A stone's throw from St. Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace, the Londra Palace, a hotel in Venice that has been housed in a palazzo for one hundred and seventy years, is among the most beautiful addresses in the Serenissima. An intimate, sophisticated, romantic «five-star» hotel... for cooing with pleasure.
Hard to find a better location than this hotel in Venice. In Castello, one of the six sestieri (districts) of the lagoon city, on the Riva degli Schiavoni, The London Palace (Relais & Châteaux) scans the lagoon, the Grand Canal of Saint Mark, the island of San Giorgio. At the foot of the hotel, a vaporetto station and a battery of gondoliers. Water taxis dock at the pier of the hotel. All the magic of Venice... Opened in 1853 as the Hôtel d’Angleterre, the neo-Lombard style establishment was an early haunt of society's elite: Jules Verne, Gabriele d'Annunzio, the Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges... It inspired Tchaikovsky to compose the first three movements of his Fourth Symphony, which he named «Do Leoni,» in honor of the Lion of Saint Mark. All were captivated by a unique atmosphere that The London Palace perpetuates: tapestries, heavy curtains, tufted velvet, Murano vases, Fortuny chandeliers, marbles, brocades, herringbone parquet... A bit classic? Venice wouldn't be Venice without chandeliers and gilding. Careful renovation has just injected a hint of modernity.
52 keys and 100 windows
Behind 100 windows that are the envy of other Venice hotels, the spaces are generous, the interiors bright. The hotel has 52 keys – real keys – spread across five floors. Classic rooms overlook a canal, the city rooftops, or the Zaccaria Church; suites and deluxe rooms face the San Marco Basin, the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, or the statue of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy. Naturally, romance calls for a room overlooking the lagoon, perched on the 4th or 5th floor. The Top Floor suite (37 m2), on the top floor, offers a private 16 m2 terrace facing the lagoon and the Grand Canal. It's possible to arrange a candlelit dinner there. The Jules Verne suite (38m2) consists of a living room, a bedroom, 2 bathrooms, and offers a few nods to the French writer.
The Borges resembles an apartment, with a large living room and a separate bedroom. Blue, gold, gray, pink, lilac, orange... each has its own tone, offering the pleasure of exclusive luxury. They are elegantly decorated with 19th-century antiques and typical Biedermeier furniture in light woods (walnut, cherry, ash, maple) and almost baroque shapes. The bathrooms are made of pink marble, with walls adorned with fabrics and patterns inspired by the city's frescoes. The magic of Venice pervades every corner.
© Londra Palace Venice
Away from the tourist crowds
Just like yesterday, they know how to receive their guests seeking attention. Old-fashioned hospitality, just as we like it! The Londra Palace has neither a pool nor a spa. This very chic old gentleman is far above all that! The LPV Ristorante serves reinvented Venetian cuisine based on local products, both in its dining room and on its pretty terrace facing the water: the fish come from the Rialto market, the vegetables from Sant'Erasmo, Venice's garden island. Chef Daniele Galliazzo highlights Venetian classics: black truffle carpaccio, spaghetti with clams, fried scampi and calamari… Simpler, but equally delicious cuisine, is offered at the LPV Bistrot.
Both are destinations in themselves, away from the tourist crowds. On the top floor, on the roof, a small wooden terrace, the ’altana,« can be booked for a private picnic for two (lunch, aperitif, or dinner) to watch the procession of gondolas and vaporettos. It is one of the highest in the city, with 360° views. In the past, beautiful Venetian women would spend hours getting their hair done in the sun on these terraces to achieve the famous Venetian blonde. Romance is guaranteed and embraced.
Londra Palace Venice
Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello 4171, 30122 Venice
Tel: +39 041 5200533
© Londra Palace Venice
© Londra Palace Venice
