Athens is far more than just your port of entry to a week spent island hopping. In the last few years, the Greek capital has enjoyed renewed status as a European arts capital—perhaps best signified by the arrival of the $623 million, Renzo Piano–designed Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in 2016, and last summer’s super-sized Documenta art fair—the first time the festival had been held outside of Kassel, Germany. And though the country may still be recovering from a severe financial crisis, tourism is booming again.
Enter, Shila.
In the chicest part of town under the lee of Lycabettus Hill, where the tree-lined pavements of marble are so steep and polished that boutique owners lay down grass carpets for ease of pedestrian passage. You could walk past this Twenties residence on a pedestrian street in upmarket Kolonaki and never know it was the city’s most soulful guesthouse. Off a quiet street, the neoclassical mansion is a unique guesthouse; part art gallery, part event space and private rental with six sensational suites, a roof terrace fringed with banana trees, a courtyard garden and library filled with a display of art works for sale. There is a whimsical, elegant, fantasy quality to the place; desks seem to float, mirrors bounce light, diaphanous drapes hold you in suspension.
Step inside and it’s like wandering into the bohemian home of Thomas Crown: there’s a softly lit salon with a Strauss piano, antiques upholstered in vintage fabrics and a library of wonderful books you actually want to read. The two ethereal ground-floor suites have verandas shaded by a loquat tree. Up the marble staircase are four more enormous suites with velvet divans, floating beds and sultry bathrooms with rough-hewn marble sinks, and even a swing.
Shila was born from the ever- growing desire to experience beauty, design, imagination, and genuine hospitality. The uniqueness of Shila is best experienced rather than described. A reminiscent of a “hotel particulier” that inhabits a flair for playful-ness, mystique and a deep sense of calm. Extending beyond the hotel concept, Shila’s allure is that it combines the freedom and flexibility of a place that continually grows, merging into a stage for creative experi-mentation; a design studio; a hub for soulful happenings and social connection.
The design process was developed from the “inside out”, based on sustainability and flexibility, where furniture, objects or entire spaces were conceived to be mobile and available to change in the first instance. This mentality brought a whimsical element to the project which is reflected all over this space, creating an immediate feeling of intrigue with the possibilities of scenographic interpretations.
The decor is a thoughtful balance between ancient Greek references and modern industrial design, urban and natural materials means that Shila has been designed “on the go”.
Local chocolatiers, parfumiers, coffee shops and chefs created the delicious treats and toiletries in every room. The greatest surprise is the roof garden: an urban jungle of plants, day beds and outdoor showers. Wonderfully idiosyncratic, this is a rare treasure that feels genuinely lived in. Above all, the team behind Shila’s success was like a family. Stepping into the property felt like coming home.
Only the best,
Lucas Raven