Luxury hotel operator Orient-Express will rebrand itself next month as Belmond, the company has confirmed today.
The change will take effect from March 10, designed to increase brand recognition and drive growth, it said in a statement.
The group, which has 45 properties worldwide, will also officially launch its new website Belmond.com on the same date.
Orient Express Hotels is a hotel and leisure company that operates hotels, cruise and train services around the world.
The company will retain its long-term licence agreement with French rail operator SNCF for the Venice Simplon-Orient Express train service.
The group said it expects to invest $5 million into the new brand during the first year, with a further $10 million over the following four years.
Orient-Express’s CEO, John Scott, said: "Extending our global brand presence by having a name that will be associated as much with our hotels and river cruises as with our celebrated train experiences is a key step in our focus of generating enhanced revenue.
"Migrating from a licensed brand to one which we fully own and control will, we believe, deliver an additional benefit to the company as it will enable us to invest with confidence in our brand."
Ralph Aruzza, chief sales & marketing officer, said: "Belmond was chosen after extensive research and evaluation of a number of alternatives in order to identify a name that resonates well with our guests and that encompasses the global collection of unique experiences we are today.”