Stay at the hotel where Lord Byron enjoyed the food
The iconic Hotel Luna is the oldest hotel in Venice and is also one of the most centrally located, as it is just a short walk from Piazza San Marco and easily accessible from the Grand Canal if you arrive by gondola, water taxi or vaporetto (water bus).
The Baglioni Hotel Luna has its own jetty, which
allows guests to arrive by gondola or water taxi
The poet Lord Byron and his old university friend. John Hobhouse, dined in the restaurant at the Hotel Luna on 15 November 1816 and Hobhouse recorded in his journal that ‘the eating was good.’
The Hotel Luna’s history is known to date back as far as the 12th century because it was recorded as having given shelter to the Knights Templar in 1118. The hotel was built on the site of a former church and convent.
By 1574, the hotel had become known as Locanda della Luna, but the actual building in which Byron and Hobhouse dined was erected in the 18th century. The interior was decorated with frescoes by pupils of the great Venetian artist, Giambattista Tiepolo, which guests can still admire today while having their breakfast.
The Luna Hotel has recently been renovated and spacious new suites have been added with terraces that have beautiful views of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore and the lagoon.
The hotel’s award-winning Canova restaurant serves lunch and dinner, offering diners dishes created using modern interpretations of traditional Venetian cooking.
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| Harry's Bar, once a favourite celebrity haunt, is just a few steps from the Luna's entrance |
The Hotel Luna is now privately owned by Baglioni Hotels. The high ceilings and original features have been carefully preserved and it has been beautifully redecorated in Venetian style, with Murano glass chandeliers and beautiful furniture and fabrics.
Editor’s note: “I have been lucky enough to stay at the Hotel Luna twice and found the location perfect for exploring Venice, as it is both handy for the lagoon and all the main sights of the city. I loved the hotel’s unique atmosphere and the way its history and traditions have been carefully preserved over the centuries. Staying at the Hotel Luna certainly helped to make my visits to the historic city of Venice magical.”
How to find the Baglioni Hotel Luna:
A few steps from Piazza San Marco, the Hotel Luna has entrances on Calle Vallaresso and Calle larga de l'Ascension, two narrow alleyways off Salizada San Moise, which is the street one joins when leaving the piazza through the archways beneath the Museo Correr, at the end opposite the Basilica. The nearest vaporetto stop is San Marco Vallaresso, right outside Harry’s Bar. For guests arriving by water taxi or gondola, the Luna’s landing stage is next to the entrance on Calle larga de l’Ascension.
