Most Venice hotels sell you a canal view. The Excelsior sells you something the city itself cannot: a long private beach on the Adriatic, a pool, tennis courts and a golf course on the same island, with St Mark’s Square a free 15 to 20 minute boat ride away. The Moorish-style palace opened in 1908, the Film Festival was born on its terrace in 1932, and in May 2026 it reopened after the first phase of a renovation. My verdict: the classic beach resort of Venice, best in a sea-view room in June or September.
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Quick facts: Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort
- Location: Lungomare Marconi on the Lido di Venezia, the long barrier island between the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic, next to the Palazzo del Cinema.
- Rooms and suites: just under 200. The hotel’s own site gives 196 rooms and suites; the 2026 relaunch material says 198.
- Price level: very high, and at its peak during the Venice Film Festival at the turn of August and September.
- Season: seasonal, roughly late April to early November, closed in winter. In 2026 the hotel reopened on 5 May after renovation work. Ask the hotel for exact dates each year.
- Nearest airport: Venice Marco Polo. The Alilaguna public water bus to the Lido takes about an hour; a private water taxi is quicker.
- Best for: couples and families who want beach days and Venice in one stay, film lovers, golfers and tennis players.
Check prices and availability
Sea-view rooms and suites go first, and festival week is often booked by studios and press long in advance. Compare dates early, especially for July, August and the start of September.
Location and getting there
The Lido is the long, narrow island that shelters the Venetian lagoon from the open sea. It has roads, cycle lanes and wide sandy beaches, and feels nothing like the historic centre across the water. The Excelsior stands on the seafront beside the Palazzo del Cinema, where the festival screenings take place.
The hotel’s private dock is the key to the whole stay. A complimentary shuttle boat runs throughout the day between the hotel and St Mark’s Square, and the crossing takes about 15 to 20 minutes. It does not carry luggage, so treat it as your daily commute, not your arrival transfer, and check the time of the last boat back.
From Marco Polo airport you have three options:
- Private water taxi: available around the clock from the airport taxi desk and the most elegant way to arrive, straight to the hotel dock. Ask the concierge for the current price.
- Alilaguna water bus: to the Santa Maria Elisabetta stop on the Lido, about an hour, then a short taxi or bus ride.
- By car: the car ferry from Tronchetto; the hotel has a paid garage.
For onward connections, see our Italy travel planner.
Rooms and suites
Rooms are generous by Venetian standards. The 2026 reopening brought the first wave of redesigned rooms, with a softer Mediterranean palette and custom Murano glass; press reports put the refreshed share at more than half, with work continuing.
- Classic Double: about 25 square metres, courtyard or park view.
- Grand Deluxe: 28 to 30 square metres, with courtyard, park, Adriatic or Venice views depending on the room.
- Family Room: 30 to 35 square metres, a king bed plus two extra beds.
- Junior Suite and Premium Junior Suite: around 45 square metres with sea or Venice views; the Premium versions are refurbished.
- Suite and Panoramic Suite: 50 to 90 square metres, the Panoramic Suites with a large terrace over the lagoon and sea.
- Adriatic One Bedroom Suite and Lido Two Bedroom Suite: 100 to 150 square metres, both facing the sea.
The view is the decision that matters. When you book, also ask the hotel to confirm a renovated room.
Dining and bars
Hours below come from the hotel’s 2026 guest directory and can change.
- Amù Venice: the big new arrival, a signature terrace restaurant, pool bar and beach club that is new for the 2026 season. The concept started at the Fairmont Monte Carlo; here the menu blends Riviera style with Veneto cooking.
- Excelsior Terrace: outdoor lunch and dinner from midday to 10.30pm overlooking the Adriatic, with sunset aperitivo.
- Elimar: the beach restaurant, where breakfast is served from 7am to 10.30am.
- Blue Bar: from 5pm to 1am, signature cocktails and live jazz evenings.
- Lobby Bar and Palm Court: the restored Palm Court is once again the social heart of the hotel, hung with archive photographs of royalty, directors and film stars, and the Lobby Bar runs a Champagne Moment from 6pm to 8pm.
An honest note on Michelin: I could not find a Michelin star for any of the Excelsior’s restaurants in the 2026 guide. Come for the setting, and plan serious gastronomic meals in Venice itself.
Check rates at Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort
Beach, cabanas and pools
The beach is the reason to stay. The private sand is lined with the famous white Moorish-style cabanas, now part of the Amù Venice beach club, which counts 299 of them. Each is a private base for the day, with loungers, a shaded table and bar service.
Cabanas cost extra and run on a shorter season than the hotel, roughly late May or June to mid-September. Reserve one as soon as you have dates.
Back on the terrace level there is an outdoor pool with sea views and loungers, served by the pool bar. Some listings also mention a separate children’s pool; ask the hotel if this matters to you. There is no spa in the classic sense: the hotel has a fitness centre near the pool, open from 7am to 9pm, with machines and instructor-led classes.
Sport and activities
The Excelsior features in both our guide to the best luxury hotels with tennis courts in Italy and our round-up of the best golf resorts and golf hotels in Italy.
Tennis: the hotel lists tennis courts on site, booked through the concierge. It does not publish the number of courts, the surface, floodlighting or coaching details, so ask the hotel before you pack your racquet.
Golf: Circolo Golf Venezia sits at Alberoni on the southern tip of the Lido, about 20 minutes from the hotel by car, taxi or private water taxi. It was founded in 1928, extended from nine to 18 holes in 1951 by the English architect C.K. Cotton, and plays as a par 72 links-style course between dunes, maritime pines and the lagoon. The clubhouse occupies an eighteenth-century Austrian fort. It hosted the Italian Open in 1955, 1960 and 1974. Guest relations at the Excelsior will book tee times, transfers and rental clubs.
On the water: windsurfing and kayaking from the beach, and private lagoon boat tours through the concierge.
The Venice Film Festival: the first edition opened on the Excelsior’s terrace on 6 August 1932, and the festival still takes place right next door at the Palazzo del Cinema each year at the end of August and start of September. Expect stars on the jetty and photographers on the seafront: thrilling for cinema lovers, hectic for a quiet beach week.
What’s nearby
Rent a bicycle and ride the Lido, past the Liberty-era villas to the old village of Malamocco and the dunes at Alberoni. Murano and Burano are easy half days by boat.
Further afield, see our guide to Prosecco hills wine tours from Venice, and our Verona, Valpolicella and Lake Garda guide for a second stop.
Excelsior vs other Italian grand hotels with sport
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort | Lido di Venezia, 15 to 20 minutes by boat from St Mark’s | Private beach with cabanas, tennis on site, 18-hole course on the island, home of the Film Festival | Beach plus Venice, film lovers |
| Villa d’Este | Cernobbio, Lake Como | Eight tennis courts, floating pool on the lake, its own golf club about 12 km away | Classic lake grandeur with sport |
| Rome Cavalieri | Monte Mario, Rome | Two floodlit clay courts, large spa, La Pergola, Marco Simone golf partnership | City break with tennis or golf, open all year |
| Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées | Stresa, Lake Maggiore | Belle Époque palace, spa, 18-hole course in the hills above town | A slower lake holiday with golf |
In short: of these four, the Excelsior is the only one with a sandy beach. Villa d’Este has the stronger tennis, Rome Cavalieri the stronger spa.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Travellers who find central Venice beautiful but airless in summer and want to sleep by the sea.
- Families who want sand and a kids club (ages 4 to 12, June to September).
- Film lovers who want to be at the centre of the festival, not commuting to it.
It does not suit:
- Anyone who wants Venetian alleys on the doorstep at night.
- Spa lovers: there is a gym, not a full spa.
- Winter travellers: the hotel is closed.
Charlotte’s tip: split your Venice days
Do the city in the morning, when the light is soft and the queues are shorter, take the shuttle back for lunch and a swim, then return to Venice at dusk for dinner. Book a water taxi home after late dinners.
Practical tips
- Booking: confirm breakfast and cabana costs. For festival week, book very early and ask about minimum stays.
- Best rooms to request: a renovated sea-view Junior Suite or Premium Junior Suite for the beach, or a Panoramic Suite for the terrace and lagoon view.
- Season: June and September give you warm sea, open cabanas and fewer crowds than August. Earlier or later, ask what will be open.
- Dress: relaxed by day, smart for dinner on the terrace and in the Blue Bar, and very smart during the festival.
- Kids: family rooms sleep four; babysitting is paid.
Check prices and availability
Compare room categories for your dates, from park-view doubles to sea-view suites, and check early availability for next season’s festival week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from the Excelsior to St Mark’s Square?
By the hotel’s complimentary shuttle boat from its private dock, about 15 to 20 minutes each way and running throughout the day.
Is the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido open all year?
No. It is a seasonal hotel, open roughly from late April to early November and closed in winter. In 2026 it reopened on 5 May after renovation. Ask the hotel for exact dates.
Are the beach cabanas included in the room rate?
No. Cabanas carry an extra charge and run for a shorter summer season, roughly late May or June to mid-September.
Does the Excelsior have tennis and golf?
It has tennis courts on site, booked through the concierge; ask the hotel about the number of courts and surface. Circolo Golf Venezia, an 18-hole par 72 course, is about 20 minutes away at Alberoni, and the hotel arranges tee times and transfers.
