Once upon a time… two childhood friends were dreaming to develop an accommodation establishment in Kavala, that would be based on human values, respecting the locality, its people and their civilization. That dream come true for George and Dimitris in 2018 with the development of ‘The Anthemion House’. George studied Marketing and Management and successfully completed his MBA, while the last years he is senior manager in one of the largest companies in Northern Greece. Dimitris also studied Business Administration with a specialization in Tourism Management. During his studies in the UK Dimitris met his wife Matina, with whom they share not only their love for travelling but also a vision for sustainable tourism development. The three, now, friends perceived the three-store neoclassical house of Tsimino family – a building with stunning architecture and great history – as a great opportunity to realize their dream. Soon after the renovation stage was over, Maria, a very hospitable and friendly personality, joined the team due to her strong track record in managing small hotels. The team expanded to incorporate three more friends: Vicky, Athina and Vangelis. All of them, through different career paths, have accumulated tons of experience in customer service, while they love working with people and are notable for their smile, warmth and kindness.
ABOUT
FEW WORDS ABOUT THE ANTHEMION HOUSEWHO IS WHO
HISTORICAL BUILDING
You can book your room online at anthemionhouse.com
LET’S GO BACK TO 1927
Where all started
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING
Anthemion is housed in a restored, neoclassical building of 1927 originally built by the Jewish tobacco merchant Aaron Tsimino in order to accommodate the needs of his family. The first two floors (ground floor and 1st floor) were built first, but later on a third floor was added to serve its owner’s need for ‘sea view’, which was the case at that time but unfortunately not anymore! The house was strategically located, giving the Tsimino family quick access to their Tobacco warehouse, thus allowing them to monitor their business at all times.
Tsimino family was one of the most prestigious and well respected families in Kavala not only in that era but also later on. They were very active entrepreneurs and have also developed and maintained, in particular Aaron’s son, Sabetai Tsimino, strong linkages to the Jewish community. Kavala’s Jewish community has been one of the largest ones in Greece till World War II, while after the War was over, its few Jewish members that survived attempted to relive it.
ARCHITECTURE
The Anthemion House has been fully renovated to reflect its architectural heritage and original details of the 1920s building, while imbuing a fresh breath of contemporary sophistication. We have kept the house’s original walls, adopting the seven rooms layout to the existing floor plans. The flooring on all three floors was replaced with natural oak laminate and geometric cement tiles.
The architects chose two shades of blue and green, both in communal spaces and in the rooms creating colored sections in each space, highlighting either the ceiling, or one side of each room. With this technique, they managed to keep the design impact to the minimum, with no superfluous decorative elements, emphasizing to the building itself. The original doors of the building were restored and used as the guest room doors, while new metal ones with bespoke brass and white knobs were designed for the communal spaces and each of the seven bathrooms.
