What can be better than enjoying what you do?…..only to win an award for doing it as well!

That’s exactly what happened to us, and our thanks to Orient Express! If you were at our “Taste the Experience” evening earlier this year at The Bluebell Railway, then you will remember how much fun we had together.

Dressing up in elegant feather boas, and bringing the famous nostalgia of Orient Express to you ~ the lovely summer evening, our buffet in the old fashioned station refreshment room and the fabulous historic British Pullman, dressed with OE white linen, silverware and crystalware ~ it was all such…..FUN!

So we were thrilled to receive recognition and thanks from our sponsors, Orient Express. Hallmark Travel is recognised as one of OE’s best agents as a member of its Bellini Club ~ one of only 75 travel agents in the whole of Europe. This sets us apart for our knowledge and experience of all things Orient Express ~ trains, hotels and cruises throughout the world.

We were presented our award at The Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg, at a conference that brought together hoteliers and managers from all over the world. Apart from working very hard at all the seminars, we did get a chance to soak in some of the wonderful culture of this historic city ~ the Russian ballet, a banquet in the glittering palace of the Tsars and even had time for a whirlwind tour of the city’s icons ~ churches, cathedrals and squares……oh and we managed a glass or two of ice cold vodka ~ just to make sure our experience was as authentic as possible!