Stay Report: 25hours Hotel Florence Piazza San Paolino (Gigantic Room, Casetta del Giardino)

Nearest train station	10 minutes’ walk to Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (Florence, Italy)
Loyalty Programme	Accor (ALL – Accor Live Limitless)
Elite Status	Gold
Stay Period	July 2024
Room category booked	Gigantic Room (54sqm) Casetta del Giardino (400sqm private apartment)
Room category stayed	Gigantic Room (54sqm) Casetta del Giardino (400sqm private apartment)
Dining concepts	San Paolino (Italian) Alimentari (grocery, cafe) Companion Dolcemaro Bar (bar) Lounge Bar (bar) Courtyard (cafe)
Why you should	The hotel – formerly a monastery complex and bank headquarters – boasts playful, quirky and beautifully-designed interiors. Virtually every corner seems primed for an Instagram closeup, from the airy breakfast venue San Paolino with its soaring glass ceilings and lush greenery and the private cinema Cinema Paradiso with its clash of teal and brick walls to the chic social space Sala delle Celesti Armonie which plays like a gentleman’s social lounge with its library, billiard table and vinyl records. Drawing inspiration from Dante’s The Divine Comedy, the hotel’s rooms are designed as either Paradiso (Heaven) or Inferno (Hell). The white Paradiso rooms each come with a pair of silver angel wings for your pre-ascension photoshoot, while the dramatically black and blood-red Inferno rooms feature devilish flourishes – think “Welcome To Hell!!!” scrawled in capital letters on the shower and toilet doors as well as an artistic (and rather chibi) drawing of a figure on the mirror whom I am guessing to be Lucifer or Judas. On my last night at the property, I stayed at the Casetta del Giardino, the sprawling 400sqm private apartment located in a secret part of the premises with its own private terrace with swimming pool (the hotel’s only pool, mind), outdoor barbecue and pizza oven as well as full-sized kitchen with wine cellar. The space is massive, yet it only costs marginally more than the Gigantic Room (which I stayed at for two nights). The dip in the pool was much appreciated, providing sweet relief from the brutal Tuscan summer heat. The hotel is a short walk away from Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station as well as key attractions in the city such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and Uffizi Gallery. There are also many convenience stores available in the vicinity. During my stay, I managed to visit most of the city’s best recommended dining spaces entirely on foot, from the birthplace of the Negroni cocktail Giacosa1815 Firenze to the famous wine windows along the streets across the Arno river. I managed to sample my first ever Florentine steak at Restaurant Buca Mario, just steps away from the hotel.
Why you shouldn’t	Some may describe the Via Palazzuolo neighbourhood where the hotel is located as “scruffy”, especially in comparison to the more upscale areas nearby such as Via Tornabuoni with its designer boutiques. The hell-based imagery around the hotel and within the Inferno rooms may be a bit too over-the-top or intense for some.
Miscellaneous information	Complimentary drinks for ALL elite members are served at Lounge Bar. Alimentari is a very popular destination in the morning, especially for pet owners who would bring along their fur pets when they enjoy their morning cappuccinos at the cafe’s al fresco area. Every 25hours hotel has a unique mascot. The Florence property’s mascot is a stuffed rat with buttons for eyes which can be found in every guest room. The Cinema Paradiso screens movies regularly, and hotel guests have complimentary access.
Address	Piazza di San Paolino, 1 50123 Florence