Gilda Perez-Alvarado on Reviving Orient Express One Journey at a Time

This is my third time interviewing Gilda Perez-Alvarado and she never disappoints.

The last time we sat down was at ILTM in Cannes, about a year after she stepped into her role as CEO of Orient Express and Chief Strategy Officer at Accor. At the time, much of what she and her team were building still lived in renderings, shipyards, and ambitious plans.

Fast forward a year and the vision is rapidly becoming reality.

Orient Express La Minerva has opened in Rome, marking the brand’s return to hospitality. La Dolce Vita Orient Express is now running across Italy. Venice is next. And the Orient Express yacht is already rising in the shipyard.

Gilda’s path to this moment has been anything but conventional. Before joining Accor in late 2023, she spent most of her career at JLL, ultimately serving as CEO of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group. There she advised owners and investors around the world on hotel transactions, capital markets, asset strategy, and development. Few people in hospitality have spent as much time thinking about the long-term value of brands and assets.

Today she brings that investor’s lens to one of the most ambitious revivals in luxury travel.

From the outside it might look like a glamorous comeback. In reality, bringing Orient Express back to life has required years of persistence, collaboration, and deep respect for a brand with more than 140 years of history.

When we sat down to talk, Gilda reflected on what it actually takes to bring something this ambitious to life and what the journey has taught her about leadership, humility, and learning.

Over the past year, Orient Express has moved from vision to reality. What has this stage taught you about execution that you didn’t know before?

Perseverance. Anything and everything that could have happened happened as we were getting ready to launch. That is normal when you’re opening something ambitious. But we pulled through and I’m incredibly proud of the team.

One moment that stays with me is when the La Dolce Vita train left the station on time for the very first journey. I was standing there watching the team in the kitchen, the bar, the service teams preparing to welcome guests. Everyone was in the huddle saying, “We’ve got this.”

It was emotional. And when the guests started arriving you suddenly realize: this is real. The train is actually leaving. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my career.

How are guests responding to the new Orient Express experience?

People love the story. Orient Express has this incredible heritage and people feel like they’re stepping into history. What’s fascinating is that almost everyone has their own Orient Express story.

When we host travel advisor dinners or events in New York or London, someone always shares a personal connection. A grandparent who traveled on it. A childhood memory. Something they read or imagined. It’s amazing how powerful that emotional connection is.

At the same time, we’ve been very humble. We listen closely to our guests. They tell us what works, what could be improved, and what they want to experience next.

The Bar Car on La Dolce Vita Orient Express

One of my favorite pieces of feedback is that guests want the experience to be more playful. That kind of dialogue is incredibly valuable.

Orient Express now spans hotels, trains, and soon a yacht. What connects all of these experiences?

Each asset celebrates a different moment in history. La Minerva in Rome tells the story of a palazzo from the 1600s and one of the city’s oldest hotels. La Dolce Vita celebrates Italy in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Venice takes us back to the 15th century. Our upcoming train restores original Orient Express carriages from 1929. And the yacht celebrates the glamour of the Roaring Twenties.

the lobby at La Minerva

So each experience transports guests into a different time period.

But the real shift for us is that we are no longer selling individual stays. We are selling journeys.

Guests are beginning to combine the hotel, the train, and soon the yacht into a single experience. That evolution has been incredibly exciting.

Your background in investment gives you a unique perspective on hospitality. Has that lens changed since moving into operations?

That background has actually been my greatest strength. For more than twenty years I worked closely with investors and owners. Now I find myself translating operations through that same lens. I can help owners understand the operator’s perspective and help operators understand the owner’s perspective.

In a way I see myself as a bridge between the two. What’s been fascinating is turning the intangible elements of hospitality, things like brand value, heritage, and service, into something more tangible when you look at it from the perspective of long-term value creation.

Has working on a brand with 140 years of history changed how you think about time?

Completely. I’ve only worked on Orient Express for two years. But the brand itself has existed for more than 140 years. When you look at it that way, you realize you are just one small moment in a much longer story.

It’s very humbling. You feel privileged to be a custodian of the brand, but you also recognize that nothing is bigger than the brand itself. Our responsibility is to make sure what we build today will still matter decades or centuries from now.

You made a major career shift to take on this role. What surprised you most about moving from investing into operating a brand like Orient Express?

It requires humility. When you leave an environment where you’ve mastered your craft and step into something completely new, you become very vulnerable. You have to listen more. Observe more. Ask questions.

That mindset has been extremely valuable. If you take your craft seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously, it creates a very healthy balance.

Learning has clearly been a theme throughout your career. How do you continue learning at this stage?

I read constantly. Orient Express itself has an incredible literary history, so I spend time reading about the late 19th century and the time periods connected to the brand.

I’m also fascinated by management thinking. One book that has influenced me is Ray Dalio’s Principles. I actually had the chance to meet him recently and that was a great moment for me.

Early morning and late at night are my quiet moments. That’s when I read and study.

Finally, what advice would you give to ambitious women building their careers today?

Don’t be afraid. Say yes. Put yourself out there. Don’t take yourself too seriously and love yourself. And remember to be your own cheerleader.

In June 2026, Orient Express Corinthian, the world's largest sailing yacht, will take to the open sea, tracing a course through the French and Italian Riviera.

After getting to know Gilda over the past five years, one thing stands out: she has a rare ability to balance big vision with grounded honesty. She was also one of my first interviews for hertelier and has been a steadfast supporter of our mission to inspire women in hospitality ever since. It has been a joy to witness her career evolution and the fearlessness with which she continues to take on new challenges.

Reviving a brand like Orient Express is no small feat. It requires patience, persistence, and a team willing to bring a bold idea to life piece by piece.

Emily and Gilda at ILTM in December 2025

Now, with the first hotel open and the train already rolling across Italy, that vision is beginning to take shape.

As Orient Express expands across rail, land, and soon sea, Gilda is helping write the next chapter of a legendary brand while quietly setting an example for the next generation of women in hospitality.

And if the early momentum is any indication, the journey is just getting started.