His mother Anne-Marie was a romantic young Parisian woman on her first visit to Venice. His father Aldo was the legendary Head Concierge of the Londra Palace hotel. The golden keys over Aldo's heart gleamed brighter when she walked into the lobby. Some years later, Alain was born. A perfect meld of élégance française and brio veneziano, in 2011 he became General Manager and maître de maison of a hotel that was his playground, his school, his window on the world.
Her first name is thought to derive from the Irish Niamh, meaning ‘bright’ or ‘radiant’. That would explain the luminous gaze of our young Sales Manager, who looks like the romantic heroine of a 19th-century novel. But deep down Annimi is a true hospitality professional. Always by Alain's side as his personal assistant and right hand, she combines charm with precision, making herself indispensable in every situation.
Where would we be without Alessandra? For more than twenty years now, she has helped to steer the ship with grace and good humour, as Front Office Manager. She is the perfect hostess at Londra Palace Venezia, greeting guests in the warm, direct style we all know and love. Her smile is bright and generous, her attention unwavering, her problem-solving skills unequalled.
“Ask Me Anything” Alvise has worn the golden keys at Londra Palace Venezia since 2002. A Venetian born and bred, he knows his native city inside out, and loves to share its secrets. In 2024, Concierge Circle Luxembourg, the world’s foremost authority in hotel desk service standards, awarded Alvise and his colleagues its prestigious Best Concierge Desk Award – a first for an Italian hotel.
Born just around the corner, Nicola is Venetian to the core. After more than two decades at the Londra Palace he has become an essential reference point for our loyal return guests. A former lieutenant in the specialist amphibian unit of the Italian Army, he is a distinguished, imposing, blue-eyed officer and gentleman, the very soul of courtesy. He enjoys discovering anew through the eyes of his guests the hidden corners of his native city – like his favorite part of the hotel, the rooftop altana.
After beginning her career in hospitality at the Londra Palace Venezia, Erica moved around, collecting knowhow and experience, but as Italians say, ‘il primo amore non si dimentica mai’ (you never forget your first love) – and she found herself drawn back as by some mysterious, magnetic force. She prides herself on stinting no effort to maintain the hotel’s high standards. Her attention to detail is legendary, and somehow she always manages to do everything with a smile.
Daniele grew up in Treviso, just like one of his favourite ingredients, radicchio rosso. Ask him about his culinary approach and he’ll answer by cooking up a dish of scampi in saor – a Venetian specialty which in the chef’s hands becomes a cultural journey between East and West, in true Marco Polo style. Daniele knows that every one of the city’s traditional dishes talks of exploration, cultural exchange and integration – values that are close to his heart.
Marino ‘Don’t Call Me Bartender’ Lucchetti is a master mixologist, but he’s also an old-school barman who knows how to listen, learn and relate to guests with style, courtesy and class. In his two decades at the Londra Palace Venezia he has built a far-reaching reputation, and is widely considered to make one of best Bellinis in town. To watch him at work behind the bar is to enter a film straight out of Italy’s glamorous Dolce Vita years.
Fluent in six languages, Sante is a sommelier with a natural gift for hospitality. Born in the Le Marche region of central Italy, he has traveled far and wide, but finally chose to return to Venice – the city where he found love. He began work young, juggling school and shifts in Venetian hotels, before his curiosity and appetite for new experiences took him to Disney World in Florida and beyond. Today, his years of experience and talent for teamwork earn him the respect of guests and colleagues alike.
It’s not an easy task to renovate a hotel so steeped in history, but Venice-based architects Claudio and Deborah approached the challenge with verve and sensitivity. Their project references, in a light, contemporary key, those early 20th century years when the Londra Palace Venezia first made a name for itself and the Art Deco style was all the rage. The pair’s commitment to the great tradition of Venetian craftsmanship shines through in so many details, such as the textiles they designed in collaboration with renowned family firm Rubelli.
