Filoxenia es lo que transmite Theodora Koumoundourou, una experta en arte contemporáneo y mercado del arte griego que, tras estudiar en Londres, decidió fundar Arthens, una empresa para realizar tours artísticos privados por la ciudad que ofrece el mismo Monument. A ella le pregunto por el término y me cuenta: “Escuchamos esta palabra desde que somos niños y crecemos con ella en nuestra sangre. Para nosotros (los griegos), creo que la palabra filoxenia está muy relacionada con el orgullo”. Insiste en que para ellos es “muy importante sentir que hacen todo lo que pueden para que los huéspedes se sientan cómodos y disfruten de su tiempo en el país. Y lo remata de esta manera tan bonita: “sentimos que, al tratar y mostrar amor a los visitantes, transmitimos nuestro amor por nuestro país”. Resulta curioso escucharlo de alguien que vive en una ciudad que ha tenido que acotar las visitas a la Acrópolis a 22.000 visitantes (sic) diarios. A los griegos no parece molestarles la presencia de extranjeros.

Theodora nos abre puertas que no podríamos haber abiertos solos, como la del estudio de Pavlina Vagioni, en Pangrati (què barrio más bonito) que nos habla de su obra mientras tomamos un té y de cómo da la vuelta a los arquetipos clásicos. También nos muestra las mejores obras de la National Gallery y nos explica, así, algo más de Grecia y nos lleva a la Gagosian y nos enseña las habitaciones que no se muestran. Nos sube a un apartamento camuflado en un edificio de apartamentos de Kolonaki, donde está Citronne Gallery, y nos permite conocer a Panos Chralambius, que representó a Grecia en la Bienal de Venecia y vivió en Madrid y Sanlúcar de Barrameda “por amor”. Filoxenia elevada al cubo.

For years, getting travelers to see Athens as more than a transient city would take some convincing; the extent of their stay at the best hotels in Athens would merely include a brief bucket-list visit to the Acropolis before scurrying off to the Greek islands. As far as we’re concerned, the ancient city has always been more than its cultural landmarks, but the recent advent of new hotels and trendy restaurants is signaling a watershed moment for Athens tourism. With a creative spirit wafting through the historic city center and extending into some of its bohemian neighborhoods, such as Kolonaki and Psyrri, and even to its seafront, international travelers are finally giving Athens a second glance.

From historic mansions converted to intimate design hotels, to cool boutique stays that double as art galleries, to affordable bohemian hamlets for the fashion crowd–all featuring glittering views of the historic city skyline from their rooftops, there’s no shortage of sensational stays in central Athens. Recent years have also seen the revival of the Athenian Riviera, the city’s glamorous seaside, once a port of call for Greece’s high society in the 1960s, with a string of new luxury beachfront hotels stretching across the upmarket seaside suburbs from Vouliagmeni to Glyfada.

Below, our list of the 10 best hotels in Athens to book right now.

Monument:

Following the gentle restoration of a neoclassical mansion in the heart of the Psyrri neighborhood, Monument opened just last year as an intimate boutique hotel with only nine rooms, designed to feel like a private residence. In an effort to preserve elements of the historical property, a team of architects and master restorers ensured the delicate restoration of the building’s original frescoes, carved marble balconies, and grand winding staircase, while each of the bedrooms follow that same alchemy with intricate ceiling murals and limewashed walls. While there’s no restaurant on the property (but an authentic Greek breakfast is served each morning with delicacies such as rizogalo, traditional Greek rice pudding), the optimal location positions you in the heart of Athens’s thriving culinary scene. When you return after a day of exploring, you can wind down in the hotel’s ethereal wellness center, featuring a sauna, hammam, and a single treatment room, where massages and facials can be booked upon request.

Amenities: Spa and wellness center, lounge bar, free breakfast

Bonus Tip: Monument has recently introduced a partnership with bespoke art tour company, ARTHENS, which allows guests exclusive access to Athens’s art scene with personalized and guided excursions around the city.

For more than two decades, Athens was a recurring destination for me as a tourist. In 2022 however, after a four-year hiatus, I decided to make it my home. My return to the Grecian capital was met with an unfamiliar but palpable energy. The city I thought I knew had evolved – I quickly discovered that, in this city of contrasts, creativity is thriving more than ever.  

Athens is now a playground for the arts, with creatives from around the world settling here. It is said that Documenta 14 (a series of contemporary art exhibitions) held in 2017 played a significant role in this transformation. The city fosters cultural exchange, creating a melting pot of artistic influences and collaborations.  

It is still an affordable place to live, offering a freedom that can be harder to find in other European capitals, and is dotted not only with traditional art galleries and museums but independent and artist-run initiatives. 

Here, Athens-based creatives discuss what makes the city such a haven for the arts – plus, we share the organisations championing contemporary art in the city and hotspots to visit ahead of your next trip. 

Theodora Koumoundourou is an art historian, consultant and founder of ARTHENS, a company that provides bespoke art tours and trips for art enthusiasts. “Athens is a cross-path of many international people who work in the art world,” she says.  

“There was a ‘wave’ around 2018, with many artists, curators, designers and writers relocating to Athens and forming collaborations with local galleries and project spaces, opening their own studios, shopping for galleries and integrating in the pulse of the city. This was something wonderful to be part of – experiencing your city ‘growing’ mentally and emotionally through its citizens. It is quite spectacular.” 

ARTHENS is Athens’ only luxury art tour and art consulting company, which immerses its guests in the cultural life of the Greek capital. 

Hosted by Theodora Koumoundourou, an experienced contemporary art professional who has a special connection with the city (having been born and raised there) these unique and tailored experiences allow visitors to explore the best modern art shows and studios the city has to offer. 

Art consultant and founder of ARTHENS, Theodora loves sharing her “insider’s” knowledge with her small tour groups as she takes her clients behind the scenes of Athens’ vibrant modern art community, introducing them directly to young up-and-coming, as well as established artists. 

Having worked for various art galleries, art consultancies and museums through the years, including Edel Assanti and Ione & Mann in London, CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery, Dio Horia Art Platform and The Benaki Museum in Athens, Theodora graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with an MA (Hons) in Contemporary Art Theory and has acquired diplomas from Sotheby’s in Art Law and Buying and Selling in Auctions.

We recently had a chat with Theodora about her luxury bespoke art tour company that is slowly expanding and will soon include tours that go beyond Athens! 

We take a tour of a gallery in Athens with foreigners, mainly, but also Greek art lovers. ARTHENS art tours take on flesh and blood with the aim of promoting Greek artists to foreigners who come for tourism but also to a more special audience, such as gallery owners and collectors. The walks, however, are not exclusively for them. They are designed based on the wishes and interests of people who love art and range from museums to pottery workshops.

In the new issue of "K" that circulates exceptionally this weekend, June 19-20, together with Kathimerini.

ARTHENS: Tailor Made Ξεναγήσεις στην Τέχνη.

Οι tailor made γνωριμίες με τις εικαστικές τέχνες είναι πρωτόγνωρη σχέση για τα ελληνικά δεδομένα. Πρωτόγνωρη και πολλά υποσχόμενη, αφού δίνει τη δυνατότητα προσωπικής επαφής όχι μόνο με το έργο, αλλά και τον ίδιο τον καλλιτέχνη.

A chance to discover contemporary art in Athens beyond the major museums. A bespoke itinerary including guided tours of galleries, artist studios and events. Private meetings with gallerists and artists.

As Athens emerges as a leading European city for art, Emily Draper explores its recent surge in creativity and discovers how Greek art has transformed in the modern world.