New Hotel, Athens, a Member of Design Hotels

About New Hotel, Athens, a Member of Design Hotels

New Hotel stands at 16 Filellinon Street, just off Syntagma Square, with Plaka a few minutes away on foot. Art collector Dakis Joannou reworked the former Olympic Palace into New Hotel, and Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana designed the interiors, turning chairs and doors salvaged from the old building into art. Throughout the hotel you will find playful takes on Greek culture, from Karagiozis to the evil eye and old postcards of Athens.

Rooms and suites

Classic Rooms (23 to 25 sq m) look either towards Lycabettus Hill or over Filellinon Street to the Russian Church of Sotira Lykodimou and the National Gardens. Superior Rooms are the same size with a side-street view, and an extra bed can be added on request, which helps if you are travelling with a child. Superior Plus Rooms (23 to 25 sq m) mostly face Lycabettus, with some front rooms looking over the church. All rooms are soundproofed and come with handmade design furniture, artwork installations, blackout blinds and Byredo bath products, and some feature the Campanas' Favela chairs.

Studios (30 sq m) add a sitting area and most sit on street corners facing the church and the National Gardens. Suites (35 sq m) have separate sleeping and living areas and art installations by Greek artists, with views of the hotel's hanging garden. The Acropolis Penthouse is 70 sq m with an all-marble bathroom, a master bedroom facing the Acropolis and a large terrace with dining space and views of both the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill.

Art Lounge and breakfast

The Art Lounge on the 7th floor serves food and cocktails with panoramic views over Athens, and it hosts temporary exhibitions by contemporary Greek artists. On the ground floor, the NEW Lobby Lounge starts the day with an American breakfast, served daily from 7am to 10:30am. From 11am to 11pm it runs an all-day Mediterranean menu built on local produce, with sandwiches, salads and grills. Its walls are covered in a mosaic of wooden scraps that echoes the Campanas' Favela chairs. Room service runs 24 hours.

NEW Sense Spa Suite offers treatments using Greek herbs, essential oils and plant extracts, and guests have complimentary use of the fitness room, with personal training available for an extra charge.

Location and getting around

On foot, Syntagma Square is about 320 m (4 minutes) and Syntagma metro station about 400 m (5 minutes). Plaka is about 400 m (5 minutes), and the Temple of Olympian Zeus about 640 m (9 minutes). Akropoli metro station and Monastiraki station are each about 880 m (12 minutes), and the Acropolis Museum is about 940 m (13 minutes). The Panathenaic Stadium is about 1 km (14 minutes), as is the Museum of Cycladic Art. Athens International Airport is about 27 km away, and the hotel does not run a shuttle.

Good to know

Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 11am. Pets are not allowed, though service animals are welcome. There is no parking at the hotel, but Parking Syntagmatos across from the entrance charges a daily rate. Babysitting can be arranged.