Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
More photosHotel Grande Bretagne is a total legend right on Syntagma Square. Built in 1842 as a mega-mansion for a wealthy businessman, it’s basically a living museum that has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Elizabeth Taylor.
The stunning Neoclassical design was pulled together by Danish architect Theophil Hansen, the same genius behind the Academy of Athens. It’s got that old-world European glamour that makes you feel like royalty the second you step inside.
Here is a wild historical nugget: during World War II, the hotel served as the headquarters for both the Greek government and later the Axis forces. Rumor has it there was even a secret plot to blow up the entire building while Churchill was staying there, but it was thwarted at the last second.
Today, its crown jewel is the rooftop pool and restaurant. You can sip an espresso or a cocktail while looking directly at the Acropolis—the view is so close it almost feels fake.
Expert reviews
“The grande dame of hotels in Athens sits opposite the Parliament on Syntagma Square and has been a beacon of luxury and sophistication in the city for many years. There are many draws to this 1842-vintage building that used to be a private mansion.”
“If you aspire to the best, the place to stay in Athens is – and always has been – the Grande Bretagne, right on Syntagma Sq. Built in 1862 to accommodate visiting heads of state, it ranks among the grandest hotels in the world.”
“With a guest list that includes more than a century’s worth of royals, rock stars, and heads of state, the landmark Grande Bretagne remains the most exclusive hotel in Athens. Built in 1842, the hotel still reflects its original grandeur.”
Featured as Fodor’s Choice in Athens.
“The best rooms have balconies overlooking Syntagma Square with a view of the daily changing of the guard and the son et lumier show on the Acropolis most evenings. Just about everybody who’s anybody has stayed here including Winston Churchill, any number of Kennedys, and Madonna.”
Featured as Frommer’s Exceptional Choice in Athens.
“A landmark hotel crowning central Syntagma Square, Hotel Grande Bretagne has been a centerpiece of the capital city since debuting in 1874. Since then, the hotel has hosted royalty, heads of state and stars like Sophia Loren and Sean Connery, plus artists on tour like Jay-Z and David Bowie.”
“A local institution, this is the grande dame of Athenian hotels. Whenever heads of state and Hollywood stars come to the Greek capital, this is where they stay. Glamorous rooms, gracious service, an opulent spa and superb rooftop dining have earned the ‘GB’ a place among the world’s best hotels.”
What guests liked
- Excellent location
- Great neighborhood
- Rooftop restaurant
- Great views
- Comfortable beds
Location
Recent guest reviews
11 November 2025
Beautiful hotel in the heart of Athens
Beautiful hotel and wonderful location. The bar is fabulous and the hotel is brimming with history. This was our second visit.
NA
29 September 2025
Excellent short family stay
Perfect location
A bit pricey.
21 September 2025
Very expensive hotel but magnificent. historical , the roof top, lobby & the breakfast was super
The Location is the best in town
Small rooms
28 August 2025
A fabulous place to stay in central Athens!
Amazing location, a superb traditional hotel run extremely efficiently and with very high standards.
The outdoor swimming pool/terrace was very over crowded.
21 August 2025
Amazing and really enjoyed it
Rooftop - cigar lounge - everything was amazing
Payment method is outdated — blocking the amount first and releasing it later is really old school. Needs to be updated.
9 July 2025
Traditional hotel in central location
Location. Very central.
No
7 July 2025
Excelente location in traditional hotel
Location
Small pool and small room
19 June 2025
The classic luxury hotel in Athens
Location
Small room
30 May 2025
A memorable experience in the heart of Athens!
Amazing location, breathtaking view of the Acropolis. The staff was polite, friendly and highly professional. Facilities and catering were up to the highest standards. Truly impressed!
23 April 2025
Superb hotel experience in Athens
Amazing location. High quality hotel. Staff exceptionally polite and very helpful. Restaurant on 8th floor has amazing views and also amazing cuisine. Highly recommend.
Liked everything
4 April 2025
I wish I stayed longer in Athens just to spend more time at this hotel.
One of my favorite hotels ever. The staff were super accommodating and friendly. The food was incredible. The cigar bar was one of the nicest I have ever been to. I wish I stayed longer in Athens just to spend more time at this hotel. They helped us plan our trip to and from various airports and gave excellent advice on where we should and should not go. We will be coming back to Athens and only staying here from now on.
23 March 2025
Quite literally one of the most exquisite hotels in the world
Historic, majestic, expertly restored
The air conditioning was balky and we were a little cold at night
16 March 2025
celbrating a family special birthday, the ambience & service was beyong expectations, Fabulous!
i requested a twin room, on arrival my adukt sons were offered a double bed. This was resolved without any fuss and immediately
it was perfect
3 March 2025
We will definitely visit again soon
Outstanding Breakfast and view to the Acropolis, great service and great guest needs identification.
6 January 2025
It was nice and great
Very good area
Very nice food
2 January 2025
Perfect room to be able to see the fireworks and Parthenon
Fantastic view from my balcony
12 November 2024
Fantastic hotel. Will definitely be back
Overall the hotel is fantastic. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Great location. Breakfast on the terrace overlooking Acropolis adds to the atmosphere.
8 November 2024
Great location. Excellent restaurant at the rooftop.
Very clean and great location. Best dinner at their restaurant.
1 November 2024
The place is worth every penny
First of all, photos do not do enough justice to the place. It looks great in pictures, however you get a truly "wow" feeling once you get there. Especially Alexander's Winter Palace.
The best part of our stay was the anticipation to get back after a day's journey. The food was tasty, vegetables and fruits looked fresh, professional staff, clean place and fast internet speed. Why wouldn't we? :)
One more thing that stood out was attention to details. For example, if you're an early morning coffee enthusiast, mini-bar is equipped with everything you need.
The gym size turned out to be small. Granted, there was an unusually large number of sport enthusiasts, it would be still great to have a couple of additional areas for weightlifting and stretching.
1 October 2024
Nothing I didn't like :-)
Comfortable
Nothing
20 September 2024
A great location with amazing Rooftop Bar & Restaurant overlooking the Acropolis
Our room was clean and well provided for with products and a desk was available to complete some work. Our bed was comfortable and our room quiet. This large older style hotel has many corridors and our room overlooked an outdoor space. The food quality and price was excellent with a great respresentation of some of the best wines from multiple regions in Greece. We enjoyed tasting these wines with good food.
The many twists & turns to arrive at the room. Our room had not recently been renovated and did not have a free standing shower, smaller than expected for the cost of the accommodation.
3 September 2024
Location, Food, Staff were all amazing!!
amazing view from restaurant, perfect location, beautiful old hotel with nice modern touches
29 August 2024
Always our favourite hotel
Room, G8 Bar, breakfast, room service
Perhaps you can consider alternatives to secure umbrellas in the pool area. We weren’t able to have any shade because it was windy and it was extremely hot
2 August 2024
Best hotel EVER
Everything! What can you say? It’s the best hotel in Greece and likely one of the best in the world!
Nothing
26 June 2024
A wonderful property to stay at.
We were treated royally by the staff. Restaurant staff especially were attentive and friendly.
Everything was great
21 June 2024
As near to perfect as a hotel can get.
The classic surroundings. Beautifully kept. And the wonderful staff Nothing was too much trouble.
Nothing
17 June 2024
A beautiful experience!
Staying at Hotel Grande Bretagne was the peak experience of our three weeks in Greece. The excellent location, the magnificent views from our room, the wonderful meal, the caring service - everything was perfect. I'd especially like to thank the manager who got us the delightful room with a view. Thanks for your help and sympathy!
There was an initial disappointment about the room, but the manager fixed it.
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kids' meals
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Barber/beauty shop
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Packed lunches
- - Car hire
- - Heating
- - Allergy-free room
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Pet bowls
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Tour desk
- - Luggage storage
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Concierge service
- - Invoice provided
Outdoors
- - Terrace
- - Outdoor pool
- - Outdoor pool (seasonal)
Entertainment & family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Activities
- - Massage (additional charge)
- - Full body massage
- - Walking tours (additional charge)
- - Tour or class about local culture (additional charge)
- - Live music/performance
- - Bicycle rental
Pool and wellness
- - Rooftop pool
- - Pool with view
- - Pool bar
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Sun umbrellas
- - Swimming pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Thermometers for guests provided by property
- - Face masks for guests available
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