Hotel
Hotel Grande Bretagne
The grande dame of Athens hotels, on Syntagma Square since 1874, with 320 rooms, a celebrated roof garden facing the Acropolis and a spa.
A five-star hotel with 216 rooms at the start of Mitropoleos Street near Syntagma, with a roof garden looking across to the Acropolis.
Good to know
Electra Metropolis is a five-star hotel at the start of Mitropoleos Street, a few minutes' walk from Syntagma Square. It belongs to the Greek Electra Hotels group and has 216 rooms and suites, which places it between the boutique hotels of Plaka and the grand hotels of the square in size and style.
Rooms are modern and fully equipped, with soundproofing and air conditioning, which matters in a central location, as well as free wifi and smart LED televisions. Some rooms have views of the Acropolis, and the hotel advertises its roof garden as the place to enjoy the same view while eating or having a drink. As with most Athens hotels, it is worth checking which room category includes a view before booking if that is important to you.
The hotel has restaurants and bars, a wellness and fitness area, and meeting and event spaces, so it attracts both leisure and business travellers. Breakfast is served from 06:30 to 10:30 on weekdays and until 11:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Members of the group's loyalty programme can book through its mobile app.
Electra Metropolis suits couples and families who want a polished, central base with good facilities at a price usually below the very top hotels in the city. It is a practical choice for first-time visitors because so many sights are within walking distance, and its size means it is used to handling groups and conferences as well as independent guests.
The location is excellent. Syntagma metro station, with direct metro trains and the X95 express bus to the airport, is about five minutes' walk away, and the hotel recommends booking a taxi in advance if you prefer door-to-door transfers. Ermou Street's shops are a block away, Plaka and the foothills of the Acropolis are a short walk south, and Kolonaki's cafés and museums are about ten minutes to the east. The same group runs the Electra Palace in Plaka, which has indoor and outdoor pools, so families wanting a swim after sightseeing may prefer that sister hotel, while Electra Metropolis is better placed for Syntagma and the shopping streets.
It is a five-star hotel.
216 rooms and suites.
Yes, from some rooms and from the roof garden.
06:30 to 10:30 on weekdays and 06:30 to 11:00 on Sundays and public holidays.
At the beginning of Mitropoleos Street, about five minutes' walk from Syntagma metro station.
By metro or the X95 bus to Syntagma, or by pre-booked taxi.
Rooms are soundproofed and air-conditioned.
Attraction
The rocky citadel above Athens crowned by the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaea and Temple of Athena Nike, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Tour operator
An Athens-based experience company running small-group city, food, mythology, street art and nightlife tours, plus day trips across Greece.
Thing to do
The Evzones of the Presidential Guard change watch every hour in front of Parliament, with a full ceremonial parade and band on Sundays at 11:00.
Restaurant
Two-Michelin-star restaurant on the fifth floor of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, serving a single creative tasting menu built on its own garden produce.