Venice will always have a special place in the Nomadic Boys’ hearts. It was where we celebrated one of our earlier anniversaries together as a young gay couple, visiting for a romantic weekend. And boy did we love it!
This is the place where you will want to profess your love to your significant other, on a cheesy gondola ride through the picture perfect canals, marvelling at the same buildings James Bond was blowing up in “Casino Royale“.
You can’t beat Venice for its charm. It’s world famous for good reason, which is why we chose to spend our first anniversary here. When researching, we stumbled on several gay friendly places to stay both in the city, and around. When choosing where to stay in Venice, it’s also worth considering the area outside the city as there are more options for gay bars and clubs in Padua and Verona than in Venice itself.
Villa Gasparini: unique Venetian villa
This is one of those hidden gems you’ll want to check out. It’s actually located just outside the built up Venice island area in “Dolo”, around 30 minutes by bus. It is a gorgeous Venetian villa, recently refurbished, with just 15 rooms, some with a private Jacuzzi. We particularly love that they have special packages for LGBTQ travellers.
The reason we recommend this for gay travellers to Venice is because from our experience, Venice as beautiful as it is, lacks any gay hangouts. It is city mainly filled with hotels, museums, gorgeous buildings etc, but lacks much local life. For the best gay nightlife when visiting Venice, you’ll want to head to either Padua or Verona, which Villa Gasparini is located near to. Therefore, staying here is ideal for not only being close to the touristic highlights in Venice, but also being close to the best gay hangouts that LGBTQ locals go to like Anima + Hot Dog Club in Padua + Lucla and Romeo’S Club in Verona.
Rooms at Villa Gasparini start from €46/$53 a night. Check availability and pricing by clicking here.
The gorgeous Villa Gasparini reception area
Cà del Nobile: affordable B&B in central Venice
If you want to be based in the heart of Venice, check out “Cà del Nobile”. It’s an affordable gay friendly guesthouse, although difficult to find, located just 10 minutes walk from Piazza San Marco. They also advertise that they are gay friendly and welcoming to LGBTQ couples.
Although reviews for it are quite mixed online, if you are looking for an inexpensive place to stay in central Venice (which is an expensive city), this one’s definitely worth considering.
Rooms at Cà del Nobile started from €80/$92 a night and you can read more about it here.
Hotel Alle Guglie: gay owned hotel near train station
Hotel Alle Guglie is a gay owned 3-star hotel in the Cannaregio district of Venice, which is around 15 minutes walk from Piazza San Marco. It is recommended in the Purple Roofs directory of best LGBT hotels, which we always use as starting point for researching where to stay.
The hotel is named after the nearby “Ponte delle Guglie” bridge and overlooks the Strada Nuova. It’s also close to the “Casino di Cà Vendramin Calergi“, the Jewish Ghetto and “Palazzo Labia“.
Rooms at Hotel Alle Guglie start from €112/$129 a night and you can read more about it here.
Romantic gondola ride in Venice
Baglioni Hotel Luna: luxury spa hotel
If you want to splurge, this is the place to come. It’s one of the best 5* luxury hotels in Venice, located right in the centre just off Piazza San Marco. It has its own private boat dock making it easy to reach via gondolas and water taxis. It’s also close to the city’s best museums, palaces, galleries and high end shops.
Staff are super welcoming and rooms are huge with lots of space. Breakfast is extensive and famous for being one of the best. Baglioni is a popular choice with couples on a honeymoon and rated as gay friendly by Lastminute.com.
Rooms at the Baglioni Hotel Luna start from €200/$230 a night and you can read more about it here.
Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal: luxury hotel with canal view
Hotel Monaco is another popular luxury hotel in the centre of Venice. What we love about it are the views across the Grand Canal in the Suites. It’s so gorgeous that it’s also a popular wedding venue, especially same sex weddings.
Hotel Monaco is close to Piazza San Marco and the Realto Bridge. It’s also near the area where you can pick up a water taxi from, making it easy to reach Burano and Murano islands, as well as the Marco Polo Airport.
Rooms at the Hotel Monaco start from €175/$200 and you can read more about it here.
For more inspiration check out our 5 romantic things to do in Italy and best nude beaches in Italy and best destinations for a gay wedding.
Some Practical tips
When to visit Venice: Venice is best avoided in the rainy month of February because the city becomes one big flooded lake. The advantage is that it is low season so prices are at their lowest. July and August are full of people on summer holidays, the weather is warm and humid and prices are the most expensive. Anytime around February, July and August is our recommended time to visit, particularly between September and November.
Travel insurance: really is a must for any trip wherever you’re going! You don’t need travel insurance until something serious happens, so make sure you’re covered! Whether you get it through your bank account or household insurance, it doesn’t cost much and will give you peace of mind during your trip. We personally use World Nomads because they offer comprehensive cover at very reasonable prices. You can also compare the best quotes for travel insurance here.
Stay with gay locals: we always try to stay with LGBTQ locals whenever we travel, and love Misterbnb for this. In Venice and the region around the city there are a number of listings by gay locals. The bonus, you’ll make an immediate friend who can tell you more about what’s happening locally when you arrive. If you sign up here, you can claim a €10 credit.
Transport: Venice is a city dominated by water. There are no cars here. The best way to reach your hotel from the airport is by bus to the city then either walk or take a boat taxi. Also check with your hotel if they offer a direct shuttle service. Hotels like Villa Gasparini certainly do.
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