Check in: You’ll love coming home to this pretty neoclassical mansion that’s smack bang in the ancient playground of Plaka. Museums and monuments, restaurants and shops—they’re all at your fingertips. There are 16 light and airy rooms, decked out with faux antiques and all named after Greek poets. Expect some outside noise in the evenings; a few of the rooms face a lively square. But who wants to go to bed early in Athens anyway?

Check-out: Lucky you; guests get to breakfast right beneath the Acropolis on a swoony roof terrace to the tune of old Greek ballads cranked out by gramophone. Poetic indeed. Wind up your day with a cocktail up there too.

Check in: If you believe that budget shouldn’t mean boring, this “boutique hostel” in Psirri will be just your style. Inside this four-storey neoclassical townhouse, you’ll be surrounded by belle epoque lights, reclaimed vintage furniture, and bright murals referencing the feisty local street art scene. Take your pick of 25 rooms, from cheery doubles with en suites and balconies to stylish dormitories with wooden bunk beds. Hang out in the chatty communal living room, or ascend to the tiny roof garden to enjoy the Parthenon on a plate.

Check-out: Take an old-school selfie in the fancy-dress photo booth. Drop in on the jazzy Sunday brunch next door at Zampano—this Fellini-inspired bistro is part of the Circus package (and they do great Greek wines by the glass).

Check in: If you want to experience Athens with no filter and live like a local in eligible downtown neighbourhoods. Live in Athens is a dynamic quartet of Athenians who snaps up prime city properties and renovates them into appealing apartments with kitchens for the self-catering crowd. Picture yourself in a sunlit modern suite with private terrace and magazine-worthy rooftop in Plaka; or a stately landmarked building in beautiful Thissio, near the Acropolis Museum. Or perhaps a central base in groovy Psirri, a stone’s throw from old-school tavernas and funky bars, is more your speed. Every Live in Athens room has a different vibe. “We don’t do copy, paste,” says co-founder Varnavas.

Check out: Elevate your holiday cooking with chillies and fresh herbs from the small on-site garden at the main Psirri property; or pop around the corner for the legendary scrambled eggs at Spiti mas, the company’s quirky neighbourhood eaterie.

Check-in: for a fresh concept—the deconstructed hotel. This hive of 14 like-minded stays is scattered across Athens, but still offers traditional hotel services like airport transfers, breakfast goodies, toiletries, and in-room cleaning on request. The Heloni angle—it means tortoise—is to provide safe bases for urban safaris in smart, homey spaces, equipped with kitchens and laundry appliances. Bunker down in freshly-renovated 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, named after Greek Gods and Goddesses, in secure residential buildings, alongside regular Athenians (their bicycles in the entry will make you feel right at home). Décor is more friendly than fancy (picture stripy sofa throws and “Things to Do”chalkboards), making Heloni a savvy choice for families and pal groups. Stay in the thick of Plaka; choose cool Athenian neighbourhoods like Pangrati and Koukaki; or park yourself in Piraeus. “Every neighbourhood in Athens has its own soul,” says Heloni’s Konstantina Vogiatzidou.

Check-out: Handy “mates’ rates” at local shops and restaurants who’ve buddied up with Heloni; Apollo’s smashing roof terrace where you can dine or sunbathe with the Acropolis for company; Hadrian's unbeatable location, slap bang on Plaka’s Adrianou Street; and delightful Kleio with her plush dressing room and vintage rockers.

Check in: If you’re a solo traveller or someone who likes to make new friends on holiday. By day, you’re just around the corner from the Acropolis Museum and the majestic promenade of Dionysiou Areopagitou. By night, you can tap into the international social whirl at the on-site Athens Sports Bar or gourmet burger bar (there’s also a rocking rooftop bar in warmer months). Choose from 16 accommodation options in three adjacent buildings: there are dorm singles and private couple rooms, family studios and a three-room penthouse suite, with a private roof terrace overlooking, you guessed it, the Parthenon. Apartments are airy and open-plan with functional decor and kitchens.

Check-out: Encounter some of Athens’ greatest hits on one of the hotel’s daily walking tours (you’ll pay just €7). Run out of clean clothes? There’s an on-site laundromat that never closes.

Check-in: South American “nomadic lifestyle” brand Selina has touched down in Theatrou Square, in eclectic Omonia, to provide the happy feels that 2020 so needs. Pitched at adventurous souls of all stripes, think of it as a ground-up eco-system: from a colour-drenched lobby (with a vast circular table for sociable solos), to a groovy co-working space, yoga studio, library, retro-cool cinema, and “home away from home” roof hangout with stonking Acropolis views. There are 296 beds across 101 bright new rooms (pick from communal or private bunk dorms and micro rooms with no bathroom, right up to exclusive private suites).

Check-out: Raid the nearby Athens Food Market to cook up a storm in the state-of-the art communal kitchen; embark on a quirky culture trip such as a Vintage Bike or Athens Drunk tour; take advantage of great rates for longer stays.