Turning the poshtel trend on its head, instead of opening a boutique hotel that incorporates some of the laid-back hostel attitude, Dimosthenis Misentzis and Epaminondas Skorpideas opened a hostel with boutique hotel DNA. City Circus is housed in a 4-storey 19th Century mansion, re-imagined as a modern traveller’s inn. Forget about the drunk-teenagers-on-their-year-abroad vibe, associated with hostel culture all over the world. This is a stylish, cost-effective option for globetrotters on a budget, who are no less poised and adventurous than their more affluent counterparts.
Photo © Costas Voyatzis.
The idea first took hold when the owners decided to leave their corporate jobs in favor of more inspiring pursuits. Skorpideas had just returned from a trip to South America and the two of them were roaming around the city center indulging in their favorite hobby, photography, when they realized hostels were sorely missing from the hospitality landscape. After an intensive search for a downtown location with old world charm, they landed on a disused neoclassical building that would eventually become their own private universe. City Circus offers a variety of room types, ranging from dormitories to a number of private options, and it’s connected to Zampanó, the hostel’s next-door restaurant that also functions as a stand-alone bistro and wine bar, via the attic. The common use areas feature breathtakingly restored fresco-ed ceilings, wrought-iron balconies and baroque tiles that blend beautifully with the eclectic interiors, thoughtfully decorated by Misentzis himself. Vintage bric-a-brac, set off by contemporary design elements - combined together - conjure up a Jules Vernesque atmosphere that would inspire anyone to go around the world in 80 days!
Photo © George Kroustallis.
Photo © Costas Voyatzis.
Photo © George Kroustallis.
