Accor has announced that Stephen Alden, who has already held some of the biggest jobs in luxury hospitality, is now taking the helm of the Raffles and Orient Express brands.

As the new CEO of Raffles and Orient Express, Stephen Alden will report directly to Accor’s chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin, while also becoming a member of the Group Executive Committee.

A wide-ranging brief

Alden has been handed the key role after most recently leading the creation and launch of the Dedica Anthology brand, which encompasses nine distinctive hotels around Europe. As CEO of Raffles & Orient Express, he’ll help build the two brands by supporting the development of high-quality programming and dedicated team cultures.

“We are pleased to welcome Stephen, a highly respected and visionary leader within the international luxury hotel space,” said Sébastien Bazin, Accor chairman and CEO. “His experience and expertise will strongly contribute to further building momentum of our Raffles brand and to making the highly anticipated launch of the Orient Express hotel brand a tremendous success.”

Alden’s professional journey

Alden moved into the luxury hotel business after training in Switzerland. During his career to date, he has opened The St Regis New York, and led the St Regis and Luxury Collection brands globally. He was also CEO of Maybourne Hotel Group for nine years and, in 2016, was appointed CEO of The Set, which owns and operates London’s Hotel Café Royal, The Conservatorium in Amsterdam and Hotel Lutetia in Paris.

“It is a privilege to be taking on the stewardship of these two magnificent brands,” said Alden. “I am greatly looking forward to this next episode, working closely with all functional and operational teams and leveraging Accor’s exceptional talent and resources globally. We have a unique opportunity to accelerate Raffles’ forward momentum, as well as to reignite the Orient Express brand, successfully bringing its glamour and timeless qualities to a new generation of hotels, starting with our first property in Rome.”

Adding to his professional achievements, Alden has served on the boards of Walpole British Luxury, London First and Ferragamo’s Lungarno Collection. Moreover, he was awarded the honorary title of ‘Console di Roma’ in 2002 for the renovation of the César Ritz Grand hotel, which was completed in time for the Giubileo 2000 celebrations.

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