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Step Inside The Grand Suites On The World's Most Famous Train, Which Start At $26,000 A Night And Come With Around-the-clock Butler Service
Grand suites are the most expensive accommodation aboard the luxurious Venice Simpon-Orient-Express sleeper train.
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- The Venice Simpon-Orient-Express is a luxury overnight train in Europe.
- The train's grand suite, starting at $26,000 a night, is the top tier of accommodation.
- Each grand suite has a private bathroom with a rainfall showerhead and extravagant decor.
Hundred-year-old carriages from the Orient Express fleet make up the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Belmond's revamp of the iconic luxury sleeper train. With 60 routes in 17 cities, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is perhaps the most luxurious train in Europe. Prices start at $9,000 a night.
The train's top-tier accommodation is a grand suite. With a starting rate of $26,000 a night, these rooms are filled with luxury details and amenities unique to any other cabin on board, from a private shower to around-the-clock butler service.
Business Insider recently took a tour of the rooms as a cabin steward explained the details of each suite.
Look inside the train's most extravagant accommodations to peek at the luxury journey of a lifetime.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is the epitome of luxury train travel in Europe.![]()
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train stopped at a station in Switzerland.
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Guests are welcomed on red carpets for an overnight journey with lavishly decorated vintage carriages, fine dining restaurants, and jaw-dropping views of passing scenery.
The train has six grand suite accommodations — each with a unique design.![]()
Three of the six grand suites aboard the train.
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Grand suites are the third tier of accommodation — one step above a suite and two steps above a historic cabin.
Each grand suite is inspired by a city on the train's routes, including Venice, Vienna, Istanbul, Budapest, and Prague.
They all include a couch, a double bed that can be converted into two twins, a dining area, and a full en-suite bathroom.
All six have a full bathroom with a rainfall showerhead.![]()
A peek inside the bathroom in one of the grand suites.
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Each bathroom has a glass-blown sink, heated marble flooring, and a rainfall showerhead.
Grand-suite guests also get complimentary bathrobes and slippers.
Next to each bathroom is a closet with additional storage space so guests can fully unpack and feel at home.
Each has a dining area, too.![]()
A dining area in one of the grand suites.
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Grand-suite guests are greeted with caviar upon arrival and can dine in their rooms rather than in the restaurant cars if they prefer.
They also get 24-hour butler service and bottomless champagne for the entire journey, the cabin steward told BI.
The Venice grand suite fuses Italian Baroque and Renaissance design.![]()
Inside the train's Venice suite.
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Venetian furniture, vintage glass light fixtures, and a combination of silk and woven fabrics fill this suite with a historic Italian ambiance. Navy-blue velvets are reminiscent of the train's exterior.
The headboard combining arches and sharp edges may remind one of the Renaissance castles in Italy.
Emerald and golden details mark the Vienna suite.![]()
The Vienna grand suite on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
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The suite has a classic feel with dark wood contrasting gold trimmings.
According to a Belmond fact sheet obtained by BI, the headboard backing is made of silk to evoke a sense of elegance. Its curved shape and the tassel detailing in the bed's skirt may remind travelers of the historic city's regal palaces.
The Istanbul suite feels like a Turkish palace. ![]()
Inside the train's Istanbul suite.
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Shiny, hand-carved wood from the furniture to the walls is a work of art. For those who have been to the Turkish city of Istanbul, the embossed leather and fabric embroiderings may bring back memories of the city's opulent offerings at the famous and historic Grand Bazaar market.
Gothic and Ottoman architectural styles inspired the Budapest suite.![]()
The Budapest grand suite on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
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The Budapest suite is decorated with ornate marquetry and furniture with embroidered silk patterns. The tall, curved headboard may remind travelers of Gothic cathedrals and mosques that date back to the Ottoman Empire.
The Paris suite is meant to evoke romantic vibes.![]()
Inside the train's Paris suite.
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Inspired by the city's architecture, the Paris suite nods to art deco elements, classical facades, and the city's high-fashion reputation with a geometric headboard and detailed wooden marquetry.
And finally, the Prague suite nods to the city's theatrical culture. ![]()
The Prague grand suite on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Maroon and gold are the colors of the Prague suite to bring travelers a sense of the city's theater scene. Mosaic patterns inspired by cubism fill the walls, and cushions embroidered by hand add luxury details to the furniture.
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