Lock on the Coco-mat Hotel that hides the Acropolis

The Attica Regional Tourism Department continues to suspend the operation of the “COCO MAT ATHENS BC” hotel.

The decision of the Ministry of Tourism was taken after the partial cancellation of the hotel building permit – by decision of the State Council.

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After informing the Ministry of Tourism and specifically the Competent Tourist Accommodation Control Service in Attica (Regional Tourism Department of Attica) by Paredros of the Council of State, regarding No. 15/2023 minutes of the Tripartite Compliance Council, the service will immediately initiate the legal procedures for the closure of the “COCO MAT ATHENS BC” hotel, due to the partial revocation of the building permit (paragraph 8 of the minutes of the Council mentioned above by the Ministers).

It should be noted that in the case in question, the Ministry of Tourism also acted in a timely manner in the past, investigating with a relevant document to the YDOM of the Municipality of Athens, whether the building permit of the residence in question had been revoked. As a result, she complied with the minutes of meeting No. 11/2022 from the Center of Excellence, but she did not receive any answer.

In addition, with a document dated 4/21/2023, the competent Regional Tourism Department of Attica sent an invitation to the hotel to provide clarifications in order to investigate the reasons for the lack of change in the notification details of the tourist stay in the notification of the Business Information System after the change in Building Permit No. 15 /2017, and the relevant explanations for its operation have been provided.

It is clear that the relevant departments of the Ministry of Tourism moved from the first moment on the spot to investigate the legal operation of the hotel, as required of them by the current legislation.

refuge, sanctuary

It is noteworthy that the sources of Blue Kidros, in their interview with Orascom Telecom, said that they will not stand idly by and are in the process of filing an appeal with the relevant authorities. Specifically, appeals will be submitted first to SYPOTHA (Council for Urban Planning Issues and Disputes) and then, if necessary, they will be directed to the competent administrative courts.

Supreme Court decision

The new decision was issued by the Supreme Committee, which refers to the case as it finds delays in implementing the original decision and addresses the Municipality of Athens and the Ministry of Tourism, calling on them to do the following:

• The first to arrange the immediate demolition of the last two floors of the hotel at 5 Valero Street, which were deemed illegal within a certain period (the preparation of the necessary demolition studies must be completed within three months). In this context, the Supreme Court also appoints an authorized judge from the Council of Europe, who will monitor the compliance process.
• The second requirement is to proceed with the cancellation of the operating license so that there is full compliance of the business with the decisions of the court.

According to Blue Cedars’ sources, the appeal is being prepared by the company’s legal department and it is only a matter of time before it is submitted for consideration. Which will likely happen within the next week. The same sources seem modestly optimistic, noting that the company has already succeeded in suspending the payment of the two fines, amounting to about 6 million euros, that were imposed until the trial of the main case at the end of this year.

It is noteworthy that the planning of the city of Athens imposed two fines on Ply Kidros for the hotel unit at 5 Faliro Street in the Makrigani area of ​​the Acropolis.

• The first in the amount of 4.7 million euros relates to the construction of the upper floors of the hotel at 5 avenue Valero and the second in the amount of 2.3 million euros for their maintenance.
• The latter, in fact, is expected to be re-enforced each year so that illegal buildings are not demolished.

How did we get here?

It all started in the not so distant 2015. When the Blue Cedar company of the Eumorphidis brothers, owner of Coco-mat Hotels, located and purchased a plot of land in the Makrygianni area, with the aim of creating an ultra-luxury hotel unit.

Almost immediately he submits an application to the Athens City Planning Office for the issuance of a permit to build a 33-meter-long hotel, based on the building regulations in force at the time. One year later (2016) the permit is issued for the construction of a new ten-storey hotel building and construction work begins.

first call

In May 2017, while the project was in the experimental phase (on the third floor), work stopped, after an appeal by a resident of the area against the project and the issuance of a temporary order by the three-member Administrative Court of Appeal in Athens.

The latter halts all construction activities until the matter is decided. One year later (2018), the three-member Administrative Court of Appeal in Athens rejected the appeal and gave a “green light” to complete the project.

It was preceded, a year earlier, by the Attica District Town Planning Board, which similarly ruled the building’s height to be legal and NOK compliant.

In 2019, while the construction of the building has been completed and the hotel is ready for operation, the residents of the adjacent apartment building bring the issue to the plenary session of the Council of Ministers with express procedures, along with another tourism investment launched by another company. On Misaraliotou Street in the same area.

Specifically, through the citizens’ movement “Acropolis-Makrygiannis SOS” as well as the Greek Society for Environment and Culture (ELLET) petitioned before the Council of State (with cat. no. 943/2019) to cancel all building permits (initial and review, as well as corresponding building approvals).

A few months later, the Plenary of the Council of Europe annulled the revision of the original building permit requested by the company (the revision concerned changes to the facades and interior layouts) but rejected it as outdated and did not take into account the residents’ request. Against the original building permit of 2017. Meanwhile, the hotel has been welcoming guests since May 2019.

Party on … social media

Meanwhile, it’s a regular social media binge. The keyboards are blazing and the feedback is give and take, of the “10 floors hid the acropolis…” style and many more. Of course, there are also reports in the press, following up and dealing with the case, which gives more publicity to the case.

The public debate has opened up forever, and everyone is now talking about the building’s disputed height and how it hides the sacred rock, while it has even become an issue in the international media in the past.

In fact, then Minister of the Environment George Stathakis, under pressure of backlash, suspended the issuance of building permits for one year – which has been extended – in relation to buildings over 17.5 meters in height in the Makrigani-Kukaki area.

Protection of the Acropolis

And we come to July 2020, when the Ministry of Culture decided to reduce the height of the building for reasons of protecting the Acropolis. A decision that appears to be the “fuse” of the ensuing developments.

In 2021, residents of the area petitioned the administration for compliance with a 2019 Council of Europe decision that was discussed in the relevant compliance board of the court on May 23, 2022. They then asked the Municipality of Athens YDOM to revoke the permit and approve the construction.

The order issued to the Municipality of Athens to demolish …

In March 2022, 6 years after the hotel’s construction permit was issued, a presidential decree was issued allowing new permits up to only 21 meters in the area.

And we get to the end of November 2022, when the three-member CoE Compliance Council comes to cancel everything… The building, the Municipality of Athens that issued it, has to cancel it and give it three months to proceed with the demolition of the last two floors and the roof of the hotel.

The Council even calls on the Department of Urban Planning to act repressively and cancel building permits, regardless of how long ago they were granted and regardless of the real situation that has arisen in the meantime, if the KAS and subsequently the Minister of Culture deem that the Acropolis monument is being damaged.

At the beginning of December and after the decision of the State Council Compliance Committee, the city of Athens imposed two heavy fines on the company: one in the amount of 4.7 million euros for the construction of the last floors of the hotel and a second in the amount of 2.3 million euros for its maintenance. The latter, in fact, is expected to be re-enforced each year so that illegal buildings are not demolished.

source: extra time