Hotel Grande Bretagne

Presiding over Syntagma Square since the 1870s, the Grande Bretagne has watched modern Greek history unfold from its balconies—kings, statesmen and correspondents have all made it their Athens base. The public rooms still carry that gravitas: acres of veined marble, coffered ceilings, tapestries and a winter garden where afternoon tea proceeds beneath a stained-glass canopy.

Rooms are classically styled with silk textiles and marble bathrooms, and the categories that matter face the Acropolis: watching the Parthenon floodlights come on from your balcony is the hotel's defining luxury. The roof garden restaurant and bar hold what may be the city's single best view, pairing grilled Greek cooking with the illuminated citadel; unsurprisingly, sunset tables are the hottest reservation in Athens.

Beneath the lobby, a serious spa with an ornate indoor pool and thermal suite provides respite from the city's heat and noise, and a rooftop pool joins it in summer. Plaka, the museums and the metro are all at the doorstep. The square outside can be loud and lively—this is central Athens—but the Grande Bretagne remains the capital's undisputed flagship.