This New Genre of Network Hotel Overlooks Juliet’s Romantic Balcony

Few stories are more romantic than Romeo and Juliet, and few places embody the tragic love story more than the courtyard with Juliet's balcony.

So when Michael Corteletti, a restaurateur in the Italian town of Verona, got a knock on his office door in the summer of 2021 from a friend who was looking to lease his family’s old home — which just so happened to overlook the iconic balcony — Corteletti jumped at the opportunity.

In less than a year, he created the 16-room boutique hotel Balcone di Giulietta, which opened in spring 2022 and is in one of the world's most romantic courtyards.

"Like many great things in life, it happened by chance and friendship," said Corteletti.

It was a gamble for Corteletti, considering most of his experience is rooted in food. He owns four restaurants, a bar that also is an event space, and an ice cream shop in Verona — plus two pizzerias he inherited from his father. Corteletti saw the property and spotted its challenges.

“The building is not made to be a traditional hotel,” Corteletti said. "There is no lobby, no kitchen, no real breakfast room."

Instead, Balcone di Giulietta was originally a multigenerational home built in the seventeenth century and filled with different units.

While most people looking to open a hotel may see that as a disadvantage,