NEW Hotel

Owned by the world-renowned art collector Dakis Joannou and smartly decorated by quirky Brazilian designers the Campana brothers, the New Hotel is the city’s coolest upscale design-centric property, with 79 rooms (including seven suites) and an intimate restaurant. Although centrally located, just a five-minute walk to Syntagma Square, it’s tucked back in a modernist building on a side street so it feels hidden and discreet. The interiors are both playful and smart; the Campanas created much of it with items recycled from the previous hotel. Imagine puzzlelike walls and chairs constructed of layered, repurposed wood intermingled with sculptural chairs of their own design. In the rooms, they had fun riffing on Greek cultural objects, like the Karagiozis, a shadow puppet, and multiple versions of the glass “evil eyes” used to protect against ill omen. Bottom line: stylish contemporary design, excellent location, and friendly service.

You’ll find plenty of traditional Greek touches at NEW Hotel (and a central location), but that’s not to say it is a traditional hotel experience. Every detail from the abacus chairs to the gold sinks are given a modern flavor. Don’t miss the rooftop bar for cocktails made with Mastic--a better alternative than the Ouzo stuff that has pine-y and creamy with a faint bite of licorice.

The New Hotel is a ‘60s international style hotel in the heart of the Athens. The Brazilian design duo the Campana Brothers upgraded the property by reusing the existing ‘60s style/manufactured furniture - deconstructing and decomposing the pieces into new furniture compositions to make statement pieces for the rooms and lobby. Even the old lamps/lampshades were sandwiched in between two glass walls to create a lamp wall!

New Hotel is a 79 room, newly remodeled respite only a short walk from Constitution Square (Syntagma Square); the center of Athens. Owner Dakis Joannou commissioned two Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana for the design and gave them free reign. Well known for their eco-friendly designs, and with a nod to their cultural heritage, the brothers have created a one-of-a-kind boutique/art hotel. With a full service spa, penthouse restaurant with open-air viewing deck, and sleek dining area downstairs, New Hotel makes for a comfortable upscale stay. The furniture here is custom made, and the brothers incorporated parts of the former Olympic Palace Hotel in their design which can be seen throughout the hotel. The result is modern, yet welcoming. It reminded me of an art installation in the way the old furniture was repurposed in the New Taste restaurant (hours 7am-10:30am) weekdays and noon on weekends for brunch. The 7th floor penthouse restaurant Art Lounge has panoramic views overlooking the city of Athens with indoor and outdoor seating (hours 6pm-midnight). The menu offers fresh local seafood (highly recommended) and local wines that pair perfectly with the food. If you’re not sure of which Greek wine to order just ask your server. Staff is very friendly and more than willing to help. New Hotel is a boutique hotel defined, offering all of the amenities of a much larger property, but in a much more relaxed and downright playful atmosphere. And the fact that it is central to Athens makes for the perfect home base/jumping off point for your Greek adventure in Athens.

I stayed here in March of this year. My first night in Athens we enjoyed a phenomenal dinner up on the 7th floor. This hotel catered to our very needs. The staff was accommodating and friendly. One of my traveling buddies forgot a pair of shoes in this hotel and we had those shoes catch up with us later on our return to Athens. The room was super comfortable and even had black out shades so the light would not wake us up. I was super happy to stay here and would stay again in a flash. As far as the location, you are basically in the city center. This means you can catch the metro, the tram, or even walk to the Acropolis. It is truly conveniently located.