British Pullman, A Belmond Train, England, has appointed seasoned travel and hospitality executive Adam Baylis-Waterlow as its new general manager in London, entrusting him with steering one of Britain’s most storied luxury trains through a pivotal phase of creative growth and guest-focused innovation.
A Veteran of Travel and Hospitality Takes the Helm
The appointment of Adam Baylis-Waterlow as general manager is effective immediately, marking a significant leadership transition for British Pullman as it continues to refine its position in the luxury experiential travel market. Backed by more than 17 years of experience across aviation, immersive experiences and premium hospitality, Baylis-Waterlow is regarded internally as a driving force behind the train’s recent evolution.
Before taking on the top job, Baylis-Waterlow built his career with leading brands including Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, where he focused on service excellence and customer experience. He also held senior roles within a prominent UK immersive experience company, broadening his expertise in storytelling-led attractions and live events. That combination of operational discipline and creative thinking is seen as central to British Pullman’s next chapter.
At Belmond, he joined the British Pullman team in January 2025 as guest experience director, a position that quickly placed him at the forefront of decisions shaping every stage of the journey, from booking to boarding and on-board service. His promotion reflects both his track record within the brand and Belmond’s wider strategy of nurturing internal talent to lead its flagship products.
In his new capacity, Baylis-Waterlow is tasked with overseeing strategy, day-to-day operations and both guest and employee experience. The role covers everything from revenue performance and partnerships to service standards and onboard ambience, making the general manager one of the most influential figures in defining British Pullman’s identity over the coming years.
Shaping a New Era of Immersive Rail Journeys
British Pullman has emerged in recent years as a showcase for how historic rail travel can be reimagined for contemporary audiences, and Baylis-Waterlow has been closely involved in that shift. As guest experience director, he championed new routes and themed journeys, expanded cultural programming and curated collaborations that brought film, fashion and music deeper into the on-board narrative.
Under his guidance, the train introduced fresh destinations and seasonal itineraries designed to encourage guests to treat the journey as the main event rather than simply transport. Immersive dining services, live performances and interactive storylines have been layered onto classic day trips to heritage cities, coastlines and countryside estates, broadening the appeal beyond traditional rail enthusiasts to a younger, experience-driven clientele.
Baylis-Waterlow has also been an advocate for aligning British Pullman’s experiences with broader cultural moments. This has included special journeys linked to major film releases, fashion collaborations and high-profile events in the British social calendar, reinforcing the train’s reputation as an ever-evolving stage for British style, design and craftsmanship.
As general manager, he will now be responsible for scaling and refining that approach. Industry observers expect him to continue pushing into narrative-led journeys, limited-run collaborations and bespoke charters, while still protecting the intimate, service-led atmosphere that long-time passengers associate with the train.
Creative Collaborations with Global Names
Part of British Pullman’s recent momentum has come from headline partnerships with international creative talents, and Baylis-Waterlow has been instrumental in forging and nurturing those relationships. Recent collaborations have included fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier and the team behind the musical film franchise Wicked: For Good, bringing recognisable cultural brands directly into the carriage interiors and programming.
Limited-edition journeys created with Gaultier, for example, have blended haute couture-inspired aesthetics with specially designed menus and theatrical touches, turning the train into a catwalk of sorts for his signature visual language. Meanwhile, collaborations linked to Wicked: For Good have infused selected departures with musical performances and narrative elements rooted in the blockbuster property.
These partnerships are part of a broader Belmond strategy to position its trains as platforms for artists, designers and storytellers. Baylis-Waterlow’s background in immersive experiences has helped translate those collaborations into coherent on-board narratives that enhance, rather than overwhelm, the heritage of the historic carriages.
With his promotion, industry insiders expect further cross-disciplinary projects that bring together cinema, theatre, fashion and gastronomy. Crucially, each collaboration is framed not as a one-off spectacle but as a tailored experience that can be woven into British Pullman’s annual calendar of departures, making them accessible to a wide range of guests across the season.
Celia: A New Private Carriage for Tailored Celebrations
Baylis-Waterlow steps into his new role just as British Pullman prepares to launch Celia, a highly anticipated private carriage for dining and events that is set to debut in early summer 2026. Imagined by filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and his long-time creative partner, Oscar-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin, Celia represents a major investment in bespoke, small-group experiences aboard the train.
Built within an original 1932 Pullman carriage, Celia has been reconfigured to accommodate up to 12 guests in a flexible layout that includes a bar, lounge, dining area and dedicated entertainment space. The design aims to balance the carriage’s heritage fabric with Luhrmann and Martin’s flair for layered textures, intricate detailing and cinematic atmosphere, while remaining faithful to British Pullman’s Art Deco foundations.
For Baylis-Waterlow, Celia is both a creative canvas and a commercial opportunity. The carriage will support private celebrations, brand launches and intimate gatherings that can be fully customised, from menus and live entertainment to set dressing and onboard storytelling. It is expected to appeal strongly to clients seeking an exclusive London-centric venue that can travel, literally, through English countryside and coastal landscapes.
As general manager, he will oversee the integration of Celia into the wider timetable, ensure service flows match the heightened expectations of private charter guests and coordinate with Belmond’s global sales and events teams. The project offers a tangible example of how British Pullman is pairing new design investment with evolved service concepts under his leadership.
Honouring Heritage While Modernising Luxury Rail
British Pullman occupies a singular position in Britain’s travel landscape. Operating primarily from London Victoria between February and December, it offers day journeys across southern England in a collection of restored Pullman carriages dating from the 1920s through the 1950s. Each car has its own history, with links to royal journeys, celebrated trains such as the Brighton Belle and key moments in British railway heritage.
Under Belmond’s stewardship, those carriages have been meticulously restored with period-appropriate marquetry, brasswork and Art Deco lighting, while incorporating discreet modern comforts. Fine dining, white-linen service and elaborate afternoon teas remain central to the onboard offering, delivered against a backdrop of countryside views and cityscapes glimpsed through large picture windows.
Baylis-Waterlow has repeatedly emphasised the importance of safeguarding that heritage. His work to date has focused on layering new experiences onto the existing fabric rather than replacing it, whether through contemporary menus, seasonal storytelling or collaborations with filmmakers and designers. The challenge in his new role will be to continue updating the product without diluting the sense of stepping back into a refined, slower age of travel.
That balance between authenticity and innovation is particularly critical as the broader luxury travel market shifts towards experiential, sustainable and locally grounded journeys. British Pullman’s compact footprint, day-trip format and focus on British craftsmanship position it well within those trends, but it is Baylis-Waterlow’s responsibility to translate them into concrete initiatives that resonate with modern travellers.
Elevating Service and Employee Experience On Board
In addition to guest-facing strategy, Baylis-Waterlow’s remit covers employee experience, training and culture across British Pullman’s onboard and support teams. Luxury rail travel relies heavily on service professionals who can deliver attentive yet unobtrusive hospitality in the confined, constantly moving environment of a train, and Belmond views staff engagement as central to sustaining its standards.
Colleagues and guests alike have already seen Baylis-Waterlow’s focus on human connection. During his tenure as guest experience director, he became a visible presence both on journeys and in guest communications, responding to feedback, recognising crew achievements and championing personalised touches such as tailored celebrations and thoughtful farewells at the platform.
As general manager, he is expected to deepen investment in training that blends classic etiquette with contemporary awareness, including inclusivity, accessibility and cultural sensitivity. By strengthening internal culture, he aims to protect the atmosphere that frequent passengers describe as both polished and warmly familiar, where returning guests are recognised and new travellers quickly feel at ease.
This emphasis on people is likely to extend to partnerships with culinary teams, entertainers and artisans who bring their own expertise to the train. For Baylis-Waterlow, British Pullman is not only a collection of historic carriages but a travelling workplace and creative hub whose success depends on close collaboration among diverse specialists.
Positioning British Pullman Within Belmond’s Global Portfolio
The appointment of a general manager with Baylis-Waterlow’s background also signals the strategic importance of British Pullman within Belmond’s worldwide portfolio of trains, hotels, river cruises and safari lodges. Within the rail segment alone, the brand oversees icons such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Europe and other heritage trains that serve as flagships for immersive, slow-travel luxury.
British Pullman plays a distinctive role as a London-based gateway to this universe. Its day journeys are accessible to international visitors using the capital as a base, as well as to domestic travellers seeking memorable celebrations and seasonal outings. In recent years it has also become a testing ground for concepts that can be shared across Belmond’s network, from creative collaborations to new approaches in onboard entertainment.
Baylis-Waterlow’s blend of airline, immersive experience and luxury rail expertise positions him to link these threads more closely. Observers expect him to explore cross-promotions, multi-leg itineraries and curated packages that connect British Pullman journeys with stays at Belmond properties in Britain and beyond, leveraging the train’s brand recognition to drive broader travel planning.
At the same time, his appointment underscores Belmond’s confidence in the long-term appeal of heritage trains even as wider transport and tourism sectors adapt to shifting demand. By investing in leadership, design and storytelling, the company is effectively betting that travellers will continue to seek out slow, sensorial journeys where the route itself becomes the highlight.
Looking Ahead to a New Chapter on the Rails
With Adam Baylis-Waterlow now in place as general manager, British Pullman enters 2026 with a clear leadership structure and a packed calendar of journeys, collaborations and product launches. The imminent arrival of Celia, ongoing partnerships with creative figures and a renewed focus on curated experiences all feed into a narrative of careful reinvention rather than radical change.
For guests, the impact of this new chapter is likely to be felt in subtle but meaningful ways: more considered storytelling woven into each journey, more opportunities to tailor celebrations and a continued refinement of the service rituals that define a day aboard British Pullman. Behind the scenes, Baylis-Waterlow will be steering operational planning, staff development and partnership strategy to support that evolution.
As Belmond continues to invest in its rail portfolio globally, the British Pullman’s progress under his leadership will be closely watched by both industry peers and rail aficionados. The historic carriages that have carried generations of passengers across southern England are set for further reinvention, guided by a general manager whose career has been built on elevating the journey itself into a destination.
For now, what is clear is that the train’s next act will be shaped by a leader steeped in both the practicalities of high-end travel operations and the creative possibilities of immersive storytelling, positioning British Pullman as a standard-bearer for modern luxury rail in Britain.