Quinlan Private rumoured as potential bidders for Orient-Express Hotels

IRISH investment group, Quinlan Private has been tipped as possible bidders for the Orient-Express Hotels, which owns dozens of the world’s most prestigious hotels and restaurants as well as the famous luxury tourist train.

Derek Quinlan’s investment company, Quinlan Private, which paid more than €1 billion to buy Jurys Inns last month has been linked as a possible bidder for the troubled luxury hotel group along with Lehman Brothers and Jonathan Marland, the former Tory treasurer, who reports say may be interested in putting together a consortium to bid for the group.

A spokesman for Quinlan Private said yesterday: “We do not comment on market speculation and will not make any comment on this.”

Yesterday it emerged that the billionaire Reuben brothers are understood to have built a stake in Orient-Express Hotels ahead of the potential bidding war.

The group has been the subject of continual takeover speculation in recent months after being spun out of crisis-ridden Sea Containers last year, which is currently in chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US.

The Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express was made famous following the success of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

The Daily Telegraph said that a US source close to the company said the hotels group has not appointed any advisors for a sale and that a newly appointed chief executive suggests no sale process is imminent.

Orient-Express owns, part owns and manages 49 hotels, restaurants, tourist train and river cruise properties in 25 countries.