We are delighted to announce three Orient-Express hotels have received the #1 hotels ranking on TripAdvisor.

Every child who arrives at Grand Hotel Europe automatically becomes a member of the hotel’s VIK programme – or, in other words – a Very Important Kid.

What is it? Well, just imagine you were a child for a while…

A historical, cultural and culinary landmark, the Grand Hotel Europe has played an important role in the life of St Petersburg since 1875.

It was here that Tchaikovsky spent his honeymoon and George Bernard Shaw dined with Maxim Gorky. Discerning travelers are charmed by the hotel's warm Russian hospitality, impressive architecture and exceptional service.

The Grand Hotel Europe has been awarded the highest honour of 'World Level Perfection' from the Seven Stars and Stripes organization, an international system of awards for the hospitality industry. The award was presented to Thomas Noll, the general manager of the Grand Hotel Europe, by Seven Stars and Stripes President Thorsten Buehrmann, in the presence of the hotel's management and staff as well as honorable guest Christian Kremer, the President of “BMW Russland Trading” company. It is the fifth time that the Grand Hotel Europe has been awarded the honour, confirming once again a 2005 verdict. An award for outstanding culinary skills was given to the hotel's executive chef, Anatoly Ivanov, the first Russian chef in the history of Grand Hotel Europe.

St Petersburg, June 2009 — The leading hotel in St Petersburg has announced that ten unique historic suites are opened in the northern wing of the hotel’s Historic Floor. The idea of creating historic suites belongs to the hotel’s General Manager, Thomas Noll. Each suite has its own name, and the individual interior design of every one will correspond to its name.

The detailed reconstruction and renovation of the suites was carried out under the supervision of the French designer Michel Jouannet, who is renowned for his restoration work on the historic interiors of the celebrated Cipriani hotel in Venice, and the Copacabana Palace in Rio-de-Janeiro.