LA DOLCE VILLA

From a private palazzo to a new sleeper train, Belmond is putting a modern spin on the golden era of luxury travel.

- BY ADRIENNE GAFFNEY

Villa Beatrice sits perched on a cliff, with a 180-degree view of one of the most stunning, secluded settings imaginable. Turn to the right, and you see the Bay of Portofino. Look left, and it's the Bay of Paraggi. The restored former palazzo, which is set within a national park and has private access to the sea, will be available to rent beginning this July for the first time in its 112-year history. It's the only accommodation of its kind for the hospitality group Belmond, which specializes in resorts, trains, river cruises, and safari lodges that recapture the glamour of an earlier era of travel.

Belmond, which was acquired by LVMH in 2019, got its start in 1976 when James Sherwood, the company's original owner, purchased the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. Soon after, he bought two original Orient Express sleeping cars at auction. Air travel had cut into the popularity of luxury trains, and Sherwood was able to get the pair for $113,000, according to