Stay, eat, work, meet… Α new hospitality concept made its debut in the center of Athens, in the charming neighbourhood of Koukaki. In the beautiful mansion where the brand-new Cohort Koukaki is situated, Danai Ιbrahim introduceδ us to its philosophy…
WHO IS WHO?
Danai Ibrahim is the Head of Growth & Marketing. She has been with Cohort since 2021. She is also head of the community, experiences and events of Cohort.
Shortly share with us Cohort’s philosophy. What makes it distinguish from the rest small hotels in Athens? Which are the three qualities of USP in your perspective? Is there a weak point?
Cohort is a lifestyle hotel brand that infuses the spirit of openness, togetherness, and flexible living, into the world of hospitality. We are different because we embraced a new concept in hospitality often referred to as hybrid hospitality. The concept is still new but is being adopted. Our three qualities of USP:
1. A place to work, eat and stay
2. Community driven – cohort is a place where local and travelers can meet, socialize and build relationships.
3. Lifestyle experience
Why did you chose Greece to launch the first Cohort?
Greece is a tourist hub and where better to test our concept than a place with high demand for stays? It started off with a real estate opportunity that brought us to Greece but when we looked into the market further, we discovered that the real opportunity is in small boutique hotels which are highly fragmented and need to be modernize and upgraded and where saw plenty of potential.
Which is the travellers’ target group of Cohort?
We target the modern traveler, the millennial that is always on the go trying to find a balance between work and experiences. We target the remote workers looking to be based in a city for a weeks to months who need accommodation that provides all that they are looking for from services, work spaces, comfort, experience, design but most importantly a sense of belonging. Our target audience range between the 28 yrs – 48 yrs old. We also target couples and families who can’t disconnect from work but are also looking for a balanced trip.
Cohort in relation to the local community. What would you say is your vision about Koukaki neighbourhood?
Coming into the Koukaki neighborhood, we were blessed with a gracious welcome from all our surrounding neighbors. We connected with most of the local shops in the area and have on-going collaborations with some. It is our aim to create a positive impact in the community through our partnerships and collaborations. One of the projects that we are working to launch soon is our Neighborhood Recycling Initiative, where we will partner with the cafes and restaurants in Koukaki to recycle our plastic and other waste. At Cohort, we believe in local integration everywhere we go.
How did you choose Koukaki? Which is the next ideal Athenian neighbourhood for a new Cohort?
We chose Koukaki based on the opportunity we had but also feel very lucky to have our first Cohort in this very charming neighborhood. The location is ideal for both tourists and business travelers who want to be very close to the acropolis but still in a quieter area away from the hustle and bustle of the historical center. The neighborhood is also becoming a home for our target customer… Psiri, Monastiraki or Pangrati would be good neighborhoods for the next Cohort.
Are coworking spaces just a trend on account of remote workers or it will prevail? How did you decide to make such a space available and how people are taking it in so far? Besides guests, do also Athenians in seak of a creative working environment visit it?
Co-working spaces will prevail in locations that offer more, such as hotels, serviced apartments, event spaces and more. As a standalone they will prevail as office spaces only. After much research on human behavior and trends, we noticed that most remote workers enjoy working in different settings, and so they keep changing their work environment. That is why we decided to go with the concept of a co-working café instead of a stand-alone co-working space to offer the best of both worlds for our guests and locals.
THIS IS ATHEN’S MOST ECO FRIENDLY HOTEL.
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Eco friendly. What are the actions you have taken and in what degree do your customers appreciate them? How expensive is it to be environmentally friendly?
Hotels contribute tremendously to waste consumption and we aim to change that in every one of our properties. For starters, we strive to eliminate single use plastic, this is why we only use dispensers in our bathrooms. All our products are eco-friendly, starting with our toilet paper and tissues in the rooms which are made from 100% sustainable bamboo. Our toiletries are all eco-friendly and sourced locally in Greece. We do not use plastic water bottles and provide our guests only with carton water bottles. We also have pencils in our rooms and spaces that are plantable with different seeds. All rooms are equipped with biodegradable coffee capsules for those who enjoy a kick of morning coffee. Of course, every room has a recycling bin to encourage guests to recycle.
These are just the tiny steps we are applying to decrease our waste consumption and our impact on the planet. We have further plans in the pipeline that we are excited to share when we kick off.
Cohort belongs to the minority of pet friendly hotels in Athens. Are there customers that choose it especially for that reason? Which difficulties do you come across?
This is one of our best-selling points for guests! Our furry friends are family and as part of creating a flexible space for our guests we want to ensure that they are comfortable and feel supported with all their needs. We have had many guests come in with their pet dogs and have enjoyed every part of their stay. We communicate our pet policy clearly online and have not faced any difficulties with our guests and their pets. We also have regulars that come in and choose Cohort because it is pet-friendly. We provide a dog bed, two bowls, treats and waste bags during the dog’s stay.
“We target the modern traveler, the millennial that is always on the go trying to find a balance between work and experiences.”
To what extend do your customers use Cohort app in regard to the several services you offer?
Most of our guests download the app as it is a tool to enhance their stay with us. Through the app guests can check-in before arrival and not worry about a thing. Their access codes are provided on the app, along with many other services such as concierge services, maintenance issues, food orders, wellness services and experiences.
It does take time for guests to adapt to the use of the App but we have seen an increase in app usage and positive feedback from guests.
Although Cohort does not maintain a restaurant, a spa etc., it has managed to offer all these services to its guests via collaborations. Is this, in your opinion, a success story that can be achieved by other small hotels? How hard is it to locate the right partners?
Kre8tive café is our co-working café where one can enjoy a cup of coffee, a slice of pie, a wholesome bowl or even unwind to some drinks. Just like most cafes today, people like to come in and work and be surrounded by others. It is important to offer such a setting for remote workers specifically to stay productive and encourage connections.
In addition to Kre8tive, we have teamed up with local partners in the neighborhood to be part our ecosystem and offer guests different F&B options to order from through the app. We also partnered with local wellness and experience providers to offer spa and gym services and excursions. These partnerships have helped us tremendously bring a twist to small hotel experiences by creating an upscale experience while keeping our operations at a minimal with the help of experts in different industries.
Cohort in relation to Art…
We collaborate with local artists to promote their artwork in our space. One of our biggest pieces is our mural wall in Kre8tive café that was curated by Vasilis ‘Bilos’ Manthopoulos. We also collaborated with George Xipaki on the launch of his work in an open house exhibition and have his pieces up in our guest rooms. In addition, we provide exposure to the artists in our spaces and on our app in order for guests to buy prints of the art while in the comfort of their room. This approach falls in line with our concept of localization and how important it is to connect with the local community and partner together to make magic happen!
Cohort has already garnered very good reviews in the first year. How do you address the contingency of a not so good review?
We have been blessed with great reviews in our first year of operations and of course we do come across some reviews that fall below our standards. We understand that things could go wrong along the way but as long as we take in the feedback and work on improving and developing our hotel we are always on the right track. It is always good to listen to our guests sharing their experiences and if we can improve on things, we are all for it.
What is the first thing that would make you book a hotel room?
It’s a mix of location and price. We all want to stay in hotels that are in the center and walking distance to places but at the same time need to be mindful of our budget and the type of trip you are considering with the budget you have. It also depends on who you are traveling with, which sort of guides your decision making process in the type of hotel you want to stay in.
Which is in your estimation the next trend in hospitality?
We believe the next big trend is Hybrid Hospitality. Hybrid hospitality blends different types of hospitality concepts like F&B, co-working, wellness and community under one ecosystem. Hybrids are dynamic, using multi-functional spaces to create a unique guest experience.
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT COHORT TAP HERE
INTERVIEW BY TITI VELOPOULOU
