The welcome
True to its name, arriving at the grand, nine-storey historic hotel, which dates from 1874, is impressive. My taxi stops close to the entrance, and I’m immediately helped by a smartly uniformed doorman. The lobby – subject, like the rest of the hotel, to a thorough remodelling a few years ago – is grand and fresh, with a mosaic-tiled floor, soaring ceilings and imperial-style grandeur. Check-in is fast, and my bag reaches the room at the same time as me.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is centrally located on Syntagma Square, opposite the Greek Parliament and very close to the main shopping areas.
The scene
The hotel is a big landmark in itself, offering a host of services, including a spa, hair salon and shops, and the views from the rooftop terrace are arguably the best in the city. The clientele is a mix of business and leisure guests travelling either in groups or individually. Most are from the United States or Europe; there’s a big Chinese group and a small group from Saudi staying while I’m at the hotel. Staircases, hallways and other public areas are quite grand, but it feels refined rather than stuffy.
The room
The hotel has 320 rooms and suites. I’m in a classic room on the second floor, overlooking Syntagma Square. The floor area of about 30 square metres seems small at first, but it’s counteracted somewhat by high ceilings and attractive coving. Despite its traditional appearance, it’s practical and well-arranged. I have a small balcony overlooking the square, but the traffic noise is too loud to make me want to use it. The double glazing just about sufficiently muffles the traffic noise. The bed and pillows are really comfortable, and the air conditioning works properly – a must in an Athens summer. The marble bathroom is luxurious. There’s plenty of well-lit wardrobe space.
The service
Efficient, friendly and down-to-earth, although coffee takes too long when the breakfast buffet is busy. At dinner, it’s dignified and personal.
The food
The main restaurant is called GB Roof Garden, which has indoor and outdoor rooftop areas. In the mornings, a buffet breakfast is laid out, and the atmosphere is informal. There’s the usual spread of fruit, pastries and hot items, but I don’t get past the locally made rice pudding and Greek yogurt. Coffee is good. In the evenings, the restaurant is cosier, conservative and sophisticated, with starched white tablecloths and well-dressed diners. The ceviche trilogy (€28.50 [Dh118]) with sea bass, salmon and tuna, delicately sliced and dressed in yuzu sorbet and orange blossom honey, is excellent. The 250-gram Black Angus rib-eye steak (€50 [Dh208]) is cooked just as I request it – soft and juicy in the middle and blackened on the outside. The accompanying potato wedges are a bit of a let-down, though.
Loved
The sense of history and the rooftop views.
Hated
The rooftop pool is only open from May to October. When I go for a swim in the downstairs pool at 7am, I find that the steam room and sauna don’t open for another two hours.
The verdict
Probably the best luxury base in Athens.
The bottom line
Double rooms at the Hotel Grande Bretagne (www.grandebretagne.gr), a Starwood Luxury Collection hotel, cost from €260 (Dh1,081) per night, including taxes but excluding breakfast.
rbehan@thenational.ae
