The Social Hub Florence Belfiore

11/22/26 This hotel is cheap for a reason. Its lobby is shared with two restaurants and sits in what I’d call a ghetto. I walked over from a restaurant lobby, then got asked to leave when I reached the hotel lobby. That first guest mix-up was confusing. They didn’t seem to know a paying guest from someone off the street. I went upstairs to the beautiful bar after that. Most people there weren’t hotel guests. With half an hour until closing, they said they couldn’t make mixed drinks and could only serve beer, even though I’d just watched the bartenders make a mixed drink. That doesn’t feel like something that should happen at a normal hotel. The place felt strange. It seemed to push out paying guests while catering to locals the staff know. I’m fairly certain the security staff and bartenders were drinking. It’ll be hard for the place to survive without proper management. 11/24/26 A few more things: the AC only goes down to 20 C, while other Italian hotels I’ve stayed at go to 19 C. Water leaked out of the shower every time we used it, and there was construction in the room above us. We asked the front desk to call a cab. The woman said someone ahead of us was waiting for one, and I don’t know why she couldn’t order two. Six people came in to check in. She forgot about the person before me, so I politely reminded her. Then she forgot about me too, and I had to remind her again. We ended up a little late for dinner with family. Oh well. Arrivederci!

The staff were excellent, and we didn’t have any cons to report. The best part was the rooftop: it has city and Duomo views, bars, relaxing areas, and a pool, though the pool was closed when we visited in April. Some areas are reserved for hotel residents, and bridges between the buildings connect what feels almost like a park. Rooftop events took place during our stay, but finished early and didn’t disturb us at night. The whole complex feels brand new, with a lively, youthful atmosphere. There’s a coworking space with a community board for meeting other residents, plus a gym, cafes on the ground floor serving everything from snacks and desserts to full meals, and lots of places to sit or work. We were about 20 minutes on foot from the train station, along a major road around the city center. Public transport stops and bike parking are nearby. It took about 30 minutes to walk into the historic center through the beautiful streets of the Porta al Prato area.

Being next to the trams was handy, and our room was clean with an adequate bed and pillows. The AC was the biggest problem. We’d come back hot and sweaty, shower, then wake up sweaty and need another one. When we called the desk, they said it looked like the unit was working from their end. The bathroom has no counter space, and the raised threshold is easy to smash your toes on. I kept forgetting and hitting mine. The shower door is poorly designed and lets water spread across the floor, so we used our towels to mop it up. That also meant we were always looking for more towels and couldn’t reuse them to save resources. The fridge was packed with the hotel’s beer, soda, and water, leaving no room for anything we brought. You’re charged if you drink those items. The breakfast bar isn’t worth 22 Euros, in my opinion. We could put up with all of this, but sleeping in a roasting room was too much. We probably wouldn’t come back. The two stars are for the cleanliness and convenient location.

Avoid this place. It’s very expensive for what feels more like a student residence than a hotel, and there was a lot of noise when entering the complex. The reception staff were kind, which was the main positive. The location was okay, but not great. Our shower was clogged and water spread across the bathroom. We reported it twice, but it was never fixed. After our first night, the room hadn’t been cleaned, even though we’d left the “please clean the room” sign out when we went on a tour around 11 am. When we asked, they wanted to know if fresh towels would be enough or if we wanted a full cleaning. Seriously, I’ve stayed in over 100 cities around the world and haven’t encountered this kind of carelessness and lack of professionalism at a 4-star hotel. Breakfast was ordinary and not worth the price, and the breakfast staff were rude. The night security staff were also very rude and had no manners.