Where should you stay in Athens? Start with the NEW
Big hotels for big occasions maybe, but Athens does boutique hotels best
When my French friend Julien told me he was coming to Athens with his new girlfriend and asked me where to stay, I said, “anywhere but my place.”
Then I asked him a question: grand or petite? Those are the two biggest hotel stay parameters in Athens — cue the opening of the new Conrad Athens the Ilisian today…either you’re a fan of it or you aren’t, but staying in “grand” hotel is certainly an experience. You can bank on it as a good choice for business travelers who either need to impress, have an expense account or both. Unlike New York Athens does not have a huge number of big hotels.
There’s also a bumper crop of boutique hotels, some pretty mid, others rather cool. The thing you want to avoid is a hotel stay in the touristy, dare we say overtouristed center of the center city — including Plaka, but not only.
For my demanding French friends I recommended one of the boutique hotel mainstays, the NEW hotel, which is not new, but it is stylish, reliable, a solid build, and located in the center but also a plate’s toss from the National Garden, so you never feel stuck or surrounded by concrete and tourists.
Stats? It’s a 79-room, 5-star boutique property located in the heart of the city near Syntagma Square and Plaka, designed by Fernando and Humberto Campana & features, vibrant, artistic interiors with reclaimed materials.
This video, below, is also not new but is about the New, entitled “1-minute wanders®: Is This the Best Hotel in Athens?”, & explores the unique and artistic atmosphere of the NEW Hotel in Athens, Greece. It’s the shorter version of a longer hotel tour available on special request.
An AI summary of the highlights:
Design and Atmosphere
Thematic Aesthetic: The hotel is described as having a mix of mischief and functionality, creating a strong “sense of place” [01:06].
Artistic Rooms: * Some rooms feature “Evil Eye” themes with backlighting [01:13].
Amenities and Dining
The Views: While many seek an Acropolis view, the narrator humorously suggests that rooms without it allow for fewer distractions [00:19].
Power Breakfast: The ground floor is home to NEW Taste, which is considered a top “power breakfast” spot in Athens [02:15]. The narrator highlights the high quality of the Greek yogurt and croissants [01:58].
Fun fact: his friend Julien somehow missed breakfast altogether.🤔
Overall Experience
The hotel feels like “home,” combining comfort with high-concept design that makes it a standout destination in the city [00:48].
Watch the full short-version video here:
