The British Pullman, A Belmond Train, has revelaed a cinematic new dining carriage designed by beloved filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and Oscar-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin.
If Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream were reimagined as a Baz Luhrmann film, its setting might very well take place in a sumptuous railcar. But there’s no need to imagine. Celia, a new private dining and events carriage, has officially launched aboard the iconic British Pullman, A Belmond Train, carrying guests through bucolic English countryside with theatrical flair.
Exquisitely crafted and endlessly creative, Belmond’s Celia is set within an original 1932 Pullman carriage where a whimsical world inspired by vintage 1930s theatre and Shakespearean romance awaits. The 12-guest carriage has its own cocktail bar, lounge, and dining and entertainment area, offering a dream-like setting for private dining and intimate events.
The design concept behind Celia
The dining carriage was designed by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
Co-designed by world-renowned Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and Oscar-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin, the carriage is a playful, meta-fictional space nodding to London’s 1930s West End theatre and Shakespeare’s famous A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The design concept follows the narrative of Celia, a fictional West End muse dreamt up by Luhrmann, who was gifted her own Pullman Car in 1932 in honour of her brilliant performance playing Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Baz Luhrmann’s distinct design style can be felt throughout the carriage. (Credit: Hugh Stewart)
“Stepping inside the carriage is like being transported into another world, and one in which guests are invited to become part of the story," Luhrmann commented. “Celia, at its heart, is a magical mystery tour – a travelling dining experience for friends or an intimate celebration, filled with food, music, wine, laughter and performance. All of this unfolds as you drift through the countryside, feeling as though you’ve stepped inside A Midsummer Night’s Dream."
Ruby-red curtains inspired by theatre add to the ambience. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
Soak up views of the rolling English countryside from plush purple couches. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
Design details seamlessly flow into the bathroom space. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
“Celia gives travellers the rare opportunity to inhabit the nostalgia of another era," Catherine Martin says. “Onboard I imagine people eating, dancing and falling in love, taking photographs, celebrating life’s great moments and adventures – all within a world that offers a pause from the chaos of everyday life."
The style of the Celia carriage
Whimsy can be found in intricate details throughout the carriage. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
Luhrmann and Martin have painstakingly integrated details of Celia’s life, Shakespeare’s play and the British countryside into the carriage’s sumptuous design – all while imbuing it with their extravagant signature styles. Elaborate fabric over custom timber parquetry graces the ceiling, while heavy theatre-style curtains create an element of cinema and surprise. Celia’s interiors also feature floral motifs, oak-wood marquetry and velvet upholstered furniture, all woven together by a palette of deep greens, yellows, reds and purples.
To honour The British Pullman’s heritage of British craftsmanship, Luhrmann and Martin worked extensively with British artisans including marquetry experts Dunn & Son, bespoke furniture designer Bill Cleyndert and embroiders Hand and Lock.
What can guests of Celia carriage expect onboard?
Dedicated stewards serve cocktails and champagne to guests. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
Celia offers up to 12 guests at a time the opportunity to journey through bucolic countryside in a self-contained private carriage with dedicated stewards. Travellers will depart from London’s Victoria Station and be able to personalise their onboard and offboard experiences, with a private chef available to design custom menus on request.
Depending on guests’ wishes, the carriage can morph into a theatrical space for performances, a dance floor or a haven for elegant dinners and bespoke cocktail hours – guests are invited to let their imagination lead the way, as Luhrmann and Martin have done.
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The details
Step into Celia’s exquisitely crafted world onboard The British Pullman, A Belmond Train. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
Experience: private use of Celia carriage aboard The British Pullman, A Belmond Train
Departure location: Victoria Station, London
Price: from £15,000 (AU $29,000), including use of Celia and transfers within Greater London
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Eleanor Edström is International Traveller’s Associate Editor. El began her career writing for national magazines including Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel, and has since developed a soft spot for wild landscapes, thoughtful design and the human stories that bring them to life. She holds an honours degree in English and philosophy from the University of Sydney, and has lived abroad in both Switzerland and France – ostensibly to sharpen her French, though the pastries made a strong supporting case. One day, she hopes to swim with humpback whales off the coast of Mo'orea.
Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.
The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.
1. Easy access to good food
Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.
In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.
Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.
At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.
While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.
It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.
2. Better sleep options
Sleep deeply with Novotel.
There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.
For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.
The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.
3. More ways to move
Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)
Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.
At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.
Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.
4. Better connections
Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.
One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.
Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.
A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.
Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.
All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.
