A stone’s throw from one of Florence’s most beautiful squares, Piazza Santa Maria Novella, stands the Florentine gem from the 25hours Hotel group.

The interiors, courtesy of designer Paola Navone, are eclectically and meticulously inspired by elements of Dante’s Divine Comedy, with a series of scenarios that play with the themes of Heaven and Hell.

The journey through the epic poem encompasses the 66 rooms created in the former 15th-century convent adjoining the church of San Paolino and the 104 rooms in the hotel’s new wing, as well as the magnificent Casetta del Giardino apartment.

And where else could Dario Cecchini, the celebrated butcher and poet who loves to quote from the Divine Comedy, open his Florence branch? Indeed, the world’s most famous butcher (according to the New York Times) has chosen the stunning restaurant of 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino as the home of Cecchini in città, his first restaurant in Florence, bringing to the city on the Arno all the tradition and mastery of his Antica Macelleria Cecchini, where he is the eighth generation, and his restaurants Solociccia and Officina della Bistecca in Panzano in Chianti.

Cecchini’s success is determined by his personal philosophy, based on quality, ethics and the utmost professionalism in the selection, treatment and cooking of meat, valuing and honouring every part of the animal.

Specialities, then, include classic Cecchini cuts and beef tartare – or, as they say in Panzano, “Chianti sushi” -, carpaccio and Panzano-style steaks served, as tradition demands, with beans and baked potatoes.

While enjoying the “fire show” thanks to a large grill over the open fire in the centre of the restaurant, guests can choose from the Cecchini Griglia set menu or the Cecchini Famiglia menu, or go à la carte with a series of dishes, including vegetarian options, that range from traditional antipasti to home-made pasta with the Cecchini family’s signature sauces.

Because hospitality and food are all about conviviality and warmth, just like in a family.

The hotel’s Food & Beverages offer is completed by the COMPANION Dolceamaro Bar, the place to be for mixology enthusiasts; the Lounge Bar and the delightful Alimentari.