At a Glance
The New Hotel is the city’s coolest upscale design property just a five-minute walk from Syntagma Square.
Indagare Loves
- Fun and funky furniture and art pieces throughout hotel
- Great location at the edge of Plaka, but far enough from the bustling Syntagma Square
- Penthouse Suite with the a picture-perfect backdrop of the Parthenon
Review
Owned by the world renowned art collector Dakis Joannou and smartly designed by the quirky Brazilian design firm Campana brothers, the New Hotel is the city’s coolest upscale design property, with 79 rooms (including 7 suites) and an intimate restaurant, which on Sundays hosts the city's buzziest brunch scene. Although centrally located, just a five-minute walk to Syntagma Square, the hotel is tucked back in a Modernist building on a side street so it feels hidden and discreet. The interiors are both playful and smart; the Campana brothers created much of the interiors with items recycled from the previous hotel. Think puzzle-like walls and chairs constructed of layered repurposed wood mixed with sculptural chairs of their own design. Worth the splurge: the 650-square-foot Penthouse Suite with 360-degree city views, a sprawling private terrace and a window framing the Acropolis directly over the bed. Although the windows are soundproofed, it helps to book a room on the 5th or 6th floors, which are less noisy.
There are not many public spaces to speak of except for a small workout room and spa below the lobby, but the hotel's small dining room is both cozy and cool with a menu that offers a mix of international upscale comfort food. On Sunday it attracts many of the city's creative locals who come for the excellent brunch spread—fresh baked bread and pastries—and the buzzy crowd.
Who Should Stay
Design buffs with a modern sensibility.
Written by Gisela Williams