La Dolce Vita, a new luxury train created by Orient Express and Milan-based Dimore Studio, offers a fresh approach to rail travel across Italy. Designed to reflect the optimism and visual style of the 1960s, the project brings together design, gastronomy, and regional exploration. With eight curated routes stretching from coastal towns to vineyard-rich interiors, the train focuses on travel as both experience and atmosphere.
Dimore Studio, led by Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, shaped the interiors to reflect both vintage references and contemporary design thinking. Materials and colors connect with Italy’s rich visual culture, while the spatial composition encourages comfort, pause, and observation.
Design With Memory and Presence
Inside the train, 18 Suites, 12 Deluxe cabins, and one La Dolce Vita Suite provide distinct environments for rest and retreat. Each room prioritizes form, texture, and tone. Dark wood surfaces, reflective details, and a palette of deep orange, purple, and terracotta build a cohesive visual language across the interiors.
Deluxe cabins feature slatted ceilings and mirrored back walls. A patterned sofa converts to a double bed, while private bathrooms ensure ease and privacy. The larger Suites expand the experience with additional seating and more layered materials. Tables, armchairs, and soft surfaces invite guests to stay present in the space, rather than rush from point to point.
Dining and Conversation in Motion
The dining car, guided by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, turns each meal into a considered event. The space combines chrome finishes, striped floors, and orange leather seats, a visual shift from the wood and textiles elsewhere on the train. This contrast creates energy around shared meals, while the menu reflects Beck’s approach to refined Italian cuisine.
A communal lounge connects guests between stops. The room serves as a gathering space, for conversation, quiet moments, or simply watching the changing views. The lounge adds to the overall rhythm of the train, providing an in-between zone that carries the same attention to form and detail.
Routes That Reflect Place
Each of the train’s eight routes offers access to a different part of Italy’s regional identity. Guests can travel through vineyards in Tuscany, stop along the Ligurian coast, or cross from Rome to Sicily. These routes emphasize local history, food, and architecture, while maintaining the slow pace that allows observation and reflection.
This approach gives the train a purpose beyond transport. The routes focus on context, how place informs taste, design, and social atmosphere. With each stop, guests connect with the present moment and the region’s specific character.
