They have all the old-world charm and the comfort and convenience of modern amenities
Contemporary life hasn’t done the railway a lot of favours. Where train travel used to be associated with romance and glamour, our 21st-century obsession with speed and efficiency has reduced it to little more than a way to siphon nine-to-five workers to their cubicles in the morning. In long distance travel, it’s now seen as the cheaper, less efficient way to get somewhere.
Good thing we can always go back in time to about a hundred years ago, to the golden age of train travel. All it takes is boarding a Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train, where time always seems to stand still.
The luxury train recently announce the launch of a new suite category that will join its train in June 2023. The eight new rooms, decked out in plush art deco fabrics and furniture, and complete with marble en-suite bathrooms, will be located in two original carriages that date back to the 1920s and 1930s.
Lovingly restored by French experts and craftsmen, the suites feature four different interior styles, each inspired by the natural landscapes that the train travels through—La Campagne (the countryside), Les Montagnes (the mountain), Le Lacs (the lakes), and La Forêt (the forest).
La Forêt suites echo the Black Forest in the mountainous southwest region of Germany, which the train passes through when travelling from Prague to Paris. The green velvets and flower marquetry in La Campagne suites reference the scenic pastures and vineyards of Italy, as well as the vistas of the South of France and the Côte d’Azur. Les Montagnes suites call to mind Austria’s Arlberg ski region while Les Lacs suites are inspired by the many lakes on the train’s route, from Zurgersee in Switzerland to Lake Como in Italy.
Prices for the suites start from £5,500 (S$8,900). The experience includes a personal 24-hour cabin steward, bespoke amenities, a complimentary kimono and slippers.
