It’s every tourist’s dream: at 7pm every evening the crowds are dispersed from Verona’s most popular tourist attraction, the gates are locked, and you’re left in total privacy to enjoy the courtyard with Juliet’s balcony.
It’s the sort of exclusive experience you might associate with endless waiting lists and an extortionate price tag. And yet, this particular experience is oddly accessible. Here we are, enjoying a glass of local sparkling wine in the courtyard of the Relais Balcone di Giulietta as the sun begins to set – just us and the well-caressed statue of Juliet herself.
The Relais Balcone di Giulietta is the only hotel situated in the private courtyard where the famous balcony is found, and therefore this privileged experience is accessible only to guests staying in one of its sixteen rooms. The hotel underwent a complete renovation in 2022 under the auspices of architect Matteo de Stefani, who drew inspiration for the design from the buildings of Verona, called ‘The Painted City’ due to its unique pastel walls and frescoed exteriors.
You get a sense of this exclusivity before you’ve even entered the hotel, as you bypass the queues of tourists and are ushered away from the chaotic crowds and selfie sticks behind a red stanchion. Once inside the hotel, peace and quiet is restored.
The correlation between the interiors and the city outside is immediately clear: tapestry-like textiles, exposed 17th-century beams, and walls the same rich hues of the buildings on the nearby Piazza delle Erbe seamlessly blend tradition and modernity, much like Verona itself.
We are staying in a Superior Room with balcony overlooking the Via Cappello and with views stretching onto the impressive Piazza delle Erbe. The room is painted in the same terracotta of the frescoes outside, with minimal styling showcasing a combination of old and new. The original wooden beams of the ceiling are painted white, and sunlight floods in through double French windows. It’s a large, airy space with considered design touches such as a vintage-style Marshall radio, espresso station, and shelves carrying a copy of Romeo and Juliet, allowing guests to get better acquainted with the hotel’s namesake. The bathroom is also generous with plenty of room to accommodate a large jacuzzi bath.
One point to note about staying at Relais Balcone di Giulietta is that the hotel does not have kitchen facilities, and therefore it’s not possible to have breakfast on site. However, any mild inconvenience that this may cause is redeemed by a generous in-room selection of complimentary refreshments. The complimentary maxibar carries a selection of sparkling wine from the region, beers, soft drinks and water. Everything is full-sized and guests are encouraged to help themselves. We can confirm that the sparkling wine is best enjoyed from the balcony, with dusk falling on the Piazza.
In addition, there’s also a complimentary snack bar with coffee, tea, crisps and biscuits to stave off any hunger pangs. However, the hotel is situated right in Verona’s Città Antica (old town), with more than enough options for breakfast, lunch and dinner nearby.
In fact, Relais Balcone di Giulietta is one of a handful of businesses that form Verona’s ‘Food Democracy’ group – a collective of hoteliers and restauranteurs with a shared passion for keeping the traditions of the Verona hospitality scene alive. Just a short walk from the hotel you’ll find the Cafe Mazzanti, situated in an impressive frescoed building from the 1300s – the former residence of one of Verona’s most prominent families. Around the corner and hidden away in the Piazza dei Signori is Pizzeria Impero, pizza-makers since the early 1900s.
This privileged intel into the surrounding area is another reason for choosing to stay at Relais Balcone di Giulietta; hosts Michael and Persio are hospitality experts and Verona enthusiasts, despite the fact that neither were born here. To stay at Balcone di Giulietta is to enrol in a carefully curated city tour and a chance to see Verona through the eyes of a local.
Now, a little about the balcony itself: despite the fact that the site is the main selling point for the hotel, the balcony can be said to be more shrine than historical site. The characters of Romeo and Juliet were mentioned by several people before William Shakespeare (Luigi da Porto, Matteo Bandello, Arthur Brooke) wrote his famous play in the late 1500s, and the Montague and Capulet families were also referenced in Dante’s Divine Comedy (Dante is an adopted hero of the city, having spent time after after his exile from Florence). It has been said that the story may have true origins linking to real rivalling families at the time, but anything more than that is probably pure fiction.
The building on which “Juliet’s balcony” is found today is the former home of the Cappello family (said to be the inspiration for the Capulets, or ‘Capelletti’ in the Italian version), but there was no balcony. The truth is that Shakespeare’s play doesn’t actually mention a balcony – this is a theatrical flourish that was added through stage directions in the 1700s, and the famous balcony was actually constructed following a recce by MGM scenographers working on the Hollywood version of the story in the 1930s.
Whether the story is historical fact or fiction doesn’t seem to matter to the two million visitors that flock to the site each year. It has become a place of romantic pilgrimage, particularly following release of the 2010 film ‘Letters to Juliet’, which depicts the courtyard as a shrine for the heartbroken to leave love letters for Juliet (via a postbox just outside the entrance of Relais Balcone di Giulietta). Unsurprisingly, many proposals have taken place in the courtyard over the years, and Persio regales us with stories of the many hotel guests he has personally assisted with popping the question. In fact, our visit to Relais Balcone di Giulietta coincides with a photoshoot promoting the hotel as a wedding venue, offering couples the unique opportunity to get married on the terrace and spend their first night as a married couple in a suite with views onto the balcony.
If true luxury is access to special experiences, then Relais Balcone di Giulietta is the definition of a luxury hotel. As a guest, you are welcomed into the fold and offered an access all areas tour of the city. It’s an immersive experience, not just an overnight stay.
Persio corrects us when we describe Relais Balcone di Giulietta as “exclusive”, preferring that we label it “inclusive”. Indeed, it’s very accessible and superb value for money.
When we return to the hotel after dinner there are still crowds gathered outside the locked gates. As we close the gate behind us and wander through the courtyard, just us and Juliet, it feels exclusive in the most positive sense of the word, and we have to admit that we feel a little smug when we see the queues of people waiting outside the next morning.
Frankly, we can’t imagine visiting Verona and staying anywhere else. This unique insider’s perspective has helped us to make the most of our short stay and get to know the city a little better. And Verona – the only character in Romeo and Juliet whose authenticity we can be completely sure of – is absolutely worth getting to know.
We stayed
in a Deluxe room with balcony and jacuzzi bath, priced from €250 per night.
For best prices and to benefit from the complimentary maxibar, book directly through the hotel’s website.
An aperitivo in the courtyard is available to guests of the hotel after 7pm on evenings when opera is taking place at the nearby arena.
This was a press stay – all opinions are our own.
Image credit: some images are used with the permission of Relais Balcone di Giulietta
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