Wherever you go in Athens, the Acropolis goes with you – or so it seems. There it is, peeking out between street corners, upstaging moonlit concerts at ancient arenas, or illuminating your rooftop cocktail. There’s no better way to elevate your Athens stay than by waking up to the Parthenon. We’ve scouted some of the best hotels where you can start your day with a Greek breakfast and front row view of the Acropolis from your hotel terrace or balcony (and end it with an evening toast to our world-famous icon under the stars). Because the Acropolis may be ancient - but it never gets old.
Couldn't you just sit by this window all day?
Courtesy: Grand Bretagne
Hotel Grande Bretagne €€€
Check in: For Old World opulence in the heart of Syntagma Square. Your fellow guests could be anyone from rock royalty to heads of state at this historic belle that’s Athens’ answer to The Ritz in London (right down to the fancy high tea you can enjoy daily).
Check out: Fine dining with front row views of the Acropolis at the GB Roof Garden; herbal steam baths at the sumptuous GB spa; a panoramic open-air pool; and 3,500 wine labels to explore at Athens’ only wine library.
- 1 Vasileos Georgiou A, Historic Centre, 105 64
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Wheelchair Accessible
- +30 210 333 0000
- Website
Electra Metropolis €€€
Check in: When you want Athens on your doorstep. This revamped modernist building is right near Syntagma Square and you can cool off from the city beat in a slinky little rooftop pool with prime views of the Acropolis. Inside, mid-century glamour meets a thoroughly modern Athens. Head to the glass-walled Metropolis Roof Garden restaurant and cocktail bar for sunset over the ruins.
Check out: The supersize artwork of silver doves by Greek painter Alekos Fasianos in the light-flooded atrium; the remains of the Themistoclean Wall that once framed ancient Athens; a lit-up indoor pool and hammam, free for guests.
The hotel and its view from up high.
Courtesy: Electra Metropolis
Fine dining with the finest of views.
Courtesy: King George
King George €€€
Check in: When you want to feel like royalty. This heritage hotel, bang on Syntagma Square, was once a royal residence and has hosted everyone from Grace Kelly to Madonna. Not surprisingly, the name of the game is no-holds-barred luxury, from the Frette sheets on your bed to the Murano chandeliers in the cream and gold marble lobby. Alas, the drop-dead gorgeous rooftop pool is only open to guests in the Presidential Suite.
Check out: Fantastic regional Greek food served with priceless views of the Parthenon, Parliament and National Garden from the surprisingly unstuffy Tudor Hall restaurant; the view is just as distracting at breakfast.
St George Lycabettus €€€
Check in: For sweeping views of the Athens skyline all the way to the sea, and a fashion-forward ambience. At the foot of pine-forested Lycabettus Hill, this art-filled boutique hotel feels like a serene escape, although you’re just a few minutes’ stroll downhill to the heart of Kolonaki and all its upscale restaurants, boutiques, museums and galleries. Choose from 154 stylish rooms, many with Acropolis views (including 16 Eco-Chic rooms decked out with renewable resources such as coconut fibers , natural rubber, wool, cotton, seaweed, linen, wood and feathers). If you’re visiting over summer, take a dip in the divine rooftop pool—it’s one of the most elegant in Athens. The sunsets from up here are sensational.
Check out: Sunset yoga on the roof terrace; free screenings at their on-site mini-cinema; the Sunday brunch, where you can hand the kids over to a nanny while you soak up spectacular Parthenon views with your eggs Florentine.
The city at your feet.
Courtesy: St George Lycabettus
Yes. This close.
Courtesy: Athens Was
Athens Was €€
Check in: For a retro-chic design hotel on Athens’ prettiest cobbled promenade, Dionysiou Areopagitou. Not much in the way of facilities like a pool or spa, but the brilliant Acropolis Museum is just two blocks away. Urban aesthetes will rate the Mad Men-style fit-out, complete with geometric carpets and designer pieces by Le Corbusier and Eileen Gray.
Check out: Fresh, modern Greek cuisine with the Parthenon at your fingertips at rooftop restaurant Senses; the vintage photography from the Archeological Museum on the wood-panelled walls.
The Zillers €€
Check in: If you like the sound of a neoclassical-modern mash up that oozes local character in a winning location smack in the Historic Centre. This artfully converted townhouse was originally designed by the architect of the new Greek capital, Ernst Ziller. There are just 10 rooms, that vary in size and aspect; not all of them have views of the lovely square in front of the Athens Cathedral. But you’ll spend most of your downtime on the hip roof terrace swooning over the Acropolis views.
Check out: Exciting twists on Greek cuisine (think smoked feta ravioli), excellent DIY martinis and A-grade cappuccinos at the rooftop bar-restaurant, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.
Dinner, drinks and a view to savour.
Courtesy: The Zillers
Get decked out.
Courtesy: Herodion
Herodion €€
Check in: For a smiley, family-run getaway with 90 rooms in a serene street, close to all the attractions of ancient Athens. The elegant Herodion hotel is a word-of-mouth favourite that takes full advantage of fantastic Acropolis and Acropolis Museum views from its rooms and roof terrace. In summer, you’ll find plenty of chic Athenians on the rooftop sipping some of the city’s best-dressed cocktails, paired with tapas, and marvelling at the views.
Check out: The owners’ bright collection of sculptures by Greek and international artists; languid Sunday brunch in the glass-walled Atrium Bistro, cleverly built around two old oak trees.
The Foundry Suites €€
Check in: For a chilled, stylish base in one of Athens’ most interesting neighbourhoods. This beautifully thought out boutique hotel had been a stable, a foundry and a theatre, before it was converted into 12 huge apartments with high ceilings and handy kitchenettes. Some suites even have their own wood-burning stoves. Not that you’ll need one with Psirri’s buzzy bars and cafés moments away.
Check out: Drinks and picnics served up on the knockout roof garden, complete with flagstone paving, sun loungers and lots of greenery—with the Acropolis watching over you; Thodoris on the front desk, who has his finger firmly on the Psirri pulse (what he doesn’t know about the area, isn’t worth knowing).
Grab a picnic basket and head to the rooftop.
Courtesy: The Foundry
Poetry in motion.
Courtesy: Home & Poetry
Home & Poetry €
Check in: To enjoy everything the ancient quarter of Plaka has to offer: monuments, museums, shopping, restaurants—and yes, of course, the Acropolis. This gracious hotel, housed in a neoclassical mansion with 16 airy and whimsical rooms, couldn’t be better located for the sightseeing and shopping opportunities in and around Plaka. If you’re a light sleeper, you’d better pack earplugs, as some rooms face a lively square.
Check out: The dramatic roof terrace, exclusive to guests, where breakfast and cocktails are served right beneath the Parthenon to the soundtrack of old Greek ballads; the scene-stealing skylit loft.
Central Hotel €
Check in: If you’d rather spend more of your hard-earned funds on diving into the bar and restaurant scene of downtown Athens than your room tab. Central by name, central by nature, this modern, understated hotel ticks all the boxes: clean and comfortable (if compact) rooms, hearty breakfasts and happy-to-help staff.
Check out: Its rocking rooftop bar Thea lives up to its name (thea means view in Greek). Sip on a sundowner from the Jacuzzi and wave at the Acropolis.
Laid back terrace with magnificent sunsets.
Courtesy: Central
Courtesy: Mira Me Athens
Mira Me Athens
Check in: With just seven suites, this is as boutique as it gets. An interwar heritage building on Ermou Street with the Acropolis within striking distance, Mira Me prompts you to take a good close look (as the name suggests in Spanish) and admire the layers of Athenian history spread out at your feet: the Roman Agora, Ottoman Monastiraki, century-old Byzantine churches that tower over Ermou’s bustling flea market and antique merchants. Indoors, this stylish stay appeals to discerning tastes with contemporary art, sculptural lighting, modernist armchairs and bathrooms you’ll want to take home.
Check-out: With the feel of a member’s only club, the lobby bar lends rakish glamour to this historic Athenian district. Couples seeking a romantic assignation should hit the rooftop bar and cafe for a well-curated selection of spirits and impromptu whiskey tastings—paired with great Mediterranean-Asian cuisine and heart-racing views on tap.
