Greece’s Council of State has imposed another €20,000 fine on the Ministry of Finance for failing to demolish the top floors of the controversial Coco-Mat hotel near the Acropolis.
The latest penalty concerns the hotel’s final two floors and rooftop structure, which exceed the legally permitted height in Makrygianni’s designated archaeological zone. The building stands approximately 33 metres high, compared with the permitted 24 metres.
The Council of State has now issued three financial penalties over the authorities’ failure to fully comply with its landmark 2019 ruling. The latest decision, issued by the court’s three-member Compliance Council, found that the administration had not yet fully implemented the ruling, despite progress towards the demolition.
The original 2019 ruling cancelled the building permit for the 10-storey hotel, which also includes three underground levels, a planted rooftop and an uncovered swimming pool.
The court noted that approximately seven years have passed since the ruling, while about five years have passed since compliance proceedings began. Two previous penalties had already been imposed, including a €10,000 fine issued in April 2026. Neither has yet been paid to the citizens who brought the proceedings.
Citing the need to protect the monuments of the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the surrounding environment, the court ordered the administration to pay the additional €20,000. If the Ministry of Finance fails to pay, responsibility will pass to the Decentralised Administration of Attica.
The case continues to highlight the long-running dispute over the hotel’s height and its impact on the protected landscape surrounding the Acropolis, one of Greece’s most important archaeological and cultural sites.
