When I check into The Social Hub’s Lavagnini in Florence, I don’t just drop my bag in a room; I drop myself into a living organism. It’s not your usual hotel. It’s a community in motion, a place where students, entrepreneurs, and travellers blur together like brushstrokes on a Renaissance canvas by one of the local grandmasters of art, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, or Sandro Botticelli. The rooftop hums with energy, espresso machines hiss like street performers, and the scent of Negroni, Florence’s proud boozy invention, lingers in the evening air.
It’s golden hour when I meet Federico Bellanca, Florence’s cocktail whisperer, at the rooftop bar of The Social Hub. From up here, the city opens like a history book, the brick dome of the Duomo glowing in the late-afternoon light. Federico greets me with the natural charm of someone who knows everyone worth knowing in town.
He slides a glass across the counter: amber liquid, orange peel, a touch of mystery. 'You can’t understand Florence without understanding the Negroni,' he smiles. 'It’s simple, bitter, elegant. Just like us Florentines.'
Federico’s world revolves around craftsmanship and human connection. As one of the creative minds behind the city’s mixology scene, he has taken part in and helped organise many national and international events, such as Florence Cocktail Week, the Vermouth Fair, and Pitti Taste, where The Social Hub was a key player. Some time ago, he even hosted a well-known Italian TV show about cocktails from this very rooftop.
'I wanted people to see what Florence really tastes like,' Federico tells me. 'It’s not just art and architecture. It’s made of people who know how to blend heritage and creativity, just like this Negroni.'
I take a sip, and he’s right. The bitterness softens into sweetness, just as Florence’s grandeur turns into intimacy once you start meeting its inhabitants.
Federico insists I meet his friend Elena Farinelli, a digital strategist, writer, and the woman behind Io amo Firenze, one of the city’s most beloved lifestyle guides. “If Federico gives you the drink,” he says, “Elena gives you the city.”
We meet the next day at The Belfiore, the other location of The Social Hub in Florence. Elena arrives with the calm confidence of someone who knows every hidden corner of Florence, and every person who matters in it.
'You can’t understand this city through postcards,' she tells me, plunging a spoon into a soft and flavorful pappa al pomodoro. 'You understand it through the places people actually live, the cafés, the aperitivi, the stores, the small surprises that make Florence human.'
On my last evening, I find myself in the courtyard of The Social Hub Lavagnini. Florence remains magnificent at every moment, but the atmosphere is extra electric. It’s a Ball, an event co-organised with Arcigay Firenze Altre Sponde; Arcigay is the leading LGBTQIA+ association in Italy. The music pulses, sequins sparkle, and above all the Runway becomes a celebration of identity in motion.
Here I meet Sofia Chiellini, also known as Legendary Nemesi Utopia Ninja, performer, activist, and one of the driving forces behind the diversity and inclusion scene in Florence.
She was the one who helped The Social Hub become one of the most inclusive places in the city, curating events and collaborations that transformed awareness into action. 'It’s all about creating spaces of belonging,' she tells me.
She introduces me to her girlfriend, a local craftswoman who used to create fashion pieces inspired by African aesthetics, garments that bring cultures together, just as Florence brings together different eras. Together they took part in The Social Hub’s Black History Month program, opening the doors to artists and performers from all over Europe.
'The Balls are not just parties; they are history and education for many marginalised people,' says Sofia, looking out over the city from above.
'They are spaces where people can express who they are, without filters, while respecting the glory of the categories. The Social Hub is a reality that has always supported Ballroom culture in Tuscany, and on the occasion of the Power of Love Kiki Ball it gave us space. It’s the place where community and creativity meet.'
Laughter, music, a sense of freedom. This is a city that has always reinvented itself through its people, and tonight I’m fortunate to be here with them.
The next morning, I wake up late, thankfully, check-out isn’t until 12:00. One of the perks of staying at The Social Hub, which standard check-out time is noon. My head is still buzzing with last night’s energy, and the scent of coffee drifts up from the lobby café. Downstairs, guests mingle with locals on laptops.
I’ve been to Florence many times before. I’ve crossed the Ponte Vecchio at sunset, stood in awe beneath Brunelleschi’s dome, and eaten my way through endless amazing trattorias. But this time, the city feels more personal. Maybe it’s because The Social Hub wasn’t just my hotel; it was my entry point to a Florence lived, breathed, and loved by its people.
The Social Hub is Florence in microcosm: layered, open, and endlessly alive. Through Federico’s cocktails, Elena’s food, and Sofia’s inclusivity.
And maybe that’s the point. The Social Hub isn’t about checking in, it’s about tuning in. To the thriving local community. To stories. To the soul of a city that is, almost, no longer a city but a work of art.
Ready to dive deep into Florence, not just visit? Whether you're a digital nomad or a curious traveller, The Social Hub Florence Lavagnini or the new Belfiore are your gateway to the city’s creative heartbeat. Mingle with local heroes, attend exclusive events, and blur the lines between travel and life. Both locations have coworking spaces, rooftop bars, and community events where locals and travellers mingle naturally. If your timing’s right, join a Ballroom night at The Social Hub, a celebration of Florence’s inclusive spirit.
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