Thomas Noll, the Managing Director of the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg, has been included in Delovoi Petersburg’s list of the “Top 30” senior managers in St. Petersburg. Earlier in 2008, Noll was included in the newspaper's “TOP 100” best managers list. The newspaper chooses managers based on their company’s achievements such as turnover, profit, and job retention. Under Noll’s management, the Grand Hotel Europe has received many awards and recognitions for being one of the top luxury hotels in Europe and the world.

1. Press Release
THOMAS NOLL HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN DELOVOI PETERBURG’S
LIST OF THE “TOP 30” SENIOR MANAGERS IN ST. PETERSBURG
St. Petersburg, 27 October 2009 – At the awards ceremony for Delovoi Peterburg
newspaper’s selection of the best senior managers in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad
Oblast, Thomas Noll, the Managing Director of the Grand Hotel Europe, was awarded a
prize as one of the thirty most successful managers of 2009. Earlier, in 2008 Thomas Noll
joined the list of “TOP 100” best managers of the same newspaper.
“Delovoi Peterburg” is the city’s leading daily business and analitycal newspaper. The annual
“Top 100” magazine by “Delovoi Peterburg” features the best executives, wealthiest property
owners and people whose career has really taken off in 2009. It also includes information about
the biggest investment projects of the year and events that have had significant consequences
for the city’s business community.
The newspaper’s editorial team has chosen the best executives on the basis of their company’s
achievements, such as turnover and profit in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period
last year and the percentage of jobs retained from October 2008 to June 2009. This year, the
editors also took into account the results of online voting at dp.ru. A committee of experts was
set up in order to search for and choose the best senior managers, events and projects.
“During a period that is difficult for the hotel business, our general strategy consists of
maintaining the extremely high level of service with which we provide our clients: today,
particular significance is given to the ‘returning’ client,” said Thomas Noll.
“We are continuing to invest in the hotel – we have updated our fleet of cars by purchasing 11
BMWs, and we are increasing our power capacity to meet the growing requirements of our spa
centre. We are continuing our innovative path of development: we have completed our
thematically named executive suites, despite the crisis, and achieved SGS certification for the
corresponding ISO 9001:2008 international standard of quality management systems, as well
as publishing our own ‘Life Style Book’, and creating our own kind of rose, the Grand Europe.”
Under Noll’s management the Grand Hotel Europe has been receiving many awards, among
them are such prestigious nominations as “Best Luxury Hotel in Europe” by World Travel
Awards 2009; Travel + Leisure’s annual list of the 500 greatest hotels and resorts in the world
for the fifth time; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2008 & 2009 by Wine Spectator,
America's foremost wine publication; Grand Prix of Best Hotel in Europe 2008, by the Jury of
Prix Villegiature; Forbes Traveler 400, 2008/2009 edition of the list of the world's finest hotels;
Best hotel in Russia in 2008 by Afisha World magazine.
***
Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa 1/7, 191186 St. Petersburg, Russia; Mailing Address: P.O. Box 53, Fin-53501 Lappeenranta, Finland
Tel.: +7 812 329 6000, Fax: +7 812 329 6001, E-mail: hotel@grandhoteleurope.com, Internet Address:
http://www.grandhoteleurope.com

2. Thomas Noll
Managing Director, Grand Hotel Europe by Orient-Express
Born 1961 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Graduated from Poppe & Neumann Hotel School
in Konstanz. Began career as Executive Chef at a number of hotels in Europe, Kenya and
Antigua. Studied at Cornell University.
In 2005 joined Orient-Express Hotels as a General Manager of St Petersburg leading luxury
hotel Grand Hotel Europe. In the same year initiated and launched multi-million dollar large
scale projected of renovation of Grand Hotel Europe’s guest rooms and public areas.
In 2006 Thomas Noll established the Grand Hotel Europe Charity Foundation with a goal of
giving to underprivileged children and youths an opportunity to develop and grow, to have
decent living conditions and to have a chance to succeed in life. The Grand Hotel Europe gives
them their first job, provide trainings and corresponding social benefits, keeping them away from
the streets; does monitor living conditions of the youths and help them to make their temporary
home a nice place. Today 9 young ladies and gentlemen, who grew up in children’s homes, are
working in different departments of the hotel. The main aim was not simply to offer them a job,
but the opportunity to build a career in the hotel business.
Recently Thomas Noll was nominated as the “Best Manager 2009” by European Hotel
Managers Association.
***
Orient-Express, (NYSE: OEH, www.orient-express.com) the name behind an elite collection of
travel experiences, first came into being in 1883 as one of the world’s most exciting and
indulgent train journeys. Today those same two evocative words also embrace hotels, cruises
and other luxury rail adventures in 25 countries, across five continents. The Company has
offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it first purchased Hotel Cipriani
in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express,
linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities. Today, the company owns
or part-owns and manages 49 businesses, 39 of which are highly acclaimed hotels, each
unique in style, from the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and Rio’s Copacabana Palace, to the
Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Maroma Resort & Spa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
There are two restaurants, including ‘21’ in New York, two river cruise operations and six luxury
trains. For further information or images, please contact:
Irina Khlopova
Public Relations Manager
Grand Hotel Europe
Tel.: +7 (812) 329 66 08
E-mail: irina.khlopova@grandhoteleurope.com
Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa 1/7, 191186 St. Petersburg, Russia; Mailing Address: P.O. Box 53, Fin-53501 Lappeenranta, Finland
Tel.: +7 812 329 6000, Fax: +7 812 329 6001, E-mail: hotel@grandhoteleurope.com, Internet Address:
http://www.grandhoteleurope.com