 The company was founded in 1976 by the American entrepreneur James Sherwood with the acquisition of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice from the Guinness family for £900,000.James Sherwood then bought what was left of the legendary Orient Express train to restore it and offer rides from Paris and London to his hotel in Venice to wealthy clients, thus the former name of the company.Much of the history of the company is documented in James Sherwood's memoir " Orient Express