GRECIAN GETAWAY

from Business Traveller ME - September 2022

Our guide to Donating hotel points to charity

As visitors return, Athens is opening a range of new hotels. From affordable urban options to luxurious seaside resorts, there is plenty of choice for the discerning traveller

WORDS PAUL J DEVRIES

After two difficult years, this summer is one of optimism for Greece. Tourist traffic is on its way back to, and possibly set to beat, 2019 levels – a critical upward trend in a country where one in four jobs is directly or indirectly generated by tourism.

Visitors to Athens will have a range of new and refreshed hotels to choose from, with the wave of hotel development sweeping other European capitals making its way to the city. The rebirth of the 1960s Astir Palace in Vouliagmeni kicked things off in early 2019, emerging as a lavish Four Seasons resort with 330 rooms and suites (including the original bungalows nestled in the pine trees) and an endless list of amenities. An outpost of One and Only Resorts is coming to completion just up the coast, and the former international airport – one of Europe’s largest redevelopment projects – will be home to multiple hotels.

There is greater choice in the city centre too, including smaller, boutique options for those who prefer something more intimate. Monsieur Didot opened in late 2019 with only four rooms and two suites, inside an 1880s neoclassical building where John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed incognito when visiting the Greek capital.

Xenodocheio Milos Athens is located opposite the National Historical Museum, and opened at the start of this year with 43 rooms and suites. It is the first hotel venture of Costas Spiliadis, the chef behind the Estiatorio Milos restaurant brand in cities including London and New York. Meanwhile, the 1963 Modernist-style Hilton Athens will nearly halve its room count as part of its transformation into Conrad Athens.

Here we take a look at a selection of recent arrivals and upcoming openings in Athens, and some noteworthy additions on the mainland coast and out on the country’s sunlit islands.

NEW

Athens Capital Center Hotel – M Gallery Collection

In September 2020, Athens Capital Center Hotel opened just off Syntagma Square – across the street from and by the same owner of the historic Hotel Grande Bretagne. Its 159 rooms and 19 suites – including a presidential suite with private terrace – are dressed in a contemporary mix of whites, greys, blues and dark wood.

Sweeping views of the city are a highlight of Mappemonde rooftop pool and bar – named after an art installation by George Lappas, part of which is displayed in the ten-storey atrium. M Flavours restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine, while Galerie Café is the place for coffee or cocktails.

Athens Capital Center Hotel marked the introduction of Accor’s M Gallery Collection to Greece, and the first upscale hotel by the French group in the city centre (there is a Sofitel at the airport). In April, it cut the ribbon on a second M Gallery property, the 141-room, adults-only Niko Seaside Resort in Crete.

Last summer, it also opened Angsana Corfu, the first European resort under the brand, with 159 rooms and suites, as well as 37 pool villas, overlooking Benitses Bay. mgallery.accor.com

LEFT:

Rooftop hot tubs at Brown Acropol

BELOW:

Athens Capital Center Hotel – M Gallery Collection

RIGHT:

A room at The Modernist Athens

The Modernist Athens

Inside the former Canadian Embassy in the city’s Kolonaki neighbourhood, The Modernist Athens opened in autumn 2020 with 38 rooms in four categories, ranging from S – with raised platform beds – to XL. Category M rooms and upwards feature terraces; some have private outdoor hot tubs. Minimalist Danish design strikes a balance between light and dark with ash blond wood floors, dark grey ceilings, velvet soft furnishings and black-and-white bathrooms.

There is a café off the hotel lobby, as well as a seventh-floor roof garden and terrace. A second Modernist hotel can be found in Thessaloniki. themodernisthotels.com

Villa Brown Ermou

Brown Acropol Athens

Founded in Tel Aviv in 2010, Brown Hotels has a portfolio of 24 hotels in its native Israel, alongside a property in Croatia. The opening of Brown Acropol Athens in autumn 2020 began an aggressive expansion into Greece, with the plan to have 40 hotels in the country by 2024.

On revitalised Omonia Square, Brown Acropol takes over a 1976 building designed by Emmanuel Vourekas, the architect behind the city’s Hilton hotel. Burned orange, mustard, shades of brown, and patterned wallpaper bring a retro feel to the interiors. The 165 rooms and suites come in different sizes, from small ‘solo’ rooms with single beds to executive suites with separate living areas. Panelled oak, dusty pink and gold set the tone in the cocktail bar, while the rooftop has a gym and four outdoor hot tubs. There is also a spa with sauna and hammam.

This June, the group added Isla Brown Corinthia, an hour’s drive west of Athens overlooking the Saronic Gulf. A striking contemporary building by Elastic Architects, its bright white, undulating façade contrasts with the blue of the sea and sky. There are 166 rooms and suites, a swimming pool, a number of restaurants (including a ‘cave-like’ sushi bar), a rooftop with wet area and bar, water sports centre, and private beach. Next year, an extension will add 110 bungalows with a pool and restaurant in the hills behind the hotel. Two more Isla Brown hotels are coming to Crete and Corfu as well. brownhotels.com

In May 2021, Villa Brown Ermou followed, a short walk from the city’s historic Plaka neighbourhood. One of four Villa Brown hotels in the group, the townhouse-style property offers 51 rooms and suites, with a design offsetting black and white with soft pink, sage green and copper. A cocktail lounge and bistro serves food all day. A rooftop with a pool, lounge, a second restaurant, and spa are still to follow. brownhotels.com

Dave Red Athens

In summer 2021, Dave Red Athens opened, part of a sub-brand of ‘affordable urban’ hotels targeting younger travellers. Located in the vibrant Omonia neighbourhood, it has 87 industrial-style rooms, with bare concrete walls, exposed pipes, and ‘punchy décor’ – inside what used to be the headquarters of the Greek communist party.

Urban rooms are petite, starting at 11 sqm. Foxy rooms come with a circular bed, while Foxy+ rooms have a king-size bed enclosed on three sides by pillows. The rooftop has a pool table, hot tub, massage room, and serves complimentary sparkling wine. The ground floor restaurant and bar, and the underground nightclub, are operated by Six Dogs, a local hospitality group. brownhotels.com

Lighthouse Athens

Located in between Dave Red and Brown Acropol, Lighthouse Athens began welcoming guests at the start of April. Sister hotel to Lighthouse Tel Aviv, Brown’s flagship property, the 220-room hotel takes the group to nearly 500 rooms within a few city blocks around Omonia Square.

Compact rooms – with mirrored walls to enhance the sense of space – marry a moody colour scheme (teal, green, mauve and black) and Baroque elements with contemporary furniture. The requisite rooftop has 360° views, with a pool, hot tubs, and open-air sushi bar. The first floor restaurant and bar offer all-day dining with views over Omonia Square; a large nightclub will follow later this year. brownhotels.com

Hellenic Vibes Smart Hotel

Walk down Agias Irinis street, around the corner from Monastiraki Square, and you won’t miss Hellenic Vibes Smart Hotel, courtesy of the giant, kaleidoscopic murals flanking the hotel’s entrance.

Opened in July 2021, there are 28 rooms and seven suites, accessible by mobile key, with minimalist décor and sleek bathrooms. Some rooms have private terraces with Acropolis views. There is a restaurant serving traditional Greek breakfast, and Greek and Mediterranean dishes for lunch. hellenicvibes.gr

Gatsby Athens

In autumn 2021, Gatsby Athens opened with 33 rooms and suites a few minutes’ west of Syntagma Square. Art Deco-inspired interiors feature pink headboards and dark velvet sofas, diamond-tiled showers in pink and light blue, and brass accents. Some rooms have freestanding bathtubs, while the 52 sqm Party suite has an outdoor hot tub and cinema projector.

Gatsby restaurant focuses on sharing dishes and serves food all day, while Gatsby bar runs from early morning coffee and fresh juices through to evening cocktails. Rooftop bar Cloud 9 has a stone fireplace for cooler nights. gatsbyathens.com

Vasi Athens

Original Greek terrazzo floors can be found in the 18 rooms and suites of Vasi Athens, which opened in autumn 2021, in the Psyri district. There is a range of different room categories, including options for families with extra bunk beds in the room – all feature minimalist décor in light tones. Some suites have terraces with hot tubs and Acropolis views. Complimentary breakfast is served around a communal table on the ground floor. vasihotels.com

ABOVE LEFT:

Cocktail lounge and bistro at Villa Brown Ermou

ABOVE:

A room with balcony at Lighthouse Athens

RIGHT:

The bar at Gatsby Athens

Xenodocheio Milos Athens

Opposite the National Historical Museum, Xenodocheio Milos Athens opened at the start of this year as a celebration of Greek philoxenia or hospitality. The first hotel by chef Costas Spiliadis, its restaurant, Estiatorio Milos, serves a seafoodfocused menu in a minimalist space dressed in creams and whites with soaring ceilings. Other Estiatorio Milos locations include New York, Montreal and London.

There are 43 rooms and suites – some with private terraces – with wooden floors and curved wooden headboards, sleek furniture, marble bathrooms and warm blue as a contrasting colour. There is also a gym and an Elemis wellness suite for spa treatments.

For a philoxenia experience closer to its namesake island, Milos