Villeroy & Boch and Orient Express: A Brand Match of Style & Perfection

Imagine the splendor when guests sit for their first meal on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train as it winds along its journey from London to Venice. Everything on board the trip has been luxurious and the meal service will be no different…..right down to the custom designed china  by Villeroy & Boch.

In the three dining cars guests now enjoy eating their meals from high-quality Villeroy & Boch tableware, individually designed for the Orient Express.

This is how it happened: At the end of 2010 those responsible at the Orient-Express were looking for a suitable partner to equip the dining cars on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and initially approached a number of porcelain manufacturers, including Villeroy & Boch. The Hotel & Restaurant Division from Villeroy & Boch, which specialises in such individual projects, was delighted to take up the challenge and successfully convinced the decision-makers with décors that fulfill the high artistic standards of the art deco interiors.

For breakfast, which is served directly in the cabins, a golden décor was created for the ultra-fine porcelain of the Orient-Express collection. The 1920s style décor draws inspiration from the work of the decorator René Prou, who designed the oldest sleeping car of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

The custom designed breakfast service that Villeroy & Boch executed for Orient Express

And thus the three dining cars L’Oriental, Etoile du Nord and Côte d’Azur were equipped with appropriate tableware:

The décor Oriental is designed with majestic water birds, grasses and reeds in an oriental style. The black glaze of the petit fours plate is a true eye catcher. The Etoile du Nord collection uses warm shades with a floral theme to coordinate wonderfully with the predominantly wood interior of the dining car that bears the same name.

L'Oriental

Etoile du Nord

Cote d'Azur

Inspired by a motif from the world renowned glass manufacturer Lalique, a particularly delicate and artistic décor was developed for Côte d’Azur (right), echoing the figures and motifs that decorate the walls of the restaurant car.

The portfolio of the company Orient-Express Hotels Ltd consists of around 50 luxury hotels, restaurants, trains and river cruisers in 24 counties across the world. The Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant Division has equipped not only the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express for the company, but also a hotel in Portugal and a restaurant in Great Britain. Passengers on the Orient-Express, however, enjoy a charming privilege: they can purchase selected pieces of the exclusive tableware collection from the on-board boutique, and then take them away to use at home.

for over 250 years, Villeroy & Boch has been helping quality hotel and restaurant customers like Orient Express stand out from the crowd by helping them express their individual style and differentiate themselves with custom designed dinnerware.

To learn more about Villeroy & Boch's Hotel and Restaurant Division  and its products, go here:
http://www.villeroy-boch.com/en/us/hotel-restaurant.html

To learn more about the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express , go here:
http://www.orient-express.com/web/vsoe/venice_simplon_orient_express.jsp