LVMH Has Option for Full Control of Orient Express After Buying 50% Stake: Exclusive

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.

LVMH secured an option to acquire full ownership of Orient Express by 2027 as part of a strategic partnership announced last year, according to two people familiar with the deal. That agreement saw LVMH take a 50% stake in Accor’s Orient Express brand, sources said.

LVMH also acquired a stake in a planned Orient Express sailing yacht venture, which Accor is developing with an entity that owns the two ships, the sources told Skift.

When the partnership was announced, LVMH and Accor did not reveal financial details. Accor and LMVH declined to comment.

The partnership highlights the complicated marketplace for Orient Express-branded travel products.

As part of the LVMH partnership, Accor debuted its La Dolce Vita Orient Express train service through Italy in April. It aims to begin Orient Express service between Paris and Istanbul in 2026.

Earlier this year, Accor opened Orient-Express La Minerva in Rome, its first hotel under the brand name. A sec