16 of the best hotels in Athens (2024)

Spirited, spontaneous and idiosyncratic, ancient Athens is shaping up as southern Europe’s capital of cool. Those temples and monuments co-exist with gastronomy hubs, a roaring nightlife and energised arts scene. Tick off the big guns (Plaka and the Parthenon), then explore the vibrant mosaic of urban neighbourhoods on foot, each with its own pulse (such as hip Koukaki, artsy Pangrati or posh Kolonaki). Beyond the tourist trail, farmers’ markets and traditional tavernas remain part of life, revealing the delightful paradox of Athens: a hectic metropolis with a village vibe. With 300 days of sunshine and a rugged coastline of blue flag beaches, the capital of Greece is also one of the continent’s best year-round city break destinations.

As Athens evolves, the stuffy stays of old are being supplanted with exciting new hotels. Choose from stylish hangouts with rooftop gardens and gourmet getaways with views of the Parthenon; to Athens Riviera icons; or sleek design hotels, an olive pit’s toss from the Acropolis Museum.

Main photo: Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel, Athens Riviera

1. The Foundry Suites, Psirri

Buildings with backstories generally make terrific hotels — and this former stable, foundry and theatre is no exception. Twelve huge apartments with Crittall windows, lofty ceilings and handy kitchenettes reside inside a 1930s façade of exposed brick and vertical greenery, in one of the most happening neighbourhoods in Athens. Chilled and stylish, the Foundry softens its industrial edge with mid-century charms such as old pianos, patterned rugs and wood-burning stoves. Step outside to be engulfed by bistros, bars, bakeries and vintage boutiques — or enjoy drinks and urban picnics on the roof garden with the Parthenon at your shoulder.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

2. The Margi, Vouliagmeni

Lap up the essence of the Athens Riviera with echoes of The Beverley Hills Hotel (courtesy of pale pink exteriors and stripy green awnings). Unwind on the Greek capital’s most seductive pool terrace on over-water loungers or bougainvillea-draped daybeds (by night, it’s a Mediterranean oasis of floating olive trees, fine dining and flickering lanterns). If the weather turns, there’s an exotic indoor pool and spa. Brand Margi has extended its Riviera reach with a Mykonos-style beach club Krabo, on a secluded nearby cove; the 20-acre Margi Farm for farm-to-fork forays; and pristine Margi Villa, which comes with a butler and the beach at your door.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £££

3. Monsieur Didot, Kolonaki

On a calm corner of swanky Kolonaki, these classy early-20th century lodgings bring a romantic repose for cultured couples (locals swear that John Lennon holed up here with Yoko on their incognito Athens visit). There are six characterful rooms with herringbone oak floors, linen sofas and covetable Greek ceramics: choose from the Ode, a penthouse cocoon with sundeck, skylight and novel outdoor wet room, to the Sonnet with its own library and “coy” concealed bathroom. Luxuriate among period perks: the grand curling staircase, marble-topped fireplaces and soaring stucco ceilings, in between browsing Kolonaki’s fine galleries and boutiques.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

4. Andronis Athens, Psirri

The clash and dash of Athens is alive and kicking at this spirited six-suite stay that’s an urban outpost of Andronis’s whitewashed digs in Santorini. Inspired by the street murals and glam-grunge airs of Psirri, Adronis Athens goes in for off-beat sophistication and rooms are spiked with feisty florals and hues of gold and magenta. There’s no reception. You’ll check-in at their street café, iFeel, just off lively Iroon Square. Plump for the split-level Acropolis Elegant Suite to peep at the Parthenon from your clawfoot bath or spacious terrace.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

5. Athens 1890, Monastiraki

Suave and sultry, this 14-room boutique hotel parks you on the doorstep of Athens’s prettiest downtown precinct: Agia Irini Square (ground zero for buzzy bars and trendy pavement dining). It’s located directly opposite Agia Irini cathedral in an old textile store with a neoclassical façade, and you’ll fall asleep staring up at exquisitely sculpted ceilings of classical motifs in ultra-smart rooms with stencilled wood fixtures and glass-topped showers. Lovebirds can soak up cathedral views from a hot tub on a marble terrace; or hit the indoor pool in the Zen spa grotto. Dine alongside hip locals at the Manhattan-style brasserie, Omnivore.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

6. Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, Vouliagmeni

Feel like you’re on a private Greek island at the country’s first Four Seasons resort, draped across a pine-studded peninsula with three sandy coves, two five-star hotels and peaco*ck-blue waters. Everyone from Frank Sinatra to Barack Obama and Lady Gaga has bedded down at this starry 1960s hideaway. Choose from flagship Nafsika sea-view garden room, with its slender white columns and modern-day temple aesthetic; the more intimate Arion sea-view rooms; or one of 60-odd seafront bungalows. If you want some action, water ski at fashionable Astir Beach; graze your way around eight restaurants; eyeball the vast contemporary art trove; or unplug instead at the white marble spa carved into a cliff.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £££

7. 18 Micon Street, Psirri

This quirky urban hideout is not one of those design hotels that squanders its best moves in the lobby. 18 Micon expresses its big personality across 15 individually designed rooms, with feature prints of blown-up cogs; herringbone wallpaper; and camouflage brick basins. It was formerly a storehouse for one of the city’s first tool traders, and the deliberate factory vibe is countered by pale marble splashes and four-poster daybeds on the balconies of upper-floor suites and lofts. Grab a free coffee in the clubby open-plan lobby and keep tabs on the Parthenon and free-wheeling Psirri from the picture window in your room.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

8. Shila Athens, Kolonaki

If it’s romance and character you seek, nab one of the six spacious suites at this poetic abode with “barely there” signage, in a serene Kolonaki street. With opulent fabrics, a softly lit salon with a Strauss piano, and rustic walls of local works, Shila resembles a 1920s artists’ atelier (and much of what you see is for sale). Choose from the ethereal Romantic Dust and slumber on a floating four-poster bed; melodramatic La Boheme, with its velvet-cloaked daybed; or request the one with the flirty bathroom swing. Cap your day with a sundowner up on the botanical rooftop.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

9. Athens Capital MGallery, Syntagma

In a city known for its knockout roof terraces, this arty five-star newcomer right on Syntagma Square, has raised the stakes. Setting the tone is the 3,000 piece sculptural narrative by Greek artist George Lappas, stretching all ten floors of the hollowed-out atrium to graze the Athenian sky. From your submerged lounger on the teak infinity pool deck, admire Athens’s most recognisable landmarks: the Greek Parliament, Hotel Grande Bretagne, and the city’s two defining peaks — Mount Lycabettus and the Acropolis. Beyond your budget? Take in the stirring view over a co*cktail at the rooftop lounge instead.

Spa N
Pool Y
Price £££

10. Ergon House Hotel, Syntagma

Check into one of 38 minimalist “rooms above the inn” at this sophisticated foodie hotel, anchored around a modern-day agora that champions regional Greek produce. Enjoying a wonderful central Athens location, guests at Ergon House can take their pick from a deli, fishmonger, butcher, greengrocer, baker and wine shop, laid out in a sky-lit atrium; then cook up a Mediterranean feast in the shared kitchens upstairs — or dine downstairs amid urban murals and vertical gardens. In the afternoons, unwind with a co*cktail on the beachy roof terrace, planted with olive trees, while you gaze up at the Acropolis.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

11. Hotel Grande Bretagne, Syntagma

Omitting this historic belle from the roll call of best Athenian hotels would be akin to leaving the Acropolis off the city’s highlights. Athens’s answer to the Ritz sits opposite the former Royal Palace (now Parliament House) and since 1874, has hosted kings, queens and heads of state from Hitler to Churchill. Check in for old world opulence and million-dollar Parthenon views from the GB Rooftop restaurant and panoramic outdoor pool. Imbibe at the city’s only wine library, take a guided tour of the hotel’s storied antiques and artworks, or watch the changing of the Presidential Guard from your balcony.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £££

12. Perianth, Monastiraki

This urbane 38-room crashpad, in an updated art deco landmark, is modern Athens distilled in one hotel. Curvy walls double as a gallery for cool contemporary art and snug balconies grant a voyeur’s view of cosmopolitan Agia Irini Square. Sleep on custom-made walnut wood beds amid restful dusky pinks, moss green and the obligatory terrazzo floors. Shake off city overload at the Perianth’s Zen Centre (free for guests) or stake out the street brasserie, an Athenian haunt for post-work drinks and hearty buffet breakfasts. A penthouse suite wows with a plunge pool and “pinch me” Acropolis views.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

13. Athens Was, Acropolis

If you’re coming to worship Athens’s Sacred Rock, look no further than this retro-chic design hotel, a two-minute walk from the Parthenon’s east gate and two blocks from the brilliant Acropolis Museum. Situated on Athens’ loveliest promenade, Dionysiou Areopagitou, the 21-room Athens Was forsakes perks like a pool and spa for a razor-sharp aesthetic of walnut panelled walls, geometric carpets and mottled marble; punctuated by classy prints of ancient Greek sculptures and pieces by modern masters such as Le Corbusier and Eileen Gray. Feast on boundary-pushing Greek cuisine at the rooftop restaurant Senses, where the Acropolis hovers overhead.

Spa N
Pool N
Price ££

14. Gatsby Athens, Syntagma

Few places channel the “always on” hedonism immortalised by F Scott Fitzgerald more than roaring Athens — and at this jazzy hotel in prime Lekka Street you’ll be right among the city’s brightest young things. It’s inspired by Fitzgerald’s famous tome, so you can expect art deco-flavoured parquet floors, diamond-tiled showers, a suave, guests-only rooftop bar with fireplace, and lashings of come-hither camp (think saucy wall art and an “after-sex” room service menu). Lodgings range from doll-sized to roomy suites with outdoor daybeds. Or go full Jay Gatsby in the penthouse Party Suite with your own outdoor hot tub and movie projector for private screenings. Gatsby is glam, playful and welcoming — just like the Greek capital.

Spa N (treatment room only)
Pool N
Price ££

15. Asomaton, Psirri

Kickstart your days on the rooftop Acropolis Terrace with Zeus-worthy views and an Olympian repast of Greek treats (such as scrambled eggs with tomato and feta, honeyed yoghurt and lightning rod coffee) at this history-rich bolt hole in central Psirri. It’s nested snugly inside an old carriage repair shop, and restored original stone mingles with industrial metal and the pop-art portraits of “Greek Warhol”, Philip Tsiaras. Nineteen differently decked out rooms are compact but charismatic, with chunky exposed brick and design-led lighting. Some have small balconies onto that wow factor view. A petite indoor plunge pool is an unexpected bonus.

Spa N
Pool Y
Price ££

16. Xenodocheio Milos, Syntagma

Greek chef Costas Spiliadis is kind of a big deal in Athens (his fish-centric fine dining empire Estiatorio Milos has taken over seven cities, London included) and so is his first hotel foray. It’s billed as a five-star gastronomy hotel, and the recipe at this intimate heritage-listed stay in fashion-forward Kolokotroni Street echoes that of his restaurants. Simple, airy rooms have tall ceilings, snowy marble and acres of wood. Suites on the upper floors have huge terraces overlooking Parliament House and Lycabettus Hill. The star turn at Spiliadis’s ground floor restaurant is freshly caught fish, baked whole with an Aegean sea-salt crust. For a bigger splash, book a private lunch on his yacht, Milos at Sea.

Spa N (treatment room only)
Pool N
Price ££

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