This Instagram-Worthy Florentine Hotel Starts at Just $88 a Night

Spend a few nights (or even months!) in the Tuscan capital in this new hotel with interiors by Rizoma Architetture.
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Located in the heart of Florence just 10 minutes away from Santa Maria Novella station, The Student Hotel Florence is a dynamic new hotel specifically oriented towards a young, creative clientele. The hotel is sited in the former Palazzo del Sonno—an 1864 building designed by Italian architect Giuseppe Poggi. Rizoma Architetture sought to preserve the site's historic character on the exterior while infusing it with a modern, contemporary aesthetic on the interior.

Pink neon lights give the palazzo's entry area an otherworldly feel.

Pink neon lights give the palazzo's entry area an otherworldly feel.

Bold yellow furniture and punchy pink enliven the check-in area, which features black walls with shelving and a polished white floor.

Bold yellow furniture and punchy pink enliven the check-in area, which features black walls with shelving and a polished white floor.

The hotel is the first project in Italy by The Student Hotel, a Dutch start-up active in the hospitality sector since 2012 and with locations in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Rotterdam, and several other European cities. The hotel employs a hybrid plan, allocating just over half of its 390 rooms for students to stay for up to two years. The remaining rooms are for tourists, professionals, business travelers, and anyone else looking to stay for two nights to 12 months.

Finishes in the lobby area play with transparency and shadow—especially when light streams in through the large windows.

Finishes in the lobby area play with transparency and shadow—especially when light streams in through the large windows.

Rizoma Architetture designed a series of communal spaces to serve as the heart of the hotel, including classrooms, co-working spaces, and auditoriums for conferences and meetings. The hotel also offers restaurants and cafes, an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, a communal kitchen, and a rooftop bar.

At the ground floor, a glazed enclosure connects the hotel's two towers.

At the ground floor, a glazed enclosure connects the hotel's two towers.

These spaces are all designed for collaboration and creativity, with a modern, industrial edge that contrasts with the historic walls of the palazzo. The lively and modern interiors are punctuated by neon lights, artwork by local street artists, exposed ductwork, and a bold color palette punctuated with bright blues and reds.

Exposed ductwork gives the interiors an industrial edge, while colorful painted geometric forms add a lively, dynamic look. Plush seating in bright blues and greens keeps the space feeling fun and youthful.

Exposed ductwork gives the interiors an industrial edge, while colorful painted geometric forms add a lively, dynamic look. Plush seating in bright blues and greens keeps the space feeling fun and youthful.

With rates starting at just $88 a night and around $565 to $790 euros a month, the hotel strikes a comfortable balance between democratic and design-oriented, desirable yet still within reach.

The communal area looks out into the courtyard between the building's two towers. Ample glazing allows plenty of daylight into the rooms.

The communal area looks out into the courtyard between the building's two towers. Ample glazing allows plenty of daylight into the rooms.

Shop the Look
Gubi Grasshopper Floor Lamp
Upon moving to California in 1940, Swedish architect Greta Magnusson Grossman began combining her European training with a West Coast aesthetic, adding a sense of play. Her Grasshopper Floor Lamp (1948) resembles its namesake in form, with a lithe tubular steel frame and elongated conical shade.
Knoll Barcelona Stool
Originally created for the attendants to the king and queen of Spain, the Barcelona Stool (1929) by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe continues to endure as an icon of modernism and master craft.
Gubi Beetle Sofa
The design of the Beetle sofa reinterprets the characteristic elements of the beetles’ sections: shape, shells, sutures, rigid outside and soft inside, while maintaining comfort and functionality. The seat and back are in laminated molded veneer.
Students and business travelers can use multiple spaces throughout the hotel to hold meetings, conferences, and other work-related events.

Students and business travelers can use multiple spaces throughout the hotel to hold meetings, conferences, and other work-related events.

The hotel’s blue-walled gym, complete with an impressive view of Florence, is designed to inspire.

The hotel’s blue-walled gym, complete with an impressive view of Florence, is designed to inspire.

The communal area provides classrooms, workspaces, and other areas for studying and working.

The communal area provides classrooms, workspaces, and other areas for studying and working.

A music room with insulated walls and a laundry area are also available to hotel guests.

A music room with insulated walls and a laundry area are also available to hotel guests.

The hotel also features a partially covered pool on one of its upper floors.

The hotel also features a partially covered pool on one of its upper floors.

Some rooms feature a warm, pastel color palette with Memphis-inspired pieces.

Some rooms feature a warm, pastel color palette with Memphis-inspired pieces.

The guest rooms continue the design themes found in the rest of the hotel, with cheeky artwork, bold colors, and geometric textiles.

The guest rooms continue the design themes found in the rest of the hotel, with cheeky artwork, bold colors, and geometric textiles.

Related Reading: 16 Striking Vacation Rentals Under $200 Per Night

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Rizoma Architetture / @rizomarchitetture

Architect of Record: Archea Associati / @archea_associati 

Builder/General Contractor: INSO SPA

Structural & Civil Engineer: AEI Progetti SRL

Lighting Design: ESA Engineering 

Kate Reggev
॰ Architect & Preservationist ॰ Lover of buildings old, new, & everything in between! Inbox me at kate.reggev@gmail.com

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