Fire at The Social Hub Hotel in Florence, 500 Evacuated. No Injuries Reported

A small fire in one of the rooms at The Social Hub hotel in Florence prompted the evacuation of approximately 500 guests and staff early this morning. The incident, which occurred around 6:50 a.m., was caused by the misuse of a microwave oven in a guest room equipped with a private kitchen.

According to the hotel’s management, the fire started after a guest, reportedly a student from the Czech Republic, placed a metal pot inside the microwave, leading the appliance to catch fire. The room was located on the third floor of the nine-story building.

The hotel’s fire alarm system activated promptly, triggering an evacuation of the entire structure. Emergency protocols were immediately put into place, and local authorities, including the fire brigade and municipal police, quickly arrived on the scene. Health authorities also activated the mass emergency plan, but fortunately, no one required medical attention.

The fire was quickly extinguished using a powder extinguisher by a member of the hotel’s security team before firefighters completed the safety operations. Two guests in the affected room, believed to be mother and daughter, declined medical assistance.

Operations returned to normal around 8:20 a.m. Guests and staff were safely escorted back inside, and all hotel services — including the coworking space and public areas — resumed regular activity. A few rooms adjacent to the one where the fire started were taken out of service temporarily due to lingering smoke and odor. A full assessment of the damage is currently underway, though it appears to be limited to a single room.

In a public statement, hotel management emphasized that “the safety of our community is of primary importance” and confirmed that all emergency procedures had been followed appropriately.

The Social Hub, located in Viale Belfiore, opened in January 2025 and is the largest hotel in Florence. With 550 rooms, rooftop pool, and over 85,000 square meters of space, it was built on the site of a former Fiat office complex. The building’s construction and opening were previously met with criticism from local activists concerned about over-tourism and the loss of residential housing in the area.