Orient Express unveils Presidential Suite at Design Miami/

One month after its Parisian event, Orient Express Revelation: Once Upon a Time, There Was the Future Orient Express Train is heading to Miami from November 30 to December 4 for the 18th edition of the international Design Miami fair. Guests will discover the legendary train via an original immersive experience complete with virtual reality.

“After Paris, the Orient Express legend unveils its secrets at the heart of a major international design fair: Design Miami,” says Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor. “At the crossroads of creativity and a healthy imagination, Orient Express has found the best setting to unveil the exclusive decor of a Presidential Suite that will mark the history of train travel and continue the Orient Express legend with authenticity and unparalleled luxury.”

Orient Express is bringing its virtual immersion concept to the United States for the first time ever at Design Miami and is inviting visitors to a new space, bathed in midnight blue – the brand’s signature colour – and engraved with its signature star. It is a journey to discover the future Bar-Car and Restaurant-Car, the suites and corridors of the train, and the exclusive revelation of the second chapter of the project: the Presidential Suite.

Fascinated by the great revolutionary artistic movements and a lover of travel novels, architect Maxime d’Angeac has been carrying out prestigious restoration and decoration projects for major luxury houses such as Daum, Hermès and Guerlain for the past 20 years. “The Orient Express Presidential Suite captures the essence of the future train,” he explains. “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. It is a suite where travellers can experience history, extreme luxury and ultimate comfort all at once.”

Occupying an entire train car of the former Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, the Presidential Suite is a space of unprecedented dimensions: 69 feet long and nine feet wide. The 55m2 space was designed to accommodate a theatrical “four-column room,” adorned with Lalique panels and a gas fireplace. The spacious bedroom offers more subtle decor, wrapped in embroidered velvet, decorated with custom-made furniture and is home to an elegant bathroom, a tribute to Albert-Armand Rateau and his work dedicated to Jeanne Lanvin.

True to its heritage, the Presidential Suite opens onto a unique collector’s item: an ‘LX’ luxury cabin dating from 1929, with two beds, adorned with solid mahogany and Nelson and Prou marquetry, found aboard the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express and fully restored. The ultimate surprise is the Cabinet de l’Égoïste, a secret room dedicated to good vibes and epicurean festivities.

CREDITS
Photography: © Maxime d’Angeac and Martin Darzacq