Former sponge factory on Greek island of Hydra turned cozy boutique hotel

Bratsera / Hydra / Greece

Throw a stone when in Greece and you will hit at least 5 white-washed, minimalist-styled boutique hotels. And don’t get me wrong, many of them are great. But I must say, since I am drawn to the unique, that I often look for hotels that stand out. And this one, Bratsera on the island of Hydra, really does.

Bratsera opened in 1992 and is the work of architect Dimitris Papacharalampous. He was enlisted by his friend and owner of the property, Christina Nevrou, to transform the factory to a charming boutique hotel. He didn’t want to create yet another of those atypical Greek, white-washed minimalist hotels, that I referred to above, but rather something unique, a hotel that is connected to the site and local heritage. Today Papacharalampous is actually the owner of the hotel he was once part of creating.

The hotel is named after the type of ship that the local sponge fishers used to sail across the Mediterranean in the 19th century and it is located a short walk from the Hydra harbor, on one of the cobblestone streets. The hotel is housed in the old factory where the sponges were processed.

Today Bratsera is a calm and cozy boutique hotel, centered around a leafy courtyard where you’ll find one of the few pools on the island. Many of the building’s 18th century features have been preserved in the restoration, like the original tiles and the exposed wood. I also really like that the doors are made up of old containers that sponges used to be transported in.

The island of Hydra is different to most other Greek islands, there are no cars (ok, there is an ambulance, a fire truck and a garbage truck but that is it) and not those classic beaches with rows of sunbeds and umbrellas. A more rugged island where you can dive from cliffs and hike the hills. And enjoy the great local cuisine, of course.

Ready to board the boat to Hydra. There are no cars on the island so the only way to get there is with passengers boats.

Welcome to Bratsera! The hotel is located a couple of hundred meters from the harbor.

The life as former factory is visible in the reception/lounge area.

The design is non-typically Greek in the sense that it is not your run of the mill white-washed, minimalist look but more rustic.

M’s favorite place, the window sill of the bathroom, with a lime tree within an arm’s reach.

My favorite feature of the hotel is the leafy courtyard

Ready to leave the hotel and explore the island

Just down the street from the hotel there is a great coffee place if you like us are desperate for good coffee. It is called the Lime Tree.

M is swimming off the cliffs just outside the main village of the island.

There is a great pitta place, really close to the hotel which is super popular, especially among the locals. It is called *…and onion!* and is well worth a visit.

Morning has arrived and we started our days with a dip in the sea…

…before returning to the hotel for breakfast.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…want to stay at a cozy boutique hotel with an authentic vibe (that does not have that over exposed white-washed Greek, minimalist look) and a lot of heritage, you will have a good time at Bratsera.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the courtyard. Even though we stayed her during shoulder season, Hydra is still busy (and it is easy to understand why). So it was so nice to come back to the hotel and relax in the leafy courtyard before heading back out again.

What not to miss when staying here…

…if you like us, take your coffee seriously, there is a good coffee place 100 meters down the street from the hotel. It is called Lemon Tree and they know their stuff. Right next door there is a great pitta place, “….and onion!”, which was always packed with locals (and some visitors like us). It is well worth a visit.

If you like this hotel you might also like:

Casa Modesta / Olhão, Algarve, Portugal

Rantapuisto / Helsinki, Finland

Masseria Cimino / Fasano, Puglia, Italy

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