Luxury Hotel News: Orient-Express

  The Governor's Residence, Rangoon, Burma

Orient-Express, which is owner or part-owner and manager of 45 luxury hotel, restaurant, tourist train and river cruise properties operating in 22 countries, offered some interesting news in its recent earnings report.

Among the highlights:

• The company completed the sale of The Observatory Hotel, Sydney, and entered into an agreement in July to sell The Westcliff, Johannesburg.

• In September, the company completed a remodeling of two of the private event spaces at the iconic '21' Club restaurant in New York.

• The Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is partially closed for renovation and plans to reopen in December.

• As noted previously on the Harper blog, the company will introduce a second river cruise operation in Burma beginning in July 2013. The ship, named Orcaella after the dolphins found in the inland waters of Burma, is leased and is currently under construction in Rangoon to Orient-Express's specifications.

• Revenue growth in the Asia Pacific region was led by The Governor's Residence, Rangoon, as the recent surge in tourism in Burma has created unprecedented demand for accommodation in the country.

• The formal opening of Palacio Nazarenas, Cuzco, in September further expanded the company's presence in Peru.

• El Encanto, a new property in Santa Barbara, is expected to open early next year.

• Revenue was significantly up at the property's two Sicilian properties (Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant'Andrea), as well as at Hotel das Cataratas, Iguassu Falls, and Charleston Place, South Carolina.