If you are looking for a perfectly located hotel in Athens, the NEW hotel is the right choice. It is literally in the heart of the old center where quaint streets and charming restaurants draw you out of your hotel room. Around the corner are all the ancient sites, and from the hotel’s roof terrace and your balcony you can see the Acropolis. The NEW hotel is also a great choice because of its unusual and very interesting interior design. The decor is designed by the Brazilian brothers Humberto and Fernando Campana, and has an historic as well as modern feel. The hotel is a living piece of art where guests get to interact instead of look at art. There are e.g. modern art installations throughout the hotel, re-new-ed furniture, and modern architecture created with old pieces.
The top floor is an excellent place to have drinks, enjoy the sun and escape the bustling streets.
Hotel owner and art collector Dakis Joannou, bought the outdated Olympic Palace a few years ago and had the vision to restructure the modernist building into something that would honour the former place. He hired the Campana brothers because they are renowned for creating art from reclaimed materials. The result is a hotel that has chairs and doors salvaged from the old property as wall coverings and art work. In the restaurant you will see tree-like pillars of cast off wood. Some of the old chair were left as they were, while others were transformed into new ones, looking like art-hybrids.
In the bedroom a sleek jagged mirror and futuristic sharp-edged washbasin draw immediate attention. The wall is covered with evil eyes. Another focal point is a tall chair made of recycled wood by local art students.
The hotel has 79 rooms and I experienced it as a quiet hotel with friendly staff and excellent food. For reservations and more info visit their website.
