Jun 19

Jun 19 25Hours Piazza San Paolino Florence, Italy

“And when I thought of Florence, it was like a miracle city …” - Marcel Proust

We tend to hear this sentence quite often when people refer to the ethereal capital of the Tuscany region of Italy. Florence in all of its mysticism, magic and buzzy streets, that have seldom changed since the Renaissance, feel as though you are walking through a dream.

Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, the city of Florence beckons travelers with its timeless charm and unrivaled artistic legacy. It is a place where history and art seamlessly blend, creating an atmosphere that is both awe-inspiring and captivating. Florence, often referred to as the "Cradle of the Renaissance," exudes an undeniable beauty that transcends time.

One cannot help but be captivated by the city's architectural marvels, with their intricate designs and ornate facades. From the magnificence of the Florence Cathedral, with its iconic dome by Brunelleschi, to the graceful arches of the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River, the city's landmarks are a testament to the vision and craftsmanship of its past inhabitants.

As one wanders through Florence's cobblestone streets, they are greeted by the opulent palaces that line their path. The Uffizi Gallery, home to masterpieces by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and da Vinci, stands as a testament to the city's artistic prowess.

Nestled amongst the order and chaos of Florence is the bustling 25Hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino.

We arrived around noon, and rolled our suitcases to the hotel form the train station, only a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Meandering through the cobblestone streets of the city, searching for the 25ours Piazza San Paolino, which I had convinced my husband would be the perfect place to stay in this charming gem of a town.

The 25hours Florence is built and designed based on Dante’s The Divine Comedy, the building itself was previously a pawn shop. The Divine Comedy (Italian: Divina Commedia) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature.

The poem's imaginative vision of the afterlife is representative of the medieval worldview as it existed in the Western Church by the 14th century. It helped establish the Tuscan language, in which it is written, as the standardized Italian language. It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

We walked into the hotel through the Alimentari grocery store and apperitivo bar, only to find ourselves greeted by a message in a bottle, a huge cascading glass roof restaurant acting as the center piece or “Purgatoria” as we later figured out, and the front desk decked out into vintage suitcases and a plethora of delicious visual stimuli. Spoiler Alert: The Hotel was quite possibly my favorite part of Florence.

We started off our journey in Heaven. But quickly felt we needed something a little more warm in color. The staff were so friendly, and helped us move from our suite in the Heaven side to Hell. I love the color red … and for someone who can’t get enough of all the maximalist design elements, the Hell side of the hotel is what I would recommend for anyone looking for a true sense of adventure.

Heaven is more for those who are truly in need of some zen time, between Florence and the 25Hours, your senses will be on fire in the best way.

The bathrooms in both sides of the hotel feel like a movie set, “Welcome to Hell” is sprawled across the shower door in a shade of blood red dripping paint. Not for the faint of heart …

The library on the ground floor, along with the garden area outside come alive at night with music, bee lights, and drinks rolling allowing guests to enjoy the hotel all day and all night.

In the morning we would stroll through the city enjoying and taking in the juxtaposition of modern luxury, merged almost seamlessly with ancient Renaissance design.

The breakfast offered a curated variety of Italian cold cuts, cheeses, and pastries. As well as delectable pies, a healthy section for the wellness freaks like myself, and some of the best coffee I’ve had at a hotel breakfast thus far.

25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino is situated in the Santa Maria Novella district in the heart of Florence. The design of the hotel, conceived by interior designer Paola Navone and her team, is eclectically inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and is full of allusions to this work: scenes from heaven and hell are playfully alternated and guide you through the virtues and vices of Dante’s world. San Paolino restaurant is the lively center of the historic palazzo. A lush courtyard garden, a traditional Negroni bar and an Alimentari for groceries, snacks or an aperitivo complete the culinary offering. Inhouse Cinema Paradiso film lounge shows curated movies on regular basis.

The 25Hours Piazza San Paolino in Florence is not a regular hotel, it is truly an experience, which must be entered with an open mind and a craving for something new. If you let it, this place will bring you right back to yourself, to that playful, carefree child inside, and you will discover that wonder still exists …