One year after opening in the heart of Athens’ vibrant Psiri district, Okupa enters a new chapter, following a first year shaped by local recognition and word-of-mouth cult
following among the city’s creative community. A next-generation expression of Athenian hospitality, Okupa was conceived for the modern traveller seeking an alternative to conventional boutique hospitality. Created not for a specific demographic but for those with a shared sensibility, Okupa reflects a more fluid, contemporary way of experiencing Athens — one where design, gastronomy, culture, music, and people coexist within a single urban setting.
Set within a former industrial building layered with archaeological remains, Okupa exists at a site where past and present sit in constant dialogue. The name derives from the Spanish word ocupar — meaning “to occupy” — reflecting the founders’ intention to create a space activated by openness, exchange and shared experience. Founded by entrepreneurs Georges Batrouni and Hrag Darakjian – professionals from distinct yet complementary backgrounds and united by a shared commitment to hospitality as a vehicle for cultural exchange – the concept has evolved over its first year into a meeting point for international guests, local creatives, and culturally curious travellers drawn to a more lived-in expression of Athens.
Okupa comprises 32 rooms conceived as contemporary urban retreats, where warm, earthy tones and expressive accents create an atmosphere that feels calm yet connected to the surrounding city. Private rooms feature premium bedding, integrated projectors and Roberts radio speakers, with select categories offering terraces or views towards the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill. Alongside private accommodation, the hotel also offers elevated shared rooms designed for larger groups and solo travellers seeking connection without compromising comfort or design, featuring refined bunk-bed configurations that offer a more considered alternative to conventional formats while maintaining the same material quality and aesthetic coherence found throughout the property.
Okupa Kitchen & Listening Bar
Central to the Okupa concept is its Kitchen & Listening Bar, which plays a defining role in shaping the hotel’s atmosphere. Operating across three distinct daily menus, the restaurant evolves from a relaxed daytime setting to a convivial evening gathering point guided by curated vinyl sessions by local and international music selectors.
At Okupa Kitchen & Listening Bar, the culinary offering flows seamlessly throughout the day, shaped by the changing needs of its guests. The approach is grounded in a simple idea: how the experience can evolve throughout the day while maintaining a clear and consistent identity. Operating from morning through late night, the space brings together breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, drinks, and music under one direction — built on seasonality, local sourcing, and a clean, ingredient-led approach. A Mediterranean base runs throughout, layered with a distinct Levantine influence that shapes both technique and flavour.
During the day, the menu focuses on lighter, nourishing dishes designed with balance and clarity in mind. By evening, the format shifts into a more vibrant, sharing-led experience, where dishes are designed to be enjoyed across the table, between sips and conversation. Plates are built around strong, recognisable flavours, always centred on the main ingredient. Elements such as tahini, spices and condiments are used to support and elevate, never to overpower. The result is food that feels direct, expressive and easy to understand at first glance.
Among the menu’s highlights, the muhammara toast with smoked mackerel brings together charred sourdough, a rich dip of Florina peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses, topped with blowtorched Aegean smoked mackerel — a dish that opens the table and sets the tone. Alongside it, the shrimp saganaki fatayer revisits a familiar Greek flavour in a more playful form, combining shrimp, feta and a lightly spiced tomato sauce in a parcel, served with saffron aioli.
The cocktail list follows the same approach, built around seasonal ingredients and a clear understanding of each spirit and its pairings. Each signature drink starts from a classic reference point, reworked with a subtle Okupa touch.
Music plays an equally central role. Carefully curated throughout the day, the sound shifts in pace and tone as the space moves into the evening, with eclectic, groove-led selections shaping the atmosphere. As the night unfolds, the space leans further into its listening bar identity, with the Japanese-inspired audiophile corner, vinyl-led DJ sets and subtle shifts in lighting creating an environment that feels intimate yet informal, reinforcing Okupa’s identity as both a restaurant and a cultural space. “We’ve always believed that hospitality lives in the details, but only works when in harmony — food, drinks, service, atmosphere and music, all coming together in a way that feels natural, yet stays with you”, explains co-founder Hrag Darakjian.
A Living Platform for Community and Culture
Operating as a continuously evolving platform, Okupa’s programming is organic, shaped by collaborations with local creatives and cultural collectives. From wellness sessions and movement practices in the Basement to culture-led happenings including workshops, art exhibitions and social dining events, the calendar reflects a commitment to fostering genuine community engagement.
Beyond the bedrooms, Okupa unfolds through a series of interconnected communal spaces designed to encourage both interaction and ease. At lower ground level, the Basement, a multipurpose cultural space, hosts supper clubs, private gatherings, screenings, wellness and movement practices, including yoga, barre à terre and sound healing sessions, with preserved archaeological findings, left visible, adding a raw character to the space. At the mezzanine level, the Library (below) and co-working area, furnished by hand-picked vintage items, offer soundproof phone booths, a quiet enclosed meeting room and curated multilingual reading corners, creating a comfortable yet productive environment open to both guests and local residents.
At ground level, a sunlit courtyard extends the social rhythm outdoors, serving as an alternative workspace, a relaxed lunch setting, and an occasional venue for culture-led activations, while above, a seasonal rooftop pool offers hotel guests 360-degree views across the Athenian urban skyline towards the Acropolis. The Kitchen & Listening Bar forms the social heart of the property, moving from daytime dining to vinyl-led evenings, while a concept boutique shop adjacent to the reception features handcrafted objects by local makers, a selection of handpicked records, and branded items that reinforce the hotel’s close relationship with Athens’ creative scene.
Architecture and Spatial Continuity
Housed within a former industrial warehouse, Okupa builds on a structure originally defined by open-plan floors and a utilitarian ground-level garage. Defined originally by open-plan floors and a utilitarian garage at ground level, the structure has undergone extensive structural reinforcement and architectural intervention led by Andrea Zoumbouli of Remy Architects, with interiors by designer Nohad Bouez and co-founder Georges Batrouni.
The architectural design of Okupa reflects the project’s wider philosophy: a space conceived for culturally curious travellers — from digital nomads and creatives to leisure guests drawn to community, authenticity, design and meaningful encounters. Here, locals and travellers naturally cross paths, sharing the space in a way that feels easy and unforced. Set within a building whose original architecture carries a distinctly modern 1970s character, the interiors create a deliberate dialogue between eras, preserving the raw textures of the property’s industrial past while introducing warmth through natural materials, earthy tones and carefully placed, contrasting pops of colour. Vintage and contemporary pieces coexist throughout, shaping a layered visual language rooted in modernist restraint yet softened by personality and ease. Iconic works by designers including Marcel Breuer, Osvaldo Borsani and Mies van der Rohe sit alongside more contemporary additions sourced through international vintage auctions, creating interiors that feel collected rather than composed — expressive, tactile and quietly reflective of Athens itself. “For us, hospitality is an artisanal practice. It’s about creating spaces that feel lived-in and genuine, where every detail – from music to food to conversation – is curated with care, not manufactured”, adds cofounder Georges Batrouni.
Okupa opened in November 2024, and is located at Psaromiligkou 9, Athens 105 53
For more information about Okupa, please visit: www.okupa.com
About Okupa:
Okupa is an alternative to traditional Athenian hospitality, conceived for the modern, multicultural traveller seeking a place to connect, unwind and be inspired. More than a hotel, Okupa is an urban cultural hub — a platform for networking, creativity and communal exchange — rooted in the belief that spaces can bring people together across borders. Drawing on the Spanish word ocupar (“to occupy”), Okupa reimagines how space is used, creating meaningful intersections between locals and travellers through music, art, food and culture.
Set within a multipurpose building that houses ancient Hellenic tombs, Okupa offers a rich programme of events spanning supper clubs, cultural gatherings, wellness and movement sessions, workshops and screenings, alongside thoughtfully designed co-working areas, reading corners, a garden and a rooftop overlooking the Acropolis. The social heart of the hotel is Okupa Kitchen & Listening Bar — a day-to-night restaurant and audiophile listening space serving seasonal Mediterranean cuisine with subtle Levantine accents, natural wines and cocktails, all set to carefully curated vinyl soundtracks. Designed by Andrea Zoumboulis of REMY Architects and by Nohad Boueiz, the interiors blend mid-century design icons with commissioned works by local artists, reflecting the collective identity behind the project.
Founded by Georges Batrouni and Hrag Darakjian, who bring over 25 years of combined hospitality experience across London, Athens, Paris and Beirut, Okupa represents a new generation of design-led, culturally attuned urban hospitality in the heart of Athens.
