Entrepreneur Shai Antebi and Creative Director Eftihia Stefanidi conceived Mona as «a homage to the art of living». Furniture, textiles and design objects crafted from industrial waste materials, walls revealing the passing of time
Mona Athens: the newest creation by House of Shila
Mona Athens is the newest creation of Athens based design studio House of Shila. Its co-creators, owner and lead designer Shai Antebi and creative director and Greek photographer Eftihia Stefanidi, invented the character of Shila as a guide and inspiration. This fictional female character is for House Of Shila “a source of creative spirit”, as Stefanidi herself once told Lampoon Magazine while its first boutique hotel in Athens launched: Shila.
After opening Shila in 2020, Stefanidi began working on a new project: Mona. Inaugurated in Summer 2022, Mona is again the result of a cooperation between the Greek creative director and New York–based entrepreneur Shai Antebi.
Mona is a boutique hotel and multi-disciplinary space staged in an eight-story textile factory from the Fifties. It features twenty rooms, a concept cafe lounge and bar, and a speakeasy basement venue.
Mona in Psirri, where the identity of minorities blends with Athens’ history
Mona is located in Psirri, a neighborhood in Athens where the identity of minorities blends with the city’s cultural heritage. Its history dates back to the early Twentieth century, when working-class outlaws and Asia Minor refugees lived alongside each other. They were called Manges and Rebetes, and used to sing songs about loss and unrequited love. The musical genre that originated from there was called Rebetiko and became popular among the poorest urban classes. Thus, Psirri acquired a reputation as an unconventional and picturesque neighborhood.
Today, Psirri represents a bridge between Athens’ past, present and future, embodying the city’s contradictions and mixed cultural identity. While being close to Athens’ historical heart – with the Acropolis, the Agora and the Monastiraki – Psirri is a crossroads of contemporary and underground subcultures. Modern art galleries, gourmet restaurants, hip bars, artisan workshops and the Varvakios food market alternate among street tags, graffiti and wall murals.
Mona’s renovation: an environment that tells a story about humanity
Mona’s renovation process was characterized by the desire to preserve and enhance the building’s seventy-year history. The creators’ goal was to tell a story about humanity through the history of the environment. They wished to make the hotel structure comfortable by modern standards without cancelling its lived-in appearance.
Guests are invited to breath the history of the former textile factory and the emotions of the people who animated it, while experiencing new emotions themselves and writing their own stories. To allow such immersive experience the studio kept the original industrial style and revisited it with modern minimalistic vibes. The goal was to design a simple environment, which would lend to constant transformation and reinvention. A homage to the factory’s metamorphosis into a hotel and an open door for further future evolution. Simplicity is central for Shila’s philosophy. The studio considers it as a synonym of sophistication.
The Fifties’ structure – made mainly of cement, metal and stone – remained unchanged. Several original features were preserved, such as an iron staircase, terrazzo floors, the original metal windows, and the marble façade. To highlight the passage of time and the changes it entails, striped-back layers of wall paint were left visible. In the rooms, some brick portions are also left exposed.
Sustainable manufacturing and naturally sourced textile fibers for the interiors
For Mona’s interior design and décor sustainable manufacturing and naturally sourced textile fibers were employed. When Antebi and her team first entered inside the building, they collected some of the materials they found. Then, they reused it to create furniture and design objects for the hotel. A circular approach meant to give new life to the original soul of the building and avoid waste.
An example are the hand-commissioned wooden furniture and fabrics, which were created by the House of Shila design studio. These include velvets, cottons and custom-knitted carpets. They were used to create a spatial scenography, adding a touch of warmth and tactility to the industrial environment. Indeed, Shila’s distinctive approach consists in combining eclectic aesthetics with experiential design to create objects with a sensual appeal.
Modern artworks by local and international artists can also be found throughout all the hotel and are available to purchase.
Mona’s rooms: slow living and mindfulness
Mona’s rooms come in different shapes and sizes, all designed to direct guests towards slow living and mindfulness. Bedsheets are made in organic cotton and the handmade mattresses are treated with olive oil to facilitate sleep and relaxation. There are no televisions in the rooms, but books and magazines to promote digital detox, stillness and silent moments.
Plants are present everywhere in the hotel, including the rooms, as they are believed to reduce stress, boost creativity and improve air quality. Mona’s suite even features a whole terrarium lounge. All the rooms are designed to make the most of the Athenian sun, to which a custom-made lighting is added.
Both the rooms and the bathrooms include industrial metal elements, such as the copper tubes in the showers, to remind guests of the building’s past. The bathrooms feature organic bath products of local origin. Handmade by Greek artisans are also the clothes and items displayed in the rooms, crafted with natural materials. Everything, from the furniture to the sheets, can be purchased.
Club MONAmour: soirées, pop-up art exhibitions, supper clubs and live music sessions
Mona is not just a boutique hotel, but also a multi-disciplinary space, house to Club MONAmour. The club organizes soirées, curated pop-up art exhibitions, international and local guest chef supper clubs, and live music sessions for guests and House of Shila members.
With Club MONAmour, Stefanidi and Antebi seek to redefine what it means to be a traveler in Athens. Outside, the building bears no clear sign that it hosts a hotel. Such discretion is meant to make guests feel in an intimate environment, separated from the outer world. The invite-only events aim at further stressing such idea of exclusivity.
Three are the locations for Club MONAmour’s appointments, which can also be booked for private events, photoshoots, film and video productions. The multi-level living room, provided with a lounge, multimedia facilities and an open-plan kitchen. The panoramic rooftop overlooking the Acropolis, including a glass-and-metal communal table, cushioned sofas, outdoor showers, plants and a bar. Here, cocktails are served along with what is defined «eclectic fare», prepared with ingredients from the local food market. In the basement, an underground venue space welcomes music gigs, exhibitions, and late-night dancing.
Mona: smart service and food delivery from local partners through an iPad
Mona has no restaurant, but in the morning breakfast can be ordered in the rooms, in the basement-level lounge, or on the rooftop terrace. It comes in two options, sweet and savory, and is served until one in the afternoon. Both the options are prepared in collaboration with small local businesses. For example, sourdough bread and pastries are delivered every morning from Kora, a bakery a mile from the hotel.
Not having a restaurant is part of Mona’s minimalistic philosophy, favouring pop-up collaborations through its popular supper club series. The creators considered it superfluous, being the hotel located in the city center, surrounded by all sorts of restaurants and cafes. Just like they thought it unnecessary to have a gym with all the walking guests would have in Athens, not least to visit the near-by Acropolis.
However, it is possible to order food throughout the day with an in-room iPad. It contains a selection of dishes from neighborhood restaurants, including traditional Greek pies, burgers, and sushi. The staff will plate the order and deliver it to the guests’ rooms, or wherever they want to take their meal in the hotel. The iPad can also be used, through iMessage, to communicate with the staff for other needs and is provided with a Netflix subscription.
Moreover, every room is equipped with an artisanal mini bar, a tea selection with kettle, and an espresso machine. Instead of pods, guests will find whole beans, as part of Shila’s collaboration with Anana Coffee, an Athens-based roaster.
Mona, Athens
Sister to Shila, Mona is a boutique hotel located in Athens, in the Psirri neighborhood. Mona is the result of the renovation of a textile factory from the Fifties and features twenty rooms of different categories, a panoramic rooftop overlooking the Acropolis, a café lounge and a speakeasy basement venue.
Mona is also home to Club MONAmour, which organizes soirées, curated pop-up art exhibitions, international and local guest chef supper clubs, and live music sessions for guests and House of Shila members.
