Basis of financial statement presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of financial statement presentation	Basis of financial statement presentation Business In this report Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. is referred to as the “Company”, and the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to collectively as “OEH”. At December 31, 2013, OEH owned, invested in or managed 35 deluxe hotels and resort properties operating in the United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Southern Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, one stand-alone restaurant in New York, six tourist trains in Europe, Southeast Asia and Peru, two river cruise businesses in Myanmar (Burma) and one canal boat business in France. Following the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer in late 2012, the Company conducted and completed effective October 1, 2013 a re-evaluation of its reportable segments. OEH's operating segments are now aggregated into six reportable segments, namely owned hotels in each of Europe, North America and Rest of World, part-owned/managed hotels, owned trains and cruises, and part-owned/managed trains. The changes are that the former trains and cruises segment has been disaggregated into owned operations and part-owned/managed operations, the former hotels and restaurants segment has been disaggregated to show the hotels in their geographic areas, OEH's only stand-alone restaurant is now part of owned hotels in North America, and the former real estate segment has been eliminated. The historical financial information in Note 22 has been restated as if OEH's six reportable segments had been effective at the beginning of the earliest period presented. Basis of presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and reflect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Company and all its majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities in which OEH is the primary beneficiary. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared using the historical basis in the assets and liabilities and the historical results of operations directly attributable to OEH, and all intercompany accounts and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries have been eliminated. For entities where the Company does not have a controlling financial interest, the investments in those entities are accounted for using the equity or cost method, as appropriate. Reclassifications Discontinued operations and assets and liabilities held for sale were reclassified in the consolidated financial statements for all periods presented. See Note 4 for a summary of the results of discontinued operations and assets and liabilities held for sale.

Basis of financial statement presentation

Business

In this report Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. is referred to as the “Company”, and the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to collectively as “OEH”.

At December 31, 2013, OEH owned, invested in or managed 35 deluxe hotels and resort properties operating in the United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Southern Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, one stand-alone restaurant in New York, six tourist trains in Europe, Southeast Asia and Peru, two river cruise businesses in Myanmar (Burma) and one canal boat business in France.

Following the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer in late 2012, the Company conducted and completed effective October 1, 2013 a re-evaluation of its reportable segments. OEH's operating segments are now aggregated into six reportable segments, namely owned hotels in each of Europe, North America and Rest of World, part-owned/managed hotels, owned trains and cruises, and part-owned/managed trains. The changes are that the former trains and cruises segment has been disaggregated into owned operations and part-owned/managed operations, the former hotels and restaurants segment has been disaggregated to show the hotels in their geographic areas, OEH's only stand-alone restaurant is now part of owned hotels in North America, and the former real estate segment has been eliminated. The historical financial information in Note 22 has been restated as if OEH's six reportable segments had been effective at the beginning of the earliest period presented.

Basis of presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and reflect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Company and all its majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities in which OEH is the primary beneficiary. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared using the historical basis in the assets and liabilities and the historical results of operations directly attributable to OEH, and all intercompany accounts and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries have been eliminated. For entities where the Company does not have a controlling financial interest, the investments in those entities are accounted for using the equity or cost method, as appropriate.

Reclassifications

Discontinued operations and assets and liabilities held for sale were reclassified in the consolidated financial statements for all periods presented. See Note 4 for a summary of the results of discontinued operations and assets and liabilities held for sale.