The Koukaki area of Athens was outside the city’s southern walls during ancient times, and was mostly an area of workshops and burial grounds with scattered housing. Various construction projects over the centuries revealed ruins and artifacts in the area. One of these projects was the construction of a hotel by the Coco-Mat company, which revealed layered ruins on the edge of the city’s ancient fortification walls.

Greek Archaeological authorities determined the upper layer of the ruins were part of a Roman villa and was dated back to the 1st-century CE. The lower layer of ruins were determined to be part of a ceramic workshop dated back to the 5th-century BCE.

Greek laws protecting archaeological sites and artifacts are strict, requiring the ruins to be protected and made available for display to the public. A  construction plan was developed so the ruins would be on display in the main hotel lobby and were protected with a secure perimeter and partial glass flooring.

Due to these ruins being on display, the owner of the hotel decided to add a “B.C.” to the hotel name, hence the hotel being named the “Coco-Mat B.C.