Best Places To Sleep In Athens
InnAthens (£)
On the west side of the National Garden, InnAthens is a comfortable, pared-back hotel in an excellent location. Though the big sights are on tap, the property is in a quiet spot. Built around a statement neoclassical atrium, its rooms span compact Classic options to spacious suites that come in at twice the size.
Visit INNATHENS.COM
Athens Was (£)
Tucked between the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens Was has ancient sites and modern pleasures close by – the upscale Kolonaki neighbourhood is a short walk away. Alongside 21 walnut-walled rooms and suites, this comfortable boutique hotel has a rooftop restaurant with Acropolis views.
Visit ATHENSWAS.GR
Elliot’s Apartments (£)
Exarcheia is one of the city’s most interesting neighbourhoods right now. Good things are happening here, and Elliot’s is a great base for exploring. Spread across six floors, it has nine well-designed apartments with an array of patios, balconies and terraces.
Visit STAYWITHELLIOT.COM
Monument (££)
With a charming doorman and a gorgeous wood-panelled entrance hall, the Monument makes a wonderful first impression. And its level never drops: service throughout is as lovely as the décor at this diminutive beauty. Designed by the great architect Ernst Zillers, Monument’s 19th-century townhouse in Psirri has been handsomely restored to showcase gorgeous features like the lobby’s painted ceiling. Choose a room with a terrace and you can have breakfast outside, overlooking a leafy square with a church at one end. Or you might prefer the attic space with its own jacuzzi. The hotel also has a small basement spa, where guests can book complimentary sauna sessions.
Visit MONUMENTHOTELATHENS.COM
Mona (££)
The side streets around Mona might be scruffy, but they have a sense of possibility that this taste-making hotel makes good on. Taking over an old textile factory, Mona carries itself discreetly. The building has been stripped back to its bones and built back up with flourishes both antique and contemporary. The vintage furniture is cool, and so are the fresh coffee beans and tight clothing edits you’ll also find in its 20 rooms. You’ll notice other local makers and brands to the fore in public areas, of which the lower-ground lounge is a laid-back spot for breakfast and the roof terrace to cut loose come summer.
Visit MONA-ATHENS.COM
Shila (££)
A tiny older sister to Mona, this Kolonaki hotel fills a 100-year-old mansion with only six suites. Each is designed to both cocoon and transport – to a timeless world of high ceilings, terrazzo floors and simple, seductive elegance. Around and about, the property also has a leafy courtyard, a mellow roof garden and a piano lounge filled with intriguing books. The art on Shila’s walls is worth spending time with too.
Visit SHILA-ATHENS.COM
Ergon House (££)
Close to Syntagma Square, this is the flagship of the Ergon gastronomic group, which also has bakeries and coffee stops around town. The ground floor of Ergon House is a market hall with greengrocer, butcher, fishmonger, roastery and deli. There’s also a bar and restaurant if you can’t wait to try the great Greek produce all around you. The comfortable modern rooms are on the levels above, along with a gym and the breezy Retiré rooftop bar – where there are magnificent Acropolis views and cocktails come paired with flatbreads.
Visit HOUSE.ERGONFOODS.COM
A77 Suites (££)
Well placed in the city’s historic centre, the A77 comprises 12 suites spread across three floors of a high-ceilinged neoclassical building. The suites vary in size but share a palette of soft neutrals that emphasises some handsome period details. In lieu of standard hotel facilities, check-in takes place in the ground-floor fashion boutique. There’s a daily breakfast service and staff who can help with anything else.
Visit A77SUITES.COM
The Modernist (££)
In the tree-lined Kolonaki neighbourhood, the Modernist occupies what used to be the Canadian embassy. Many of its rooms come with balconies, while others can be interconnected for families. Nice touches inside include Marshall speakers, local organic toiletries and black-out blinds, as stylish interiors make good on the hotel’s name. The rooftop bar is a nice spot for a sundowner.
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Perianth (££)
Sitting between the marquee sites of ancient Athens and Psirri with its lively nightlife, the Monastiraki neighbourhood makes an excellent base for a city break. It’s where you’ll find design-led Perianth, filling a landmark 1930s building with 38 rooms and a first-floor Zen Centre for meditation sessions. The wellness offering extends to yoga classes, massages and shiatsu treatments.
Visit PERIANTHHOTEL.COM
Fresh (££)
This colourful design hotel gained an extension by Paola Navone in 2023 – wherever your room is, there’s now a rooftop bar that opens for cocktails each evening. Around and about, there’s a rooftop pool with loungers around it, as well as space on the deck for yoga and tai chi sessions. The basement hides a sauna and high-tech gym.
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New Hotel (££)
A couple of blocks south of Syntagma Square, a minute from the National Garden, there’s no arguing with the central location of the New Hotel. It’s part of the small, design-led YES group, whose name stands for ‘young’, ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘seductive’. We wouldn’t argue with any of that either. Pop art catches the eye at every turn, though it’s the city views that really capture the attention in the seventh-floor Art Lounge. Clever design also helps it squeeze a small gym and spa into its 1960s building. A sister property, Semiramis, uses even bolder design to catch eyes out in the affluent suburb of Kifisia. The group also operates the more conventionally stylish Periscope in Kolonaki.
Visit YESHOTELS.GR
Foundry Suites (££)
In a 1930s building in Psirri, this 12-strong collection of lofts and apartments is united by a mid-century aesthetic made contemporary by some industrial accents. The roof garden has a great view of the Acropolis and a pizza oven that turns out Neapolitan-style pies.
The Dolli (£££)
Right in the middle of the action in Plaka, the Dolli’s crowning glory is it rooftop. So close to the Acropolis, the restaurant’s views are among the best in the city, but the kitchen never loses its own focus, turning out perfectly formed modern luxe dishes. The infinity pool up here is another special spot. On the floors below, there are 46 bright and richly appointed rooms and apartments. The ground-level lobby of this neo-classical mansion also impresses, with sculptural artworks and a refined air that contrasts with the hubbub outside.
Visit THEDOLLI.COM
Hotel Grande Bretagne (£££)
One of Europe’s great old hotels, the 320-room Grande Bretagne has stood tall on the north side of Syntagma Square for more than a century and a half. Down the decades, everyone from Queen Victoria to David Bowie has found out first hand why it’s the place to stay in Athens. From the warm service to the sprawling spa and wonderful Alexander’s Bar, everything remains highly polished today. Take a suite on one of the higher floors and you’ll get your own butler.
Visit MARRIOTT.COM
Xenodocheio Milos (£££)
Perhaps you’ve been to Estiatorio Milos in London – or one of its sister restaurants in Vegas or Dubai or Miami. This is the luxe group’s first hotel. Well placed in the historic centre, it embraces the aesthetic of understated elegance that defines the restaurants – marble and light woods help with the smooth feel. There are 42 rooms, including suites with terraces and fine city views. Food, of course, is a big focus. Chef Costas Spiliadis’s dishes emphasise simplicity and the quality of the ingredients, with seafood a strong suit.
Visit XENODOCHEIOMILOS.COM
Gatsby (£££)
You’ve probably guessed the inspiration for 33-room Gatsby. The whole place exudes an appropriately deco decadence that extends to the chef of in-house restaurant Geco, who has created a special ‘after sex’ menu. For any other time, the kitchen turns out excellent comfort food. As well as a guests-only rooftop, there’s also a gym and treatment suite for more abstemious moments.
Visit GATSBYATHENS.COM
10AM Lofts (£££)
A 1970s warehouse in Gazi now hides four ‘raw luxury’ lofts and a penthouse on its upper floors. Right at the top, the open-plan Penthouse spans two levels. The main bedroom is the star, with its glass walls and spectacular views. Elsewhere, the design edge comes from the presentation of beautiful objets against the rough concrete backdrop of the original building.
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Monsieur Didot (£££)
Monsieur Didot still feels like the family home it once was. There are just six bedrooms in this 19th-century Kolonaki mansion, where period details harmonise with some contemporary flourishes to bring everything up to date. Half a century ago, John Lennon and Yoko One stayed here, and it’s easy to imagine them appreciating the discreet luxury.
Visit MONSIEURDIDOT.COM
AND IF YOU’D RATHER STAY ON THE RIVIERA…
The Margi
Find the right place on the Athens Riviera and you’ll keep the city on tap but return to a coastal retreat each night. Hidden in a pine forest close to the sea near affluent Vouliagmeni, the Margi fits the bill. As well as a range of rooms, it’s got a four-bedroom beachfront villa. To fully immerse yourself in the countryside, the hotel’s organic farm is a short drive away, where guests can have lunch amid the olive trees.
Visit THEMARGI.GR
Four Seasons Astir Palace
The Astir Palace has sparkled on the Riviera ever since Jackie Onassis and the jet set put it on the map in the 1960s. Now in the hands of Four Seasons, it’s added impeccable service to its portfolio of outstanding facilities. Of course there’s a pool, water sports are easily arranged, and there’s a spa looking out across the Aegean. Michelin-starred Pelagos offers tasting menus that showcase the very best of Greek produce.
Visit FOURSEASONS.COM
One&Only Aesthesis
On the site of a starry old beach club, One&Only Aesthesis is right on the waterfront near the high-end suburb of Glyfada. Spa, gym, pools, tennis and padel courts – the luxe resort facilities are all here and all outstanding. Accommodation runs from rooms with views up to bungalows with private pools. If you want to see the Greek islands more than the city, its sister resort on Kea is an hour away by private boat.
Visit ONEANDONLYRESORTS.COM
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Ace Hotel & Swim Club opened on the waterfront in Glyfada in late 2024. It has retained the brutalist bones of the property it took over, aiming to recapture the glories of a mid-century beach club. As ever with the Ace group, the vibe is cool – rooms come with vinyl and turntables, and there’s art courtesy of Alekos Fassianos’s estate. Another local hero, Wine is Fine, has helped with the natural wine list. There’s also a coffee shop on site and laid-back all-day bistro. All of this, and the city is only about half an hour away by car.
Visit ACEHOTEL.COM
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