Hybrid hospitality pioneer The Social Hub will mark the next step in its growth across Europe with the opening of a highly anticipated fourth Italian hotel in Rome’s trendy San Lorenzo district on Monday 31 March.
The more than €114M, 24,000sq m complex – minutes from Rome’s main train station and the city’s iconic historic landmarks – breathes new life into a disused former railway customs house to one of the Italian capital’s most exciting creative areas.
The Social Hub Rome is comprised of a four-star hotel alongside co-working, dining outlets, meeting & events spaces, a vast public park and much more. The project embodies the essence of the European hospitality brand’s hybrid hospitality model which combines its facilities with social impact centric programming focused on growing local communities. The opening marks The Social Hub’s first move into the Italian capital and follows the recent opening of The Social Hub Florence Belfiore, its second in the city and The Social Hub Bologna.
The stunning new development has restored a site in an area known for its historical significance and burgeoning creative scene. Originally the Eternal City’s railway customs house (ex-dogana), the complex more recently became a centre for cultural activities including concerts and outdoor cinemas until 2019 – but has lain empty since. Now, the area has been reinvigorated by The Social Hub Rome’s state-of-the-art spaces, specifically designed to create and develop communities, with the aim to bring back the spirit of the location – a place where guests and visitors to the areas can learn, stay, work and play. Building on the location’s heritage, The Social Hub has designed three buildings, all connected by a lush 10,000sq m public park with more than 300 trees (opening in late spring).
The first building is a newly built, modern 396-room four-star hotel which offers short and extended stay accommodation for travellers and students, inclusive of apartments of up to two bedrooms and fully equipped 24-hour gym. This modern structure – which features Roman inspired design touches – also hosts a premium co-working area for 160 professionals, along with vibrant meeting & event spaces welcoming up to 70 guests.
The second building is a restructured indoor-outdoor event venue that used to form part of the original 1920s customs house, set to once again become a point of reference for cultural with the capacity for hundreds of guests to experience music, art, vintage markets and much more. The third building, also part of the historic structure, is now home to Accademia Italiana, a leading design and applied arts institute with more than 1,000 students.
