The Baglioni Hotel Luna – A Charming Stay at Venice’s Oldest Hotel
Venice is a city with a fascinating history, and so many attractions to uncover. What better base from which to explore it but from the oldest hotel? The Baglioni Hotel Luna Venice dates all the way back to 1118 and also has the advantage of being the closest hotel to Piazza San Marco. It means that you can stroll there at sunrise or sunset, avoiding the crowds.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Located directly on the Grand Canal, you can arrive in style by water taxi at their own mooring. There’s also a separate entrance on Calle Vallaresso where Harry’s Bar and many of Venice’s most luxurious boutiques are located. Entering the stunning palazzo, we immediately noticed the Murano glass chandeliers and high ceilings.
We were welcomed by the manager who gave us a potted history of the hotel and its association with the Knights Templar. The Baglioni Hotel Luna was built on the site of a demolished Templar church, Santa Maria dell’Ascensione, as well as on the possible location of the Knights Templar convent. There are several places in Venice associated with the Knights Templar, including the Casino. You can visit all of them and it makes a nice focal point for a Venice stay if you’re interested in history.
After a speedy check in, we were introduced to our personal butler. He showed us to our suite and encouraged us to contact him for any requests. Let’s take a look around, shall we?
ACCOMMODATION
Our Junior Suite was extremely large by Venice standards, at around 50 square meters. It was sumptuously decorated with silk wallpaper and beautiful chandeliers. There was a handy closet area by the entrance to the room, with ample space for our clothes and luggage. The separate lounge was elegantly furnished with Venetian antiques.
The huge bathroom definitely had the wow factor. I loved the roll-top bath and the abundance of black and white marble.
The Ortigia toiletries are from Sicily and one of my favourite brands for the quality and stylish packaging.
There was a large walk-in rain shower and cosy bathrobes and slippers. I couldn’t resist a soak in that amazing bath.
The bedroom itself had a real sense of theatre with a superb gilt bed and an imposing chandelier. Despite the hotel’s central location, we couldn’t hear a sound outside. This tranquillity and the comfortable super king-sized bed meant that we slept like logs.
Our butler also showed us the San Giorgio Terrace Suite. It can be connected to another room and when both are booked by a bride-to-be and groom, the hotel can put up a little gate so that the groom cannot see his bride before the wedding – what a brilliant idea! There’s a great view over the lagoon from the 100 square meter terrace.
LITTLE TOUCHES
There was a very welcome bottle of the Baglioni’s own Prosecco on ice when we arrived in our suite. We savoured it with some delicious freshly made macarons. I had dressed appropriately for the occasion
BREAKFAST
The Baglioni Luna Venice is part of the iconic Baglioni luxury hotel group, known for their hospitality and excellent food. I’d recently experienced their Italian Afternoon Tea at the Baglioni Hotel London so was excited to try their breakfast. It’s not just the food that is impressive here, the Marco Polo Ballroom where breakfast is served was painted by the pupils of famous 18th century artist, Gianbattista Tiepolo.
It truly is a work of art and I spotted new details each time I looked at it.
There was a fantastic buffet laid out, and the children’s buffet section was a nice touch that I’ve never seen before.
We chose hot dishes from the buffet, although the à la carte menu also looked tempting. The scrambled eggs and smoked salmon were very tasty and clearly the ingredients were of the finest quality.
We didn’t dine at the hotel but there’s a well-known restaurant, Canova, as well as a cosy bar. The latter overlooks the lagoon and you can see a gondola in the background on our photo.
Our breakfast had set us up nicely for the day and we headed out to explore the other places linked to the Knights Templar, as well as some other Venetian hidden gems. For its great location, sumptuous interiors and impeccable service, the Baglioni Hotel Luna Venice really stands out. What do you think of the decor?
LITTLE TOUCHES
BREAKFAST
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