Athens

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About Athens

Athens is still cool. Sure, it’s Europe’s oldest city, but it's far from staid, and its 5th century BC temples and treasures brim with life. Athens has always been such a lively creative place that it’s constantly being imagined anew. There always seem to be new businesses: new places to eat, fresh art and architecture, fresh music and dance, and fresh political street art. And that goes for some of the best places to stay in Athens too. There's a new raft of chic design hotels jostling for position with the traditional grand dame hotels that are still going strong. Not forgetting the growing number of boutique B&Bs that are popping up all over the city too!

Some of our Athens Collections:

Since the 2004 Olympics, Athens has had a metro and tram system, and a lot of the centre of town was closed to cars, so it’s now easier than ever to get around. Many of the best places to stay in Athens had a makeover at this time too, and a couple of big, new hotels opened, but the majority of places to stay here are still smaller, independent properties. You’ll find some of our recommendations for Athens' best hotels on broad avenues, or grand, 19th century plazas, some close to the shores and sea breezes of the Gulf of Attica, and some in buzzy neighbourhoods of narrow streets, geranium-filled window-boxes and leafy squares. But wherever you stay you’ll notice that there’s a lot of life being lived outdoors here, on the street and in the square, and so if you pick a great neighbourhood you might end up sharing in some music or backgammon of an evening.

This city is beautiful. Most visitors are lured by the museums and millennia old architecture, but subsequent visits might be for the fantastic old tavernas, incredible markets, modern art galleries, and districts where every wall is daubed with the technicolour work of 21st-century street artists.

This city is a popular destination year round, but especially so during the peak summer months. So if you're planning your trip for July or August, and want to guarantee a room in one of the best places to stay in Athens, do your homework and book well ahead.

The Best Places to Stay in Athens

For a city break

AthensWas is a great city break choice, a super stylish, 21 room hotel with a retro-mimimal feel and pretty close-up views of the Acropolis. Oozing with chic, it's housed in a former apartment building, totally smartened up with gleaming marble and walnut and modern-vintage furnishings. But it still feels intimate. The breakfasts are indulgent and there’s a rooftop restaurant and bar.
InnAthens is another small, city break pick in a fantastic location, this time just off Syntagma Square. It’s super central for sightseeing, but still feels quite tranquil, and the 22 rooms and suites have wood floors and white walls and linen for a cool, minimalist look. Our favourite rooms have a balcony, and you can have your traditional Greek breakfast served there of a morning if you fancy.
Plaka’s The Zillers, is one of out Guru’s favourite boutique hideyholes in Athens, a ten room hotel with fantastic Acropolis views from the roof garden, and minimal, urban-feeling rooms and suites. They even have a few spacious family suites.

For a stunning view

The St George Lycabettus is an Athens grande dame, with an incredible rooftop pool and terrace overlooking all of Athens and, most importantly for many, the Acropolis. The best of the 154 rooms and suites here share the same incredible view. The range of rooms is excellent, with some quite simple, yet chic options at the great value end of the scale and some quite impressive suites, complete with vast private balconies, at the other. The Kolonaki location isn’t the most central but it’s still very convenient.
For something more central, but still with a pool-with-an-Arcopolis-view, consider the Electra Metropolis, which also has several bars with a view, and restaurants with a view too. This 261 room, retro-chic hotel is big by Athens’s standards, and it’s got the great facilities of a larger hotel. And it’s a great choice for couples and families, with plenty of perks for each.
The grand King George Palace also has a pool-with-an-Acropolis view, and its location, on historic Syntagma Square is difficult to beat. And, of course, this is a beautiful hotel too, a Neoclassical style charmer with 102 rooms and suites featuring parquet floors, elegant stucco features, classical furnishings and chandeliers. Get up early and to bag an outdoor terrace table with killer views at the Tudor Hall restaurant on the top floor, used for lavish buffet breakfasts. Alternatively book a table for alfresco à la carte dinner with views of the illuminated Parthenon.
The Herodion Hotel is much closer to the Acropolis, but the views are still pretty impressive, especially from the rooftop restaurant — which is also known for its cocktails and its gourmet Mediterranean and Greek dishes — from the terrace, or one of the two rooftop hot tubs. There are 90 rooms and suites, the best with private balconies and the same view. The Gurus especially like the service here, this hotel has been run by the same family for generations and you can really tell.

Some of the Hippest Places to Stay in Athens

The Fresh Hotel is a love letter from contemporary Athens to the 60s, with minimal monochrome decor, interrupted with splashes of Pop Art colour. The Omonia location is super central, with easy airport access too if you’re only here for a long weekend. And there’s a cool vibe, from its rooftop pool and open-air bar, to the classy cocktail bar and restaurant, and the hammam and steam rooms in the spa. The view over Plaka is fantastic too.
Kolonaki’s Hotel Periscope is a smart, boutique hotel, ideal for the design-conscious visitor. It has 21 minimalist rooms and suites, with shiny wood flooring, lots of light, lots of white, and walls that feature specially commissioned artworks. There’s a hip lounge too, and the Penthouse Suite has a roof terrace with a private hot tub.
Psyrri’s Andronis Athens is a collection of just six luxurious designer suites, with split-level living and private terraces. The decor is quirky (you might want to have a look at a few of the rooms) and the location is perfect for sightseeing. There’s a trendy cafe/restaurant too, and they have bikes you can borrow to help with your explorations.

For families

Cleverly converted from an old Monastiraki warehouse, and still featuring an industrial edge in the decor, 18 Micon Street is a stylish city break hotel with 15 rooms and suites, a couple of them perfect for families. Perks for younger children include an array of toys in the bunk-bedded family suites, and the colourful shops in the labyrinthine flea market will please younger shoppers with pocket money to spend.
The Noble Suites are a collection of 16 elegant boutique hotel suites at the very foot of the Acropolis. All of the rooms are spacious, but the family suites especially so. They also offer a babysitting service, and an in-room breakfast. The decor is neoclassical, but not too fancy, and the best rooms have views of the Acropolis.
None of our Gurus know what the choice of name means, but they agree that Plaka’s Home and Poetry hotel is a good pick for families. It’s central, small — with only 16 rooms and suites, it’s elegant and unfussy, and its family suites are huge, with separate living space. The roof terrace views are the perfect spot for photos.

For luxury

If you want classical luxury in a classical setting below the Acropolis, book the grande dame Hotel Grande Bretagne. This is an historic hotel on Syntagma Square, with 320 gorgeous rooms and suites, with high ceilings, large windows, marble bathrooms and elegant antiques. This is a big hotel, with the facilities to match, like a choice of restaurants, including fine dining, and a choice of bars, including one on the rooftop, an outdoor pool terrace with a great view, not forgetting the luxurious gym and spa.
The NJV Athens Plaza is just across the square, so the location is just as perfect, but this might be more your style if you prefer contemporary decor in the colour palette of natural stone. The best of the 180 rooms and suites have private balconies with views of the Acropolis. The hotel restaurant is freshly renovated, but we also like the bar menu.

For great value

On the edge of funky Exarchia, just five minutes from the National Archaeological Museum, the Areos Hotel is a smart, 40 room city hotel with simple, unfussy decor and big windows — the best rooms also have their own private balconies, and even a jacuzzi, as well as the great views. There’s a great cafe and restaurant, and a locally sourced breakfast is included in the affordable room rate.
Plaka’s Sweet Home Hotel is a 14 room property in a heritage building in central Athens. The best rooms have Acropolis views, and all of them have artworks and elegant features. The family suites have connecting doors between rooms.
It’s nice to be able to include a hotel with the word ‘luxury’ in its name in the Best Value section, and the Athens Mansion Luxury Suites fits that bill. These 18 suites have been converted from a stately 1930s mansion in the heart of Athens; now they’re spacious, and decorated in a neoclassical style, with chandeliers, marble tables and luxurious draped curtains. All the suites have a balcony with a view and there’s a rooftop bar too. There’s no restaurant, but there is a very nice one just next door!

Prefer an Apartment or Villa?

If you’d prefer to stay in an apartment or private villa we recommend you visit our online partner, booking.com.

Travel Information

International visitors usually arrive into Athens International Airport, which is about 40 kilometres outside the centre of town, which equates to a relatively short metro trip, or a bus or taxi. Cruise ships dock at Piraeus, which is 20-30 minutes away from the centre of town via a shuttle bus.
If you’re thinking about hiring a car we recommend checking what our online partners, Rentalcars have to offer.
Athens is really hot and busy during the summer months, with daily maximums averaging out in the mid-30s, and lots of people enjoying the sites and sights. If you can it’s probably a good idea to avoid this peak period and visit in May, June, September or October, as you’ll still get lots of warmth and sunshine, but it won’t be quite so hot and busy. It’ll still be nice by the pool, or in the sea then too. During the winter months the sunshine drops off, with just three hours in December and January, but it’s still fairly mild and Mediterranean. The museums are nice and quiet, though!

Still not sure?

You could refine your search to our recommendations for 8 of the Best Hotels in Plaka, 6 of the Best Hotels in Psyrri, or the best hotels in Koukaki close to the Acropolis.
Or search by your requirements and consider our list of The 14 Most Luxurious Hotels in Athens, 8 of the Best Hotels for Families in Athens or 5 of the Best Value Hotels in Athens.
Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.

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The best hotels in Athens

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Piraeus City Hotel

Athens (Piraeus)

This newly renovated hotel sits opposite the central port of Piraeus. Rooms are bright and modern with comfortable beds and large windows; the best rooms have a furnished balcony with views of the port. Don't miss the hotel's roof garden restaurant, serving traditional Greek dishes. A smart hotel.

Hideaway - Sitting opposite the port, outside of the busy city centre, this hotel is a great hideaway holiday destination
Local exploring - Located a stone's throw from the port, this hotel is a great base for exploring local islands by ferry
Families - The family rooms in this hotel are perfect for parents travelling with children
Less £ - With rooms starting well below 100 Euros, this is a well priced base

from €70 for 1 room, 1 night including taxes & fees