luxury tail travel, luxury rail, hotel on wheels, VSOE, venice simplon orient express, rail tour, rail holiday, railway tour, railway holiday, great railway of the world, great railway, carriage holiday, luxury carriage, luxury train, train holiday, train tour, rail hospitality, classic rail, classic train, classic carriage, restore train, restore carriage

JPA have worked with the Belmond group for over 30 years, starting with the restoration of the Venice Simplon Orient Express in 1982.

Client: Belmond
Category: Rail

5 individually themed cabin cars
Twin bed cabins, double bed cabins and family suites
2 restaurant cars
Observation / bar car

Luxury Cruise Trains

Our portfolio of Belmond rail projects also includes rail sets such as Belmond Royal Scotsman (1985), The Eastern and Oriental Express (1993), The Northern Belle (2000), Belmond Andean Explorer and Belmond Hiram Bingham trains in Peru (2001), and now the latest train in their rail portfolio, the Belmond Grand Hibernian (2016).

Modern Irish Luxury

JPA Design’s interior work for Belmond Grand Hibernian draws on Ireland’s architecture, townscapes, mythology and the Irish countryside.

The design is fresh and contemporary yet underpinned with tradition, mixing romance with with modern touches, an updated interpretation of the elements expected by the discerning passenger.

The interiors draw on Ireland’s Georgian architecture, with designs that blend this architectural history with the country’s unique character and mythology.

Alex Duncan

Design Director Interiors, JPA Design

We took our influences for the interior design from Irish classical architecture and the brightly painted houses of its towns and villages. Reflecting the iconic style of Belmond’s luxury trains, such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and Belmond Royal Scotsman, we have tried to capture the true spirit of Ireland and ensure that the guests have an unforgettable journey whilst on board.

Creating and authentic connection

The colour schemes throughout are influenced by the tartans of eight of Ireland’s counties (Waterford, Kerry, Fermanagh, etc.) after which each carriage is named) and tones of Ireland’s celebrated landscapes.

The tartans are respectfully de-constructed and redistributed through the patterns, painted walls and textures of each cabin; ‘Down’ features shades of oranges and browns; ‘Kerry’ boasts shades of purple and blue; ‘Leitrim’ has accents of red and ‘Fermanagh’ features silver and gold.

Convivial dining in a refined setting

There are two dining cars, ‘Wexford’ a light-filled space with Irish motifs and tweed fabrics and ‘Sligo’ an elegant restaurant with a Georgian feel in relaxed greys and warm woods.

Both have been arranged with dinning tables runnning down the centres of the carriages, rather than the more traditional arrangement of window tables, to encourage conversation and the forming of new friendships.

This space provides the perfect atmosphere and setting to enjoy sumptuous fare with an authentic taste of Ireland from artisan cheeses to superb seafood and smooth Irish whiskies.

Space to relax

The observation car, ‘Kildare’ blends the warm atmosphere and elegance of an Irish saloon with large picture windows and is set to be the social hub of the Belmond Grand Hibernian, as guests drink in the stunning scenery of the Atlantic coast and heartlands of Eire.

The Belmond Grand Hibernian offers a distinctive, relaxed and informal feel in keeping with the Irish tradition of hospitality and conviviality, with an overall style that sets out to be more ‘country house’ than ‘stately home’.