ATHENSWAS BOUTIQUE HOTEL: A REVIEW

Last Updated on 28th February 2026 by Bejal

On a tree-lined street, a stones throw away from the Acropolis lies a little quiet haven from the hustle and bustle of city life in the form of a luxurious boutique hotel called, Athenswas. The hotel has a prime location on Dionysiou Areopaitou accommodating 21 guest rooms from deluxe veranda donning rooms to suites with terraces overlooking the Acropolis.

The first thing you notice when you enter the hotels glass fronted building is the sleek, modern clean lines of the interiors and the pretty snazzy black and white marble floor. The modernism however doesn’t detract away from the classical aesthetic the designer was hoping to create.

 INTRODUCING ATHENSWAS

Athenswas hotel has a huge advantage in its tree-lined street location being in close proximity to the famous Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, Syntagma Square, the old town district of Plaka with its plethora of charming restaurants, squares and shops and is practically in walking distance of most of the sights and sounds of this ancient capital city.

Being a huge fan of modernistic, minimalist classical styling, with key dark wood pieces coupled with the location of Athenswas drew me to investigate and ogle over it’s offerings more in depth and finally persuaded me to book out four day winter City break.

The hotel was built in 2015 and designed by Stavros Papayannis, a man after my own heart in his styling and dressing of a property, he originally trained in anatomical pathology. He went on to form a company, Stage Design where he embarked on the project of the design of the Athenswas, which is why it is so surprising that this self-taught designer is now considered one of the best in Greece. His focus for Athenswas being Greek Modernistic utilising local materials such as Greek marble and dark wood in the form of Walnut sourced from varying areas in Greece.

The hotels aesthetics stem from the classical modernist approach that Greek architects have been so favoured with since the 1930’s -1970’s. Varying hues of marble have been used on the verandas, bathrooms, communal areas, walls and outer dining terraces of the hotel.

The hotels manager, dutch- born  Sophie was very keen to explain to me about the styling and design of the hotel including the use of modern, classic furniture styles. For examples the LC3 armchairs, designed in 1928 by Le Corbusier, the Eileen Gray divan from 1925 and the beautiful coffee-table designed by Warren Platner in 1966. These seamlessly blend but simultaneously compliment the contemporary creations such as the Canta and Viki armchairs by Toshiyuki Kita, the Venus chair by the Bouroullec brothers.

This is a interor stylists dream and if like me you are an advocate of classical modernistic then you could literally spend an infinity admiring the lines and quality of the hotels  inner beauty.

Throughout the hotel and including the rooms, there is a permanent exhibition of the work of Stefanos Samios. His work had been displayed in the form of Photographs in the rooms, suites and communal areas from the archaeological museum.

  ROOMS

We opted for a deluxe double room which was beautifully finished with the oh so cool dark grey painted walls and modern features, which are extended right through the hotel itself.

The bed is dressed in simple white luxurious bedding, which compliments the dark grey walls complimenting the white hues, the sophisticated bedside lights on a track with the walnut furniture. The room opens out onto a furnished Veranda, with tressels hanging down meaning that a relaxing drink can be enjoyed in the privacy of your very own exclusive outdoor space.

The walnut fronted wardrobes are concealed to the left as you enter the room and have  a plethora of shelves and hanging space even for those who struggle to travel light!

There’s a beautiful walnut bench style desk to keep all your essential organised too.

The minimal approach transitions through into the bathroom, with the marble floor, substantial rain shower and a beautiful light flooding vanity area replenished more than adequately with the fluffiest of white towels and Korres amenities.

Athenswas provides 21 rooms for its guests ranging from the standard deluxe to suites with larger verandas with Acropolis views. We opted for a deluxe room as we knew we had a very hectic itinerary and wouldn’t be spending much time enjoying the splendours of the room, however on a return visit, I would opt for a suite for a more relaxing stay.

Each room has access to some outside space in the form of a trellised veranda, which helps to bring that little bit of city Athenian life into the room

DINING AT ATHENWAS

When it comes to dining options there are two fantastic places to eat at Athenswas, both making equally delicious cuisine, one slightly casual and the other with the most astounding view of the magnificent ancient construction known as The Acropolis.

Brasserie Modèrne

Located on the ground floor of the hotel, Brasserie Moderne provides a intimate patio style dining expereince with pretty climbing plants and a street view. During the morning a made to order breakfast is served here but later during alternative casual meals can be enjoyed in these chic surroundings.

Sense Modern Greek Restaurant

If it’s a modern sophisticated meal you are after with a backdrop of the Acropolis to admire then head up to the roof restaurant on the top floor of the hotel. Be enticed by the sweeping views of Acropolis, Lycabettus and the city as a whole, from the mountains to the northern horizon and the sea to the south.

All food is prepared by the chefs on sight with a selection of Greek modern dishes, which have been created innovatively from classic Greek dishes. A true gastronomic delight awaits your taste buds! One of my regrets on my trip was that I didn’t get a chance to dine at Sense, but hey, there’s always got to be a reason to return, right!

Additionally the hotel has a conference room for business bookings and a small gym to accommodate the fitness-minded.

PURE SHEER UNADULTERATED PERFECTION FOR 

Everyone

Classic modernist luxury!  A city break abode winner!

Athenswas Hotel

 I’d love to know if you’ve stayed at Athenswas and what your experiences are of the classic mordernistic styling. Do let me know in the comments box below…

À Bientôt…

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