With her ancient wiles and unpredictable urban sass, Athens has a way of seducing all who get to know her. Whether you’re in the first flush of love or looking to relight the fire, the Greek capital makes a perfect year-round stage for romantic city escapes. Side-step the big impersonal hotels and book into one of these small and intimate lodgings with half the rooms and twice the feels. Because when it comes to affairs of the heart, size does matter.
Shila Athens
Check-in: for a sensual urban experience in chic Kolonaki. Burrowed inside a neoclassical abode with “barely there” signage in a peaceful pedestrian street, this soulful 1920s-inspired residence has the flavour of a secret assignation or artist’s atelier (witness the flatteringly-lit salon with Strauss piano; the rousing modern art displayed in the library and lounge). Rustic walls, opulent fabrics, original terrazzo floors and lofty ceilings are the key supporting cast at sophisticated Shila (the name, in Sanskrit, means “character”). Choose from six spacious suites, each dreamier than the last, with ethereal names like Romantic Dust (you’ll slumber on a floating four-poster bed and take tea in a whimsical private garden) or La Boheme (be star of your own show in a melodramatic bathroom or on a velvet-cloaked daybed).
Fall for: Ablute in some of the sultriest bathrooms in Athens (one even has a swing) or ascend to the tranquil rooftop terrace for a reading reprieve, secluded sundowner or invigorating outdoor shower amid banana trees and bamboo shoots. Crushing on all that evocative art? Snap some up and have it shipped back home.
Photo: Pia Riverola
Courtesy: Monsieur Didot
Monsieur Didot, The Residence
Check-in: Neighbourhood legend has it that John Lennon and Yoko Ono once bedded down in this graceful 19thcentury residence, perched on a quiet corner of Kolonaki, during their incognito visit to Athens. Rebooted in autumn 2019 as a small luxury guesthouse for cultured couples, Monsieur Didot retains the intimacy and promise of a romantic hideaway. Best pals Natalia Georgopoulou and Margarita Papaioannou have created six calming and characterful rooms (4 double rooms and 2 suites) replete with Herringbone oak floors, brushed concrete bathrooms, linen sofas and arty light fittings by Greek contemporary ceramicist Iliana Lazaridou. Stoking the romance factor are period details like soaring stucco ceilings, marble-topped fireplaces and a grand curling staircase.
Fall for: Discreet lovers can hole up in The Ode, a penthouse cocoon with its own sundeck and novel outdoor wet room enclosed by original Crittall windows and a skylight. Or claim The Sonnet where the bathroom hides coyly behind a secret door in your own library. Set out for sunset strolls on pine-studded Lycabettus, Athens’ highest lookout, or browse Kolonaki’s swanky boutiques and historic bookstores.
Athens 1890 Boutique Hotel & Spa
Check-in: It will be love at first sight for aesthetes at this sultry and zen new crashpad which couldn’t be closer to the buzzy action of Agia Irini Square if it tried. Agia Irini cathedral is directly opposite. If Athens 1890 was a person, it’d be Ryan Gosling: suave, sexy and spirited. Opened in late September 2020, in an old 19th century textile store on Athinaidos Street, there are 14 rooms over four floors. Fairest of all is the attic level Honeymoon Nest where you can soak up dramatic Agia Irini views from a hot tub on your own marble terrace; or the sharp Athenian Superior room with stenciled wood fixtures, classical restored ceilings and a glass-topped shower.
Fall for: Indulge in a couples’ massage capped by a dip in the indoor pool in the luscious spa grotto; enjoy the cool pavement vibe while you tuck into groovy Greek eats (like moussaka bites or Greek-style paella) at the hotel’s Manhattan-style brasserie, Omnivore - an instant hit with Athenian sybarites.
Courtesy: Athens 1890 Boutique Hotel & Spa
Courtesy: Alice Inn Athens
Alice Inn Athens
Check-in: A poetic world awaits you at this quirky and great value little charmer, located on a serene backstreet of Plaka. Don’t play hard to get though. There are only four rooms. The owner, a Greek-Irish architect, was inspired to create the bed and breakfast that his grandmother Alice had always dreamed of. He has decked out these old digs in her memory with nostalgic film posters, classic novels and other endearing bric-a-brac (scout for your own at the nearby Monastiraki flea market). Perfect for lovers is the Betty Boop room with its shuttered windows and private patio. But the Harry Belafonte suite has the biggest advantage: a roof terrace with come hither Acropolis views.
Fall for: Wake up to home-style breakfasts in the shady back garden or convivial kitchen-diner. Borrow one of the owner’s bicycles and explore this historic neighbourhood on two wheels. Or snuggle up in the sitting room with a book from the library.
Andronis Athens
Check-in: If bland cookie cutter stays don’t light your candle. This six-suite newcomer just off Iroon Square in hip Psirri mirrors the clash and dash of Athens (old versus new; glam versus grunge) with an upbeat brew of off-beat sophistication. Inspired by the area’s vibrant street murals, rooms are musky pink or jacaranda and offset by feisty florals, bohemian palettes (claret, gold and magenta) and playful pieces (case in point: the Queen Elizabeth armchair printed with a crowned English bulldog). Prices are on the punchy side but Andronis honed their game in one of the most romantic places on earth, Santorini, so you’re in good hands.
Fall for: For a pure shot of Psirri, set up camp in the all-brick street café, iFeel, that doubles as a reception. Or stage a love-in (John and Yoko-style) in the split-level Acropolis Elegant Suite. You can spy on the Parthenon from your roomy terrace, clawfoot bath - or without even leaving your bed.
Courtesy: Andronis Athens
