ITALY: Hybrid hospitality and community pioneer The Social Hub is opening its new offering in Florence this weekend.
The €150 million The Social Hub Belfiore joins The Social Hub Lavagnini as the company’s second Florence property.
The 550-room Social Hub Belfiore offers the Tuscan city’s largest rooftop garden with an Olympic length swimming pool in the San Jacopino district, close to the historic centre.
It will also provide Tuscany’s largest coworking space with capacity for 500 professionals; and conference facilities for more than 300 guests.
Recently certified as a B Corporation, The Social Hub is committed to fostering a strong and inclusive community and its latest offering will host more than 600 events annually, ranging from language and cooking workshops to professional development sessions and fitness classes.
The Belfiore hub will also support scholarship recipients from the TSH Talent Foundation, an organisation that helps changemakers facing barriers to success.
Additionally, partnerships with local businesses will encourage connections within the neighbourhood.
Charlie MacGregor, the Edinburgh-born CEO & founder of The Social Hub, said: “When we first invested in Italy nearly a decade ago, many doubted our success. But through collaboration with the municipality, architects and local partners, we have created two thriving hubs in Florence. The Social Hub Belfiore reflects our evolving model—one that revitalises neighbourhoods by responding to their needs.”
Other amenities at The Social Hub Belfiore include a gym, a shopping boulevard and a restaurant Ammodino in a partnership led by renowned Florentine restaurateur Aldo Settembrini. The hub also has an outpost of Panificio Menchetti, a bakery established in 1948, offering fresh pizzas, panini and pastries made with locally sourced ingredients.
The Social Hub to debut in Portugal and double footprint in Italy
Image supplied