Athens has a spellbinding historical magnetism, and the Hotel Grande Bretagne has been at its heart since 1874. Overlooking Syntagma Square and the capital’s parliament - and with a magnificent view of the Acropolis - it seems that myths and legends might spring to life from behind the lobby’s marble columns or along antique-strewn corridors. The building’s 19th-century splendour is still very much alive, with stained glass, colossal tapestries and flawlessly smart doormen – but nothing can quite beat the guest rooms. A bastion of luxury with more than 300 rooms and suites, the hotel delivers effortless glamour and comfort in equal measure: chandeliers, rich fabrics and marble bathrooms are de rigueur.
Below lie the joys of a cigar lounge, well-being spa and wine library (where a masterclass is a true Greek voyage of discovery), and the chance to watch the theatrical, centuries-old changing of the guard at the Presidential Mansion from the bar. A Grecian grande dame with inimitable character.
