The Modernist Athens

Most of what you need to know is in the name. The Modernist Athens leaves the classical history to the rest of the city, and provides its guests with a remarkably coherent vision of modern luxury-boutique hospitality — which, of course, owes much to the capital-m Modernism of the middle of the last century. It’s fitting, then, that the Modernist should begin with a Fifties building: the former Canadian embassy in the upscale neighborhood of Kolonaki.

It’s a solid, sober building, now finished in minimalist black and gray, a mood that persists in the interiors but is livened by subtle accents in metallic colors. Its 38 rooms vary widely in size and plan, from the truly compact S rooms on through to the top-floor XLs, each with an outdoor hot tub on a terrace with a 180° view of the city. Some feature balconies and/or record players, while all come with espresso machines and Physis Laboratory bath products.

Food and beverage service is limited, in classic European urban-boutique style, to breakfast, drinks, and a light daytime menu. The Modernist is no hermetically sealed resort, after all, but a luxe pied-à-terre in a delightful city-center neighborhood; you’re within walking distance of no end of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and shops, and the city life is key to the hotel’s appeal.