One-Minute Hotel / The Modernist, Athens
Slick, sleek and pretty penny-pricewise. Is there anything wrong with Athens’ coolest new boutique hotel? That would be a no.
So, where are we?
Fifteen minutes walk up the road from the Greek parliament, which is pretty central, we’re in the smarty-pants Kolonaki area, a real Athenian neighbourhood. A smart one! The National Gallery is visible from your window, the Parthenon across town from the rooftop bar and there’s a park right there. It’s not downtown tourist central - that would be Plaka - but we can walk to it in less than half an hour if we want to. And we do. You can even walk to the Parthenon if you’re wearing a sensible shoe.
And where we’re staying...?
The Modernist, the brainchild of Greek entrepreneur Kostis Karatzas, was previously the Canadian embassy so it may be modern but it’s also quite grand, located in the only black building in a fairly swishy neck of the woods. The British Embassy, which looks like Cell Block H, is just a few streets away.
What’s the style?
Designers Form Related, who also worked on Kostis’s first Modernist in Thessaloniki, wanted to bring a similar style to this Athens instalment, meaning a definite Danish mid-century vibe that is both funky and functional and bang on trend with blacks and brasses and plants in the perfect shade of green up on shelves with all the right books and magazine and nick-nacks. From the roof terrace to the bijou basement gym, it just reeks of design.
And the rooms?
The entry-level rooms - perfect for a mini-break - are small but sexy. More black - even the ceiling! - against the white walls and lots of brass, including a corner stand for glasses and a wall shelving concept-type thing. The wardrobe is an open-affair with more brass bars, those shelves have Marshall Bluetooth speakers and little Danish wooden birds and brass bowls while the bathroom is science-lab chic with more black - even the toilet! Bigger rooms have balconies with hot tubs!
Is there a story?
When Kostis first took over the building, it still had all the paraphernalia of an embassy in place, that’s to say a panic room and somewhere for an armed guard to stand. Now, there’s a little boutique downstairs where you can pick up Modernist-branded T-shirts and stationery, a little breakfast/lunch nook, whose staff serve that incredible roof terrace (just go up, pick up the phone and bark your order) which is incredibly not crowded out, even on beautiful days when you can watch the sun go down just to the right of the Acropolis on the hill.
And to eat?
The cafe area may be small but it’s cuter than the back of a bunny, with designer lighting, black banquettes, stacks of art books and magazines and, in the morning, a curated breakfast buffet that errs very much on the side of healthy options: nuts, seeds, granola, meats, cheeses and omelettes that they’ll cook up for you on the spot. During the day, the options are equally health-conscious with a variety of bowls - chicken, salmon, falafel, shrimp, tuna and a Black Forest bowl to finish.
So, to sum up...
You want to stay somewhere as cool as the city of Athens is fast becoming, somewhere you don’t feel like a tourist but near enough to the action to make you a part of it. Which is why The Modernist is the perfect choice. Don’t thank us. Oh, go on then.
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