Moon & Stars Boutique Hotel, Athens

Pros

• Owner and manager Theodore is welcoming and passionate about both the hotel and the guests, as he’s invested in finding new and interesting ways for travelers to experience Athens. For example, hotel guests can book a tour of Athens in Theodore’s vintage (and perfectly preserved) cherry red 1971 Fiat 500. 
• The hotel has an organic feel because it’s a landmark building, so it’s worked into the space rather than imposing itself onto it. This means that each room is individual and filled with its own character, although the design elements are cohesive throughout.
• Guests who want to explore Athens in a different way can take advantage of the hotel’s wooden Coco-Mat bikes.
• The neighborhood offers a perfect intersection of residential and touristic, or quiet and lively. There’s something for everyone here.
• The building’s original details like its sun beam-designed iron door, patterned wooden floors, and intricate moldings will make any architecture or history fans flip.
• The rooftop offers a direct view of the Acropolis and is a great place to relax and take in Athena’s gaze.

Cons

• The building’s landmark status means that major changes can’t be made, such as adding in an elevator. This will be an issue for those with accessibility needs but for those who are able to navigate the steps, it’s worth considering.
• The rooms feature open storage options of exposed clothing racks and small drawers, which some may find frustrating. However, the rooms themselves are so beautiful that it may be a small price to pay for the experience of staying here.
• Those looking to relax in front of a TV will find that the rooms here don’t have televisions, but if you do need one for whatever reason, one can be brought up to your room.

Additional Notes

Those with a fear of heights or any anxiety around narrow, winding iron staircases can rest assured that the staircase heading up to the roof will be replaced with something that’s wider and easier to manage. It’s all part of the charm of the Moon and Stars and guests who want to continue experiencing Athens from this historical perspective can even book a tour of the city in Theodore’s vintage 1970s Fiat 500.

Authenticity

The ground floor of the Moon and Stars actually goes back to the 19th century, while the upper floors all date back to the 1920s when Dimitris Vlastaris, a toy-maker known as “o kouklas” or “the doll” turned it into his workshop and house. In fact, Vlastaris gives the hotel its name, as “moon and stars” refers to the celestial mobile that is often hung above babies’ cribs. The rooms all follow this vintage toy motif with names like The Ballerina and Jack in the Box.

Owners Theodore and Vaso have their hands in every aspect of the hotel. In fact, architect Vaso designed and renovated the space, which Theodore now runs as a manager. Their care is clear in all aspects, as they wanted to maintain the spirit of the building and let it show them what it needed to be rather than the other way around. Architecture enthusiasts will fawn over the building’s original details, such as the iron-wrought entryway that separates marble and wooden floors and leads to the rooftop.

Location

The Moon and Stars is located just off of the end of Ermou Street, which puts it on the border of the neighborhoods of Thiseio and Psyri. The former is great for those looking for something quieter and more residential that still has perfect views of the Acropolis. In fact, you can hop over to the pedestrian path of Aeropagitou in about two minutes and take that through Thiseio and down to the Acropolis or Acropolis Museum in 20 minutes.

Psyri offers an abundance of bars, restaurants, and cafés for those who want to experience Athens’ lively side. There’s something for everyone here, whether you want to explore Monastiraki Square, which is seven minutes away by foot, or head to Plaka in the same amount of time and get your ancient Greek fix there. Folks who are stopping in Athens before heading to the islands have the option of jumping on the Thiseio Metro, which is just two minutes away and takes you directly to Pireaus Port.

Rooms & Bathrooms

The five rooms of the Moon and Stars are all different from each other, since the owners had to keep the original layout of the building. This gives each one an individual character, although the rooms are tied together by the conceptual thread of vintage toys, as well as by a clean and chic design aesthetic. The Music Box is the biggest option, which sleeps up to three people, while those looking for a cozier vibe can check out Cloud Nine, which is a studio on the roof.

The rooms are quite sizable, but do not include an armoire or closet that’s typical for a standard hotel room. Instead, they have open closet space, small drawers, and racks to hang your clothes, which visually goes with the aesthetic but may be frustrating for those who just want to hide their items away or not worry about keeping everything looking clean and organized.

The rooms all include robes, stocked mini bars, and snack baskets filled with Greek delights. They also smell great thanks to candles and diffusers and folks checking in later in the evening will find that management has set the mood lighting to be warm and welcoming.

Other Highlights

I’ve seen more Neo-classical buildings in Athens than I know what to do with, as every boutique hotel understandably seems to be in a historical location. I close my eyes and all I see are iron-wrought doors, marble staircases, and wooden floors, but the Art Deco door and Greek key-bordered floors are truly what dreams are made of. Manager Theodore noted that the level of detail done on this door indicates that the former owner of the building was quite wealthy, as it’s another level from the more typical doors you’ll find on these buildings.