Athens hotel plans to appeal Acropolis view ruling

Greece's highest court has recently ruled that Coco-Mat Athens BC, a hotel located at the base of the Acropolis in Koukaki, must demolish its two top floors due to obstruction of the view of the Acropolis, according to a report from Greek City Times. The court has granted the hotel a three-month timeframe to plan and execute the necessary renovations in order to comply with the ruling.

The controversy surrounding Coco-Mat Athens BC began in 2019 when it was discovered that the hotel had exceeded the maximum building height of 24 meters in the area, along with another construction project. This revelation sparked public outrage as the hotel is situated within the archaeological area of the UNESCO heritage site.

Consequently, the environment and culture ministries launched an investigation into the zoning laws in Athens, acknowledging that the impact on the Acropolis extends beyond a mere architectural concern and affects the broader civilization. As reported by Greek City Times, Greek culture minister Lina Mendoni emphasized that the Acropolis is not solely a monument but also a symbol.

The hotel's owning company, Ble Kedros, has incurred fines totaling 4.7 million euros for the construction of the top floors and an additional 2.3 million euros for the delays in demolishing them. The latter fine will be renewed on an annual basis until the demolitions are completed.

Despite initially obtaining approval from the Athens Municipality, Coco-Mat Athens BC has had its license revoked, and the Tourism Ministry will not reinstate it until the court's order is implemented. However, Ble Kedros intends to challenge the court ruling and the Ministry's decision through an appeal. As a result, the process of demolishing and reducing the number of floors from ten to eight has not yet commenced.