The 13 Best Hotels in Athens, Greece
It was only a handful of years ago that hotels in Athens were limited to grubby hostels and soulless chains. During Greece's economic crisis, developers swooped in as property prices plummeted, snapping up townhouses, office blocks, and empty workshops. And while Airbnb has transformed whole neighborhoods, it hasn’t stalled the capital's booming hotel scene. Funky little guesthouses are cropping up all over the city center, and coastal hideouts are upping their game to keep up with the splashiest recent entry—Greece's first Four Seasons. Now full of lodgings so lovely that you’ll definitely want to stay for longer than just a layover, here are the 13 best hotels in Athens.
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Vangelis Paterakis1. xenodocheio Milos
Estiatorio Milos, chef Costas Spiliadis’ growing global empire of Greek restaurants, elevates extreme simplicity into a fine dining experience, treating the purest ingredients with the lightest and most precise touch. And Spiliadis’ first foray into the hotel business is equally upmarket, yet unpretentious. Smack bang in the commercial and political heart of Athens, Milos hotel bears all the restaurants’ minimalist hallmarks: lashings of white marble, pale wood, and soft leather. Sleek and airy bedrooms are decorated with minimal fuss but fastidious attention to detail. Some suites have huge terraces overlooking the old Parliament. Facilities are limited to a small wellness and fitness suite, but it’s the food you come for: luscious Greek yogurt with granola and Kythera honey for breakfast, and for dinner a tangle of bitter greens and whole fish selected from the extravagant seafood display and baked in hand-picked flakes of rock salt. The ultimate treat: a private lunch on board Spiliadis’ yacht, the Milos at Sea.
Address: xenodocheio Milos, Kolokotroni 3-5, Syntagma
Gatsby Athens2. Gatsby Athens
Sassy, playful, and pleasingly camp, Gatsby Athens is a fun addition to the booming hotel scene in the so-called Historic Triangle, a warren of lively streets between Syntagma and Monastiraki squares. Compact but comfy rooms occupy six floors—and instead of numbers they have names like Cool and Lavish. From the suggestive photos on the walls to the ‘after-sex’ room service menu, the vibe is perfect for a raunchy weekend or girls getaway. The penthouse Party Suite opens onto a roof terrace with a fireplace for chilly nights, and there's a projector for private movie screenings in the spirit of Greece's love for outdoor summer cinemas. The colorful lobby bar and restaurant, with picture windows overlooking a hip arcade, does a great all-day brunch or afternoon tea for the perfect pick-me-up after too many of bartender Artemis’ Negronis. There’s also a “Dare Me” emblazoned button in every room—but no spoilers here.
Address: Gatsby, Lekka 18, Syntagma
Ioanna Roufopoulou/The Modernist3. The Modernist
This quiet corner, which once housed the Canadian embassy, has seen a thoroughly modern hotel takeover that's left nothing stuffy or starchy behind. All of The Modernist's amenities (many of them for sale in a small onsite concept store) are curated by Athenian tastemakers: custom-blended teas, monochromatic ceramics, prints by local illustrators, and playlists by local DJs that you can blast on in-room Marshall speakers. Simple breakfasts and wholesome bowls are served in the ground-floor café, which is also an inspiring spot to hole up with your laptop. Deck chairs are lined up along the smart roof deck for sundowners (try the bergamot gimlet) overlooking the National Gallery and the city’s skyline. Consistently professional staff are never overbearing, but always helpfully prompt. It's a slick operation in every sense.
Address: The Modernist, I.Gennadiou 4, Kolonaki
NEW Hotel4. NEW Hotel
In a design hotel that packs a punch, the Brazilian Campana brothers have injected their signature sense of humor into what was once a derelict downtown spot. Old furniture is upcycled in inspired decor; the lobby walls are clad in splintered chairs and tables. It’s all slightly mad, from the trippy, bronze-mirrored bathrooms to the hybrid chairs that look like giant marshmallows. Unfailingly professional staff are in the know about the latest designers to buy and restaurants to try. But the food here is so good that locals come for the weekend brunch of Croque Monsieur and Greek-style Bloody Marys, as well as sassy cocktails at the rooftop restaurant, which doubles as an art library.
Address: NEW Hotel, Filellinon 16, Syntagma
Ioanna Roufopoulou/The Margi5. The Margi
Near the sandy bay of Vouliagmeni in the southern suburbs is the most desirable enclave on the Athenian Riviera. The Margi has been around since 1960, and this easy-going, family-run hotel remains a favorite with its moneyed residents. You’ll find them schmoozing at the pool bar or at Patio, a refined restaurant with just nine tables and ingredients from the hotel’s organic farm. Neutral, wood-paneled rooms with pool or pine views are pretty snug, but guests spend most of their time at the sensational pool or the small, Asian-inspired spa anyway. In summer, book a sun bed at the beach bar, Krabo, situated on a rocky cove just above a spot where beautiful, bronzed Athenians make like they’re on Mykonos.
Address: The Margi, Litous 11, Vouliagmeni
Ergon House6. Ergon House
This isn’t just a restaurant with lodging; it’s a modern immersion in Greece’s culinary traditions. Ground-floor Agora is a perpetually buzzy deli, roastery, bakery and dining room adorned with a four-story, hydroponic ‘vertical orchard’ and typical Athenian graffiti. Prettily packaged Greek artisan foods also tempt in the rooms upstairs, which range in size from S to XL, with sleeping, living, and bathing areas defined by decorative cinder blocks, terrazzo tiles, and walnut-wood frames. The dashing design outdoes the food, but guests can also assemble your own groceries in one of the communal kitchens. In the summer, local hipsters congregate at the rooftop bar, where the Parthenon can be glimpsed.
Address: Ergon House, Mitropoleos 23, Syntagma
Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens7. Hotel Grande Bretagne
Sometimes, only a classic will do. Presiding over central Syntagma Square since 1874, the GB is almost as much of an Athenian landmark as the Acropolis. Its salons have welcomed treaty-signing politicians, matchmaking socialites, and undercover celebrities. Despite several corporate takeovers and makeovers, it still feels reassuringly old-fashioned—all colossal chandeliers, antique paintings, and highly polished marble. A piano player tinkers away in the gilded Winter Garden, and the flawless cocktails at Alexander’s Lounge are deliciously unadventurous. Perks for guests include indoor and outdoor pools, a wildly expensive spa, and prime Parthenon views from the consistently excellent rooftop bar and restaurant.
Address: Hotel Grande Bretagne, Vasileos Georgiou 1, Syntagma Square
Ioanna Roufopoulou8. Monsieur Didot
There are dozens of crumbling, turn-of-the-20th-century townhouses in Athens just crying out to be transformed into charming B&Bs. Best friends Natalia Georgopoulou and Margarita Papaioannou have set an example with this thoughtful revival of a pale-pink property on a quiet corner of posh Kolonaki. It still feels, and is run, like a family house: There are just six rooms with calm, unfussy furniture, and offbeat art that doesn’t overwhelm the beautiful building. The best rooms are The Tale, which has a separate entrance, and The Ode, a snug penthouse with a private sun deck. Ask Natalia to arrange a Greek wine tasting on the secret roof terrace.
Address: Monsieur Didot, Sina 48, Kolonaki
Christos Drazos9. AthensWas
If you want to commune with the ancient Athenians, this is the place—the only five-star hotel on the resplendent promenade that circles the Acropolis. The vibe is surprisingly calm and contemporary. Classical references are juxtaposed with modern design classics: black-and-white marble torsos hang above leather Le Corbusier armchairs. Accomplished Greek food—a salad of wilted greens with nut crumble and tangerine, scorpion fish ‘meatball’ soup garnished with bottarga, white chocolate tsoureki (brioche) with kumquat and Greek coffee foam—is served in the smart rooftop restaurant with a side of Parthenon views. Service can be patchy and the carpeted, wood-paneled rooms are a little somber, but you can’t beat the location.
Address: AthensWas, Dionysiou Areopagitou 5, Acropolis
The Foundry Suites10. The Foundry Suites
Hidden down a cul-de-sac, this former typeface foundry is clad in a patchwork of exposed stone, giant windows, and climbing plants. Original industrial details are fused with mid-century antiques, bold wallpaper, and bespoke bed frames and wardrobes. Perfect for long stays, the 12 rooms are more like apartments, with proper kitchens and sunny workspaces. A breakfast basket is delivered to your room or the magical roof garden, where the Parthenon is visible between the foliage. Head up to watch the sunset over a selection of lively Greek wines (one of the wine-obsessed owners has built a cellar in the basement) and wood-fired pizzas.
Address: The Foundry Suites, Sarri 40, Psyrri
Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann11. Perianth Hotel
The curved balconies of this Bauhaus landmark overlook the lively café scene on Agia Irini Square, named after the domed church that anchors the plaza. Inside, it’s a paean to the 1930s—moody black marble, gray terrazzo floors, and tubular bronze lighting—with dusky-pink sofas, sage-green throws, and a dash of modern art to keep things fresh. Guests have free access to yoga, meditation, and martial arts classes at the deeply calming Zen Center on the first floor. Re-tox with sliders and a spritz at the all-day restaurant downstairs, a prime perch for people-watching. With a savvy concierge to help navigate the surrounding bars, markets, and galleries, and the Acropolis just overhead, this is a smart base for exploring both ancient and modern Athens.
Address: Perianth Hotel, Limpona 2, Monastiraki
Shila12. Shila
You could walk past this residence on a pedestrian street in upmarket Kolonaki and never know it was the city’s most soulful guesthouse. Step inside and it’s like wandering into the bohemian home of an art collector: a softly lit salon with a Strauss piano, antiques upholstered in vintage fabrics and a library of wonderful books. Two ethereal ground-floor suites have verandas shaded by a loquat tree. Up the marble staircase are four more enormous suites with velvet divans, floating beds, intriguing artworks, and sultry bathrooms with rough-hewn marble sinks—one even has a swing. Local chocolatiers, parfumiers, and coffee shops create delicious treats and toiletries for every room. The greatest surprise is the roof garden: an urban jungle of plants, day beds, and outdoor showers. Wonderfully idiosyncratic, this is a rare treasure that feels genuinely lived-in.
Address: Shila, Mantzarou 10, Kolonaki
Four Seasons13. Four Seasons Astir Palace
The Astir Palace put the Athens Riviera on the map in the 1960s. After a recent glossy makeover courtesy of the Four Seasons, it’s back—and exactly what this up-and-coming coastline needed: a full-blown seaside hotel that isn’t stuck in the past. Subdued bedrooms epitomize stealth wealth (pay the premium for a sea view) and high-rollers quaff champagne cocktails in Martin Brudnizki’s trio of sexy restaurants or are cosseted in the waterfront spa. The young and restless can whizz across the bay on water-skis, or you could easily while away day after day on a floating sunbed, watching a parade of super yachts drift by under dazzling sunsets over the Saronic isles. And for dinner there's Michelin-starred Pelagos, tricked out like an Art Deco ocean liner—and the best of the four sensational, sea-view restaurants.
Address: Four Seasons Astir Palace, Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
