As the creative director of Shila, Eftihia is at the center of this boom. “Shila came about serendipitously, as a need to create a space where our interests, passions and dreams would be expressed under one roof, be it architecture, design, photography, aesthetics, or hosting a good party!” Athens’ burgeoning creative community had been pining for a gathering space, she explains, as the hotel scene in Athens felt sparse compared to other cultural hubs like London, Paris and New York. “We wanted to make a hub that simultaneously runs as a hotel, but also acts as a space to showcase art, a stage for creation, a meeting point. A sensual and mysterious townhouse of sorts,” Efihia explains. Shila became the bridge for these communities. Now, two years later, it’s time to expand.
While Shila is tucked away in a small guest house on a quiet street in the upscale Kolonaki neighborhood, its new sister property, Mona, is located in Athens’ Psirri neighborhood in the heart of cultural downtown. The neighborhood itself provides a view of the city’s past and present, where the Acropolis and ancient Agora blend harmoniously with the city’s galleries, designer shops and stylish bars and restaurants. Housed in an eight-story factory from the ‘50s, Mona plays on its wilder and more industrial assets: There’s a bold iron staircase, terrazzo floors, original metal windows, and a marble facade. Mona is the edgier side to Shila’s bohemian soul. “Mona is very much a city girl,” says Eftihia.
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