Camara Suites Andros Boutique Hotel

In 1926, the heirs, the three children of then owner Kleanthis Bistis, sold the house to ship-owner Matthaios Koutsoukos from Stenies. Following restoration and a refurbishment with furniture mostly shipped from abroad, the house was occupied by the owner and his family, his wife Helen Peters from Swansea, Wales, his daughter Annezio, later married to physician Petros Kairis and Louisa, married to General Ioannis Tsatsómiros. In 1943, during the German naval bombardment, the “Inner Castle” and all mansions of the Embirikos family at the Unknown Sailor’s square, as is known today, as well as the south side of the house overlooking the sea were destroyed.

The family repaired the house following the return of ship captain and owner Matthaios Koutsoukos, who had been cut off outside of Greece and had also taken part in several ship convoys as ship captain of the Merchant Navy. In one of those convoys he had rescued survivors of a sunken English submarine and for this rescue he was decorated by the English admiralty.

In the wood beams supporting the roof (cypress wood shipped from abroad), three holes made by shells during that bombardment are still visible.

During the bombardment by the Germans, the ground floor of the house served as refuge, providing shelter to most residents of the Camara neighborhood, due to its sturdy construction.

The house was passed on to Louiza Koutsoukou – Tsatsomirou, daughter of Matthaios Koutsoukos, and then to her granddaughter, Louiza Diapouli, who, along with her husband, Dimitrios Stogioglou, undertook its restoration.