1. Overview
The best hotels in Athens, according to iBestTravel readers, highlight the city’s vibrant culture and ancient history.
2. Overview of the Best Hotels
Athens is flourishing, transforming from a stopover city into a vibrant destination of eclectic art galleries and bars. The three properties on this list serve as excellent home bases for exploring more than just the Acropolis.
3. Methodology
Every year, in the World’s Best Awards survey, iBestTravel gathers opinions from travelers worldwide on top hotels, cities, and more—focusing on facilities, location, service, food, and value.
In its pursuit of becoming more of a destination than just a stopover city, Athens has flourished in recent years with a host of eclectic art gallery and bar openings to complement its renowned historical sites and refined hotels. Properties like those on this list serve as stellar home bases from which to explore the city, which travelers are realizing deserves more time than merely a four-hour Acropolis tour.
The three properties that ranked as the best hotels in Athens capitalize not only on the city’s rich history but also its remarkable geography. The first property is the highly anticipated Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens (No. 2), which opened in spring 2019. Set on the Athenian Riviera, the Four Seasons combines the convenience of a city hotel with the best attributes of a waterfront resort, featuring three beautiful beaches. The stunning interiors designed by Martin Brudnizki and the exquisite Michelin-starred Pelagos restaurant only add to its allure, with one reader even describing the hotel as “almost perfect” for its “beautiful location, excellent service, and great dining.”
Both the No. 1 and No. 3 hotels are situated in the heart of Athens, specifically in Syntagma Square, with a breathtaking view of the Acropolis. Both part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection portfolio, King George (No. 3) and Hotel Grande Bretagne (No. 1) occupy historic buildings within walking distance of prime attractions, including Athens’s Plaka, ancient Agora, Lycabettus Hill, and Roman Forum. Unsurprisingly, both properties are praised by our readers for their “excellent location” as they seamlessly embody the essence of Athens.
1. Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens
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Staying at the Hotel Grande Bretagne is akin to experiencing a part of Athens’s history. Established in 1874, shortly after Greece achieved independence, it has hosted notable attendees since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and continues to welcome distinguished guests like Elizabeth Taylor and Bruce Springsteen. Readers venerated the hotel’s beauty and its main attraction: the rooftop bar and restaurant—which offers one of the finest views of the Acropolis in the entire city, making the dining experience “excellent in all ways.”
Score: 93.72
2. Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens
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Score: 93.14
3. King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel
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Score: 91.50
