The 8 Best Hotels
in Athens
Athens is one of Europe's most layered hotel cities — a place where a rooftop terrace with Acropolis views can cost €120 a night and a design boutique in Monastiraki can undercut a Berlin Airbnb. The city's accommodation scene has undergone a quiet revolution since the mid-2010s, with Athenian entrepreneurs converting neoclassical mansions and brutalist apartment blocks alike into some of the most characterful small hotels in southern Europe. Athens rewards those who look beyond the tourist-facing hotels ringing Syntagma Square: the Psyrri arts district, the residential calm of Kolonaki, and the authentically gritty streets of Metaxourgeio each offer a completely different version of the city.
We've narrowed it down to 8 hotels spanning three tiers. Two splurges that justify every cent — one a heritage landmark, one a design statement with unrivalled Acropolis sightlines. Three mid-range picks that punch hard on personality and location without asking you to remortgage. And three budget options where the value is genuinely extraordinary by Western European standards. Athens remains meaningfully cheaper than Rome or Barcelona at every tier, and that gap is most dramatic in the budget and mid-range brackets.
| Hotel | Neighborhood | From €/night | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Grande Bretagne | Syntagma | €380–950 | Splurge |
| New Hotel | Syntagma / Plaka edge | €200–480 | Splurge |
| Perianth Hotel | Monastiraki | €130–310 | Mid-range |
| AthensWas Hotel | Makrygianni / Acropolis South Slope | €145–340 | Mid-range |
| Coco-Mat Athens BC | Kolonaki | €120–260 | Mid-range |
| Athens Gate Hotel | Makrygianni | €70–165 | Budget |
| Hotel Attalos | Monastiraki | €55–140 | Budget |
| Tempi Hotel | Monastiraki / Psyrri edge | €40–100 | Budget |
Where to stay in Athens
Athens sprawls over more than 400 square kilometres but its hotel-relevant core is surprisingly compact — a rough triangle between Syntagma, Monastiraki, and the Acropolis south slope. Where you sleep shapes your Athens completely: the energy, noise level, and what you step out to in the morning are radically different between quarters.
The busiest and most atmospheric zone for first-time visitors, with the flea market, the ancient Agora ruins, and some of Athens's best street food all overlapping. Hotels here range from budget family-runs to design boutiques. Noise is significant — the square itself never truly quiets before midnight in summer. Prices are mid-table for Athens, with location compensating for what some hotels lack in finish.
The oldest continuously inhabited neighbourhood in Europe and the most visitor-dense. Hotels here carry a premium for the proximity to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, and the pedestrianised Dionysiou Areopagitou walkway is one of the finest urban strolls on the continent. Quieter than Monastiraki after 10pm; fewer authentic local restaurants but unbeatable monument adjacency.
Syntagma is Athens's civic heart — Parliament, the National Garden, luxury flagships — while Kolonaki, the hillside neighbourhood above it, is where Athenian professionals live, eat, and drink. Hotels in Kolonaki tend toward boutique-residential rather than tourist-facing. Slightly removed from the ancient sites but the neighbourhood quality — independent bakeries, serious wine bars, a functioning gallery scene — is the best in the city.
The rougher western edge of the historic centre has become Athens's most interesting neighbourhood for the arts-and-food crowd over the past decade. Hotels are sparse and tend to be owner-run projects in converted industrial buildings. Prices are the lowest of any central area, and the trade-off is authenticity: this is Athens before the tourists arrived, which either appeals immediately or doesn't.
Hotel Grande Bretagne
Built in 1842 and occupying the entire eastern flank of Syntagma Square, the Grande Bretagne is the closest thing Athens has to a national monument that also changes your sheets. Winston Churchill famously stayed here during WWII; the corridors still carry that weight of event. Rooms blend gilded Hellenic detailing with proper modern comfort — blackout lining on the heavy drapes, marble bathrooms that actually feel grand rather than cold. The rooftop pool and GB Roof Garden restaurant deliver what might be the single best Acropolis panorama of any hotel in the city.
- Rooftop pool with direct Acropolis views
- Legendary guest history since 1842
- GB Roof Garden — exceptional terrace dining
- Syntagma Square on the doorstep
- Full spa, marble pool, and fitness centre
New Hotel
The New Hotel occupies the former Olympic Palace building and was redesigned by Fernando and Humberto Campana — the Brazilian brothers known for their assemblage aesthetic. Furniture made from salvaged Athenian building materials lines the lobby; no two chairs are identical. The effect could feel gimmicky but instead reads as a sincere meditation on the city's archaeological layering. Rooms are smaller than the price suggests but beautifully executed in raw concrete, warm oak, and hand-woven textiles. The ground-floor brasserie draws a local crowd, which is always a good sign.
- Campana Brothers interior — globally recognised design
- Walking distance to Plaka and the Acropolis
- Locally sourced, thoughtfully assembled materials throughout
- Brasserie popular with Athenian creatives
- Rooftop terrace with city views
Perianth Hotel
Twenty-two rooms above one of Athens's most atmospheric squares, with the Acropolis rising directly to the south and the flea market of Monastiraki at street level. The Perianth is an owner-run boutique that gets the balance right — rooms are white-washed and airy with handpicked local ceramics and herringbone wood floors, the kind of restraint that implies taste rather than budget. The rooftop is the hotel's trump card: a narrow terrace with Parthenon sightlines that most guests book specifically to photograph at sunset. Breakfast is served until 11:30, which matters in Athens.
- Rooftop terrace with direct Parthenon sightline
- Monastiraki Square literally outside the door
- 22 individually styled rooms — intimate scale
- Greek ceramics and local artisan details
- Late breakfast service
AthensWas Hotel
AthensWas sits on the pedestrianised walkway that traces the south slope of the Acropolis — the same street that connects the Acropolis Museum to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The building is a converted 1960s office block, transformed with Piero Lissoni's trademark cool rationalism: pale stone, slender furniture, rooms that feel like edited apartments rather than hotel boxes. The rooftop pool is small but uncrowded, and the view from the sun loungers is the Acropolis at eye level. Book a south-facing room for the full effect.
- Rooftop pool facing the Acropolis
- On the historic Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian promenade
- Piero Lissoni interior design
- Steps from the Acropolis Museum
- Quiet location despite central position
Coco-Mat Athens BC
Coco-Mat is the Greek natural-sleep brand that exports mattresses to boutique hotels across Europe; this Athens outpost is their showcase. The beds are extraordinary — layers of natural rubber, coco fibre, and horsehair that justify the brand's cult following. The hotel occupies a handsome neoclassical building in Kolonaki, Athens's wealthiest residential neighbourhood, surrounded by good independent coffee shops and serious restaurants. Rooms are calm and unfussy with organic linens and wooden floors. It lacks a rooftop pool but the neighbourhood walk quality alone is worth the trade-off.
- Coco-Mat's flagship sleep system — genuinely exceptional
- Kolonaki neighbourhood: independent dining and galleries
- Neoclassical building with high ceilings
- Organic linen and natural material throughout
- Quieter than Monastiraki without sacrificing access
Athens Gate Hotel
The Athens Gate is a well-worn but consistently reliable budget-to-mid choice facing the Temple of Olympian Zeus — one of antiquity's most underrated monuments. Rooms are standard three-star: clean, functional, not designed to linger in. But the rooftop terrace with Acropolis and Olympieion views is legitimately excellent, and at this price point, that kind of panorama is exceptional value. The Makrygianni location keeps you south of the tourist scrum while remaining a ten-minute walk to both the Acropolis Museum and Syntagma. Solo travellers and couples on tighter budgets come back repeatedly.
- Rooftop terrace overlooking Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Acropolis Museum within walking distance
- Consistently strong value for the location
- 99 rooms — easy to get availability
- Facing a UNESCO monument at budget prices
Hotel Attalos
The Attalos is a three-star veteran that has quietly served budget travellers in Monastiraki for decades — no designer furniture, no Instagram moments, just well-maintained rooms in one of Athens's most central addresses. The sixth-floor rooftop breakfast terrace looks directly at the Acropolis and remains one of the great free views in the city at any tier. Staff are notably helpful and long-serving, which translates into practical local knowledge about avoiding tourist traps. Rooms facing the interior courtyard are quieter; street-facing rooms on lower floors can be noisy until late.
- Rooftop breakfast terrace with Acropolis view
- Monastiraki flea market at street level
- Long-serving, knowledgeable staff
- Highly central — everything walkable
- Reliable budget option with consistent reviews
Tempi Hotel
The Tempi is a compact, family-run hotel on Eolou Street — the pedestrianised spine that connects Monastiraki to Omonia — and it represents genuinely extraordinary value for what central Athens costs. Rooms are small and simple: white walls, decent beds, shared or private bathrooms depending on what you book. The flower market on the street below erupts at dawn, which is atmospheric if you like it and maddening if you don't. The owner is warm and forthcoming with honest local advice. This is a hostel alternative that still gives you a private room in the thick of ancient Athens.
- One of the lowest prices for a private room centrally
- Family-run with genuinely personal service
- On pedestrianised Eolou Street — zero car noise
- Athens flower market directly below
- Psyrri arts district bars within 3 minutes
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to book hotels in Athens — and how far in advance?
Are hotels in Athens expensive compared to other European capitals?
Is it worth paying extra for an Acropolis view room?
Which neighbourhood is best for first-time visitors to Athens?
Do Athens hotels typically include breakfast, and is it worth taking?
How do I get from Athens airport to my hotel, and does it affect which area I should book?
Are Athens hotels safe to book in areas like Metaxourgeio or Psyrri?
How we chose these hotels
Our editorial team reviewed Athens's hotel landscape and selected 8 across budgets, prioritising properties that capture local character — heritage architecture, owner-run boutiques, surf-town informality — over generic resort-chain accommodations. Where two hotels are comparable, we pick the smaller, owner-run option.
None of these hotels paid to be included, and we have no commercial relationship with any of them. Use the "View on Google Maps" links above to find each property's official website, current rates and availability. Prices are estimated nightly ranges in EUR for a double room and will vary by season and availability. Recommendations are reviewed every six months; this guide was last updated April 2026.
When to visit Athens
For everything you need to plan a Athens trip — neighbourhoods, food, things to do, day trips, transport — see our complete Athens travel guide.