Homely feeling!
Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia is a great boutique hotel and one of my latest discoveries. It is located in the chic district of Kifisia 5 km from Athens Mall and Helexpo, in the northern suburbs of Athens at a quiet upscale neighbourhood, away from the bustle of the City Centre. It is highly recommended for romantic getaways and business trips. Just a 7-minute walk from the KAT Train Station.
Entrance
We went up the few stairs and entered the trendy lounge expecting to come across a reception desk. Instead there was a distinctive small stand where we were greeted warmly. In a way, it was like entering a showcase with the Coco-Mat products. A minimalistic and charming interior. The use of wood and Coco-Mat furniture creates a pleasant homely ambience. Comfortable couches where guests can sit and relax and read a book, with access to free cakes and tea.
Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia
During check-in you are given a miniature pillow-like sachet of lavender and a pair of Coco-Mat slippers together with literature & cards all placed in Coco-Mat cloth bags before going up to the room. But still there is more!
The Honesty Bar
The “Honesty Bar” is reality. You will be informed at check-in how it functions. Well, the whole idea is to make guests feel free to choose when and what to drink with no red tape involved. Hospitality here is at the heart of the hotel’s philosophy. Feel free and comfortable as if you are at a friend’s house, relax and simply enjoy this exceptional service. We remained downstairs and enjoyed some coffee and cakes before we get the lift for the room which I was dying to see what it would look like.
Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia
While at the lobby I came across guests popping down for a drink, a tea or a snack with their slippers and robes on. This is wonderful, I even had the chance to talk with several and we discussed this a lot. The bar remains open throughout the night as well. Mind you, what is NOT Free here are the drinks/spirits, water and coffee. There is a pad by the bench you write your name on and state what extras you picked. You hand it to the person on duty and instantly your account is charged.
The atmosphere is way too homely anyway. As it is a non-traditional concept and guests are not accustomed with such, it can be misinterpreted but stuff encourage everyone to get to the bar and enjoy the homely delicacies.
Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia
The company has the simple philosophy of making your stay feel like home. They created an ambience that does reflect this, thus from the moment you walk in the front door, the open plan ‘reception’ –relaxation area / restaurant plays its role. Cleverly there is lots of light, open space and an open kitchen.
Room
We are finally up in our room but I find it much smaller than I expected with space just to walk around the bed and sit by the working desk. I am disappointed I have to admit but the sleep quality is distinguished thanks to the sleep systems of Coco-Mat. Our bed is very comfortable, the linen are crisp but the best is that we can choose the pillow of our preference out of the big pillow selection. I changed 3 to find the one that perfectly worked for me and I found the choice interesting.
I had the opportunity to see several types of rooms during our stay. Some are delightfully decorated with plenty of space and accessories, others like the one we have are smaller but still the comfortable beds make the difference. From the aromatherapy –lavender cushy pillows, to the comfort of the interior and the view which in some upper suites is breathtaking, all these have an impact on a memorable stay. I do wish to be back one day and experience a stay at one of the suites with a Jacuzzi on the top terrace.
Bathroom
Very small but perfectly clean, the bathroom had a functional walk in shower-cabinet instead of a bathtub. Towels were changed daily and had a pleasant smell of freshness. The dowside was the very low light in the bathroom making it dim. Plastic shower caps were missing and also a wall vanity mirror.
Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia
Toiletries were ample and they were the O.live brand with a dot between O and L. A local brand I never came across before. The plastic tubes were too small and hard to be squeezed thus it was difficult to use all the product, especially the body cream.
Breakfast
Greek breakfast exceeded my expectations. As a Professional Travel Guide Writer and Food Critic I have to admit I have never had such an amazing omelet elswhere at a hotel till now. It was a hearty omelet, nutrient and delicious…go for it!
With plenty of home-made choice, everything we had was of top quality and taste. Fresh orange juice and a cup of Greek coffee is what I also had, but there was homely cheese and spinach pies, cakes and biscuits, sausage, cupcakes, jam, yoghurt, and choice of marmalades.
Restaurant
The kitchen is open to visit as well. You can talk with the Chef and I used to do it a lot while there. Benches are always kept clean and shiny. The Menu comes with the literature you are given to take up in your room upon arrival. You can have a look while in your room, and when down go straight to the kitchen and give the Chef your order. This is so simple!
One thing to be considered: Forget about the service you have in other restaurants. Here, you should get to the Honesty Bar get whatever you feel like having and give your order to the person on duty or get straight in the kitchen. This is exactly the homely feeling I tried to explain above.
This was our pairing wine while at the Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia and it was of excellent quality. We paired our fish dishes, salads and appetiezers with the white one, and for dishes with meat we had the red one which I enjoyed more I can confess.
Everything we had was nicely presented. I still remember the Risotto & Pasta. Go for it… I am sure you will love it. I had it on both nights.
I loved the Fish Fillet with boiled greens. We also had Roasted mushrooms presented with grilled bread, sweet & sour vinaigrette and truffle oil. I had this choice the second evening as well. One of the two evenings we tried the Traditional bean soup (Paradosiaki Fasolada) which was also good.
Dessert
We had two choices. The Chef recommended the Apple Pie -scented barley rusk, with soft white cheese & vanilla sauce. Nice presentation but way too sweet for my taste. Anyone with sweet tooth will love this dessert. My husband loved it! Finally I had the Walnut Pie, served with Madagascar vanilla ice cream. I found it a bit lighter and tasty too. It pays to give it a try!
Verdict
We loved every minute of our stay here even if we had the smallest room ever! The overall levels of service was beyond excellent and the business is indeed a labor of love. Artemis, Vaso, Maria, Stelios, Niko, Thodoris, Aliki and anyone else that I might have missed….you are all great guys. Keep the good work up! I would highly recommend Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia for the homely feeling, the healthy food options and of course for a guaranteed peaceful night’s sleep.
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Disclaimer: I was a guest at the Coco-Mat Hotel Nafsika Kifissia during this stay, but the opinions expressed in this article are, as always my own.
Incidentally, stayed here with a friend two years ago and felt like home!
I am glad you enjoyed your stay Maria.
I have to thank you for your comment and feel free to contact me in case you need more info.