPITALITY

In June 2024, Belmond will return to Photo London as its presenting partner with Fotografia Maroma — an exhibition of contemporary Mexican photography co-curated by Fariba Farshad. Its 2024 presentation will evolve their Belmond Legends series, which featured artists such as Coco Capitan, Jack Davison, Letizia Le Fur and Rosie Marks.

“We are becoming a publisher and curator of contemporary culture,” said Champenois. “Our latest book, Copacabana Palace: Where Rio Starts explores the stories behind this iconic property like its incredible design, celebrity guests and legendary parties. We also launched Mondes, our print magazine which is filled with stories by fantastic writers – it is a global compass on modern culture.”