Where to Stay for the Venice Film Festival
The Lido within walking distance of the theatres, or Venice a crossing away: the addresses that matter during the festival, compared for a late summer on the lagoon.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 4 min read
For a stay during the Venice Film Festival, two approaches stand apart. The Lido, first: there you live the festival on foot, between the beach and the theatres — the Hotel Excelsior, where the Mostra was born in 1932, is its historic address; the Hôtel des Bains, the Lido's other great name, has been closed since 2010 and is under restoration. Venice, then: a palazzo on the Grand Canal or an address on the Giudecca — The Gritti Palace, Aman Venice, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, named by way of illustration — a crossing away from the Lido. Staying at a Lido hotel gives no access to any screening. During the festival, everything is booked early; every stay is quoted individually.
The Lido or Venice: two approaches
The Lido is a long, narrow island between the lagoon and the Adriatic, around fifteen minutes by vaporetto from Venice. Staying there means living the festival on foot: the theatres, the beach and the hotel are a few minutes from one another, and you depend on no boat to return after a late screening.
Venice offers the opposite: the city, its palazzi and its tables every evening, but a crossing to make for each screening. The right choice depends on what you are coming for: the festival first, or Venice with a few screenings.
The Hotel Excelsior: where the Mostra was born
It was on its terrace that the very first screening of the Mostra took place, on 6 August 1932. The Excelsior sits on the Lido beach, a few minutes' walk from the Palazzo del Cinema; during the festival, boats moor at its landing stage. It reopened in May 2026 after a renovation of its public spaces and a first part of its rooms.
Two points matter: staying there gives no access to any screening, which is for the Biennale; and during the festival, the hotel is in high demand. When a room is not available, we say so and propose an equivalent.
The Hôtel des Bains: closed, and for a long time
It is often mentioned: the Grand Hôtel des Bains, on the Lido seafront, marked the island's history. It has been closed since 2010. Its restoration began in 2026, and its reopening is not announced for several years.
We mention it to avoid any confusion: no room can be booked there today, and any offer presenting it as open should raise suspicion.
Venice: the Grand Canal and the Giudecca
On the Grand Canal, The Gritti Palace occupies the former residence of Doge Andrea Gritti, built in 1475; Aman Venice is set in Palazzo Papadopoli, a sixteenth-century palazzo. On the tip of the Giudecca, facing San Marco, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani has its own shuttle boat to the square. These addresses are named by way of illustration.
From Venice, the Lido is reached by water taxi, directly to the landing stage, or by vaporetto. We plan the departure time around each screening, and the return boat around dinner.
Private residence or palazzo: receiving guests
For a group, a family or a stay where you receive guests, a palazzo apartment in Venice or a villa on the Lido offers what a hotel does not: a drawing room for an after-screening dinner, a room for fittings, the discretion of an address that is not public. A minimum number of nights is often required during the festival; we check each property before proposing it.
| Address | Area | For whom | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Excelsior | Lido, on the beach | Living the festival on foot | No access to screenings; in high demand during the festival |
| Hôtel des Bains | Lido, seafront | — | Closed since 2010, under restoration: cannot be booked |
| The Gritti Palace | Venice, Grand Canal | The Venetian palazzo, at the heart of the city | A crossing to the Lido for each screening |
| Aman Venice | Venice, Grand Canal | A sixteenth-century palazzo, in calm | A crossing to the Lido for each screening |
| Belmond Hotel Cipriani | Giudecca | Gardens and pool, facing San Marco | Hotel shuttle to San Marco; water taxi to the Lido |
| Palazzo apartment or villa | Venice or Lido | Group, family, receptions | Minimum stay common during the festival |
When to book, and how we proceed
During the festival, the Lido fills early, and Venice remains in high demand at the end of summer. We advise settling the address as soon as your dates take shape, adjusting if needed once the Biennale publishes the 2027 dates.
The quote depends on the address, the room category or the capacity of the property, the length of stay and the timing of the booking. It includes no invitation or accreditation. For the rest of the stay — tickets, evening dress, tables, boats — our Venice Film Festival VIP page composes the whole, and our guide How to Get to the Venice Film Festival settles the crossings.
Frequently asked questions
It is not essential, but it is simpler to go from one screening to the next: theatres, beach and hotels are a few minutes' walk apart. Venice suits you better if you are coming first for the city.
No. It has been closed since 2010; its restoration began in 2026 and its reopening is not announced for several years. No room can be booked there.
No. It is the festival's historic address, a few minutes from the Palazzo del Cinema, but tickets and invitations are for the Biennale alone.
Around fifteen minutes by vaporetto between the Lido and Venice, a little less by water taxi, directly to the landing stage. We time the crossing to the hour of each screening.
As soon as your dates take shape. The 2027 dates have not yet been published, but the Mostra will fall in late August – early September: we can secure the address early and adjust later, according to each house's terms.
Yes: a palazzo apartment in Venice or a villa on the Lido lends itself well to a group or a stay where you receive guests. A minimum number of nights is often required; we check each property and its terms before proposing it to you, on a quote.
Take it further
Let us choose your address on the lagoon
Tell us your intended dates, the number of guests and how you would like to live the festival: we propose the right address — on the Lido or in Venice — then compose the rest of the stay, on a quote and subject to availability.