Window magic at Hotel Luna Baglioni
I was happy to discover that all three windows opened in my beautiful room at Hotel Luna Baglioni. So many hotels seal up bedroom windows, forcing guests to rely on air conditioning.
This hotel, right on the edge of Piazza San Marco in Venice, was near perfect in every way. (I won’t gripe about the concierge’s bad restaurant recommendations.) Snuggled within the thickest, most luxurious bed linens ever, flanked by Fortuny chandeliers, I could almost forgo the streets of Venice for the comfort and ambiance of this room. Almost.
The windows opened from the top, tipping down slightly—just enough to get a little breeze going. It was both the heavy curtains and the window hardware that prevented a wider opening.
I had a daily battle with housekeeping: I’d leave the windows and curtains open. Housekeeping would slip in and close the windows and curtains.
One day I returned after breakfast, re-opened the layers of curtains, and re-opened the window. Lo! It opened sideways, and all the way!
WTF??? Is this my room? I felt almost dizzy with confusion, having opened this very window repeatedly with a different outcome each time.
What complicated hardware! I rushed around to try the other bedroom window and the one in the bathroom. Both worked the same way. I like it!
You’re right “ME”, I’m surprised too, if it’s that common. I probably have stayed in rooms with the hardware without realizing the dual function. Maybe because so many of my hotel stays are very brief, I don’t know. I’ll be on the lookout now, that’s for sure!
with all the traveling you’ve done in Europe, I’m surprised that you’ve just now noticed this. this kind of window hardware has been around for at least 50 years, maybe more. not just in Italy, all over Europe – they’re pretty much standard in Germany too.