New acquisition for Orient-Express

Orient-Express Hotels has acquired a 75 per cent stake in the Maroma Resort and Spa on Mexico's Caribbean coast, south of Cancun on the Riviera Maya.

The company purchased the 75 per cent interest for $7.5m from the Maroma's architect and owner Jose Luis Moreno. The inspiration behind the project, Moreno has retained the 25 per cent minority interest in the 25-acre site.

The hotel, situated in a former coconut plantation, opened in 1995 and includes a cinema, beachfront restaurant, library, cocktail lounge and pool. The hotel's spa already includes a flotation tank, outdoor spa pool, a Mayan steam bath and two massage pagodas on the beach, and Orient-Express has plans to develop these spa facilities.

The 57-room Maroma resort brings Orient-Express' portfolio to 30 luxury hotels worldwide, along with six tourist trains, and a river cruise ship.