Orient-Express Hotels Appoints Levine
Bermuda-headquartered Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., owners or part owners and managers of 49 luxury hotel, restaurant, tourist train and river cruise properties in 24 countries, today [Feb.20] announced the appointment of Richard M. Levine, as Chief Legal Officer, effective February 21, 2012.
Based in New York, Mr. Levine will supervise global legal and regulatory matters for the Company.
“Rich’s accomplished track record as the chief legal officer for luxury hospitality and private equity firms make him the ideal candidate to manage the complex international legal issues that face a globally established company such as Orient-Express,” stated Bob Lovejoy, Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer. “In addition, his experience in managing financial transactions, mergers, acquisitions and joint venture operations, and litigation in multiple jurisdictions will prove invaluable to the long-term development of Orient-Express.”
With a legal career spanning over 23 years, Mr. Levine joins Orient-Express from Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, where he was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and led the legal, regulatory and compliance departments, negotiations for major corporate investments and financings under the acclaimed One&Only and Atlantis brands.
Prior to joining Kerzner International, Levine was General Counsel at the private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, LLC and the Private Equity Division of Credit Suisse First Boston.
Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. is the name behind a unique collection of luxury hotels and adventure travel experiences.
The Orient-Express name first became synonymous with stylish and pioneering travel in 1883 with the inaugural of Europe’s most celebrated and sophisticated train service. Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it first purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities.
Today the Orient-Express brand also embraces 49 hotel, cruise and luxury rail businesses in 24 countries. Forty of these are highly acclaimed hotels, each individual in style, from Rio’s Copacabana Palace and the Hotel Splendido in Portofino, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Hotel Monasterio in Cuzco, Peru.
The company also operates six luxury tourist trains, two river cruise operations and the ’21′ Club, one of New York’s most iconic restaurants and watering holes.
Orient-Express Hotels was founded in 1976 with the purchase of Hotel Cipriani in Venice as the leisure division of Sea Containers Ltd. and was later incorporated as Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., a Bermuda company.
Orient-Express Hotels Ltd was floated on the New York Stock Exchange in August, 2000 and its founding company, Sea Containers sold the last of its shareholding in November 2005. Orient-Express Hotels is today owned by a limited number of institutional and some retail investors.
