An LVMH house since 2019
Belmond began in 1976 with the purchase of Hotel Cipriani in Venice and spent most of its life as an independent operator. LVMH completed its acquisition of the company in April 2019, in a deal valued at around US$3.2 billion, and Belmond now sits alongside the group's other maisons.
The portfolio runs to 43 properties across 24 countries and territories, and the composition is unusual: 27 hotels, seven trains, seven river boats and two safari lodges. The weight of it is in Italy, with Venice, Portofino, Florence, Taormina and the Amalfi coast, alongside South America, southern Africa, the Caribbean, the UK and rail routes through Southeast Asia.
There are no points to give up
Belmond does not operate a guest loyalty or points program. There is no currency to earn, no tier to protect and nothing to forfeit by booking through an advisor, which removes the question that comes up constantly with the large chains.
The Bellini Club is a trade program rather than a guest scheme, despite the name. Belmond vets and admits the agencies in it, and the rates are not bookable from Belmond's own site.
The only program we hold that covers rolling stock
Every other program on our list applies to rooms. Bellini Club applies to cabins as well: the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which Belmond has operated continuously since 1982, the Royal Scotsman, the Eastern & Oriental Express and the British Pullman all sit inside it, as do the river boats.
The benefit structure changes accordingly. On a hotel or lodge stay the amenity is calculated per room per stay, in the usual way. On a train or river journey it is calculated per person per journey, which is worth knowing before you compare the two.
What we need from you
For a hotel or lodge, the destination and dates are enough to begin. For a rail or river journey, tell us the cabin grade and the direction of travel as well, since the benefit and the availability both turn on those.
The rate is Belmond's own published rate. There is no markup and no fee to you: Belmond pays the advisor commission out of its margin, which is what funds the program. If you have already booked and the reservation is still cancellable, send it over and we will tell you plainly whether it is worth moving. Send an existing booking or start a new enquiry.