Checking in at AthensWas Hotel * Athens

Staying at AthensWas Hotel, one of the best design boutique hotels of Athens, located in what has been the heart of the city since ancient times.

Being, for a weekend, a tourist in your own city is for all of us, urban neurotics, a blessing. Last weekend I took this experience a step further, and lived city life at its best, something only a lucky tourist would hope for… Meaning that I had the chance to stay at AthensWas Hotel, one of the best boutique hotels in Athens, located in what has been the heart of the city since ancient times.

Dionysiou Areopagitou is the iconic pedestrian street under the Acropolis where you find gorgeous houses as well as the Acropolis museum building, a model of modern architecture of the city. AthensWas Hotel is situated at the start of Dionysiou Areopagitou St. in a five storey building that used to be a block of luxurious flats underneath the Acropolis. Being one of the 11 Greek hotels that belong to the group of Design Hotels, AthensWas opened as a hotel in 2015 under the supervision of celebrated Greek design practice, STAGEDESIGNOFFICE.

Enjoying the view

From the first moment one visits AthensWas Hotel, one understands there is a clear concept behind this project. Athens and its history, the habits of its citizens, the tourist attractions and modernism, a staple of the architectural identity of the city, all contributed to the creation of a unique hospitality experience that reinterprets city trademarks, showing a new, updated face of Athens.

The hotel’s decorative style is a mix of Greek signature materials and favourite classics of international design. The interior of the AthensWas Hotel is dominated by Greek marble and Greek walnut, the most sought after and–according to those in the know–most beautiful domestic wood. In the rooms and suites, modern classics, such as the LC3 armchairs which were designed in 1928 by Le Corbusier or the wonderful coffee table designed by Warren Platner in 1966, blend perfectly with more contemporary creations of international design, such as the Canta and Viki armchairs by Toshiyuki Kita, the Venus chair by Konstantin Grcic, lamps by the Bouroullec brothers and many others.

(see here: The most instagram – worthy hotels of Athens)

For city visitors, AthensWas Hotel is the best they can get when looking for contemporary urban trends and at the same time for a luxurious and pleasant experience. For Athenians like me, AthensWas experience can be touching, bringing back city memories in the most unexpected and brilliant way. This is why I ended up enjoying, not only high standard hospitality, but also my own city at its best!

5 + 1 ways to be an Athenian at AthensWas Hotel

Enjoy at your private veranda the pleasure of relaxing outdoors, one of the most wonderful aspects of Athenian life
Have brunch, coffee or a drink at the Modern restaurant on the rooftop, where one can enjoy an amazing panoramic view of the Acropolis, Lycabettus and the city as a whole.
Book a table at the Modern restaurant which proposes a different, refreshing and light approach to Greek cuisine.

Admire the black and white portraits of Ancient Greek statues by photographer Stefanos Samios as well as the exquisite works of graphic artist ATH1281 printed on carpet, which decorate the rooms and the corridors of the hotel.
Stop and smell typical Athenian plants such as pomegranate, fig, rynchosperma and wisteria that were used to decorate the hotel.
Feel the energy of the magic area around Acropolis either by gazing at it from AthensWas Hotel or by taking a stroll at the atmospheric street of Dionysiou Areopagitou.

(Visit here the website of AthensWas Hotel)