Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel — Hotel in Athens

Hotel Grande Bretagne is one of the best hotels that we have stayed in. When we arrived, the bell staff took care of our luggage and directed us to the check-in counter. There was no line and reception staff was very courteous. When we reached our designated room, we did not like it because it had no views. We called in the front desk to request a different room with a view. At this time, the bell boy brough the luggage. Few minutes another bell boy came to the room and requested us to accompany to the new room on the top floor. After confirming with us that we liked (we actually loved it) the room, he then transferred our luggage. There was no fuss, no issues with our request.

The room was a bit smaller than the previous room, but it was very comfortable. The only issue I would note for the room is the bathtub. It was narrow and a bit difficult to stand in. Also, there was a small partition which caused the water to get on the floor. But the views from this room were amazing.

One of the best experiences was High Tea in the Winter Garden restaurant which is located near the lobby. They treated us like a royalty. There was a selection of tea or coffee, many types of pastries, and any one hot item from the kitchen. Each one of the pastries was so delicious. It is a must have experience if you are staying in this hotel.

Breakfast was included in our price. Next morning, we went to the restaurant which is located at the roof bar on the 8th floor. They have convenient stairs and since it was just 1 flight up, we used stairs every day of our stay. The breakfast menu has so many verities and it is difficult to choose from. From fruits to pancakes, from nuts & dry fruits to a full buffet of hot items, they had everything you need for breakfast. Of course, Tea, coffee, latte, juices were also part of the breakfast. The staff were very courteous and always smiling, which brightened our day right from the start. You can also order food from the kitchen if you wish. We had the best food for all 4 mornings that we stayed here. We also enjoyed the bar in the night with great views of the city. You can see part of the Acropolis from the rooftop bar.

They also have a small, but nice pool on the 7th floor (which is where our room was). So, it was convenient for us. They provide towel service at the pool and there is also a bar.

The hotel is conveniently located in the City center across from the Parliament and shopping district. The Acropolis and other site seeing locations are also within walkable distance. They also have convenient bus stops that can take you anywhere around the city. We were able to walk everywhere, shop till we dropped and had good restaurants for dining. all of this was very convenient.

The concierge staff was very helpful and one of the staff members, I think his name was Daniel, was very sharp and helpful. He was a young chap and always ready to help answer our questions or concerns. We also bought tickets for the hop-on/Hop-off bus at a discounted rate from this desk. Again, the stop for this bus was right next to the Hotel and hence it was quite convenient.

There is also an ATM at the hotel which helped us get needed cash without feeling insecure.

Overall, we had a great time, and we want to thank the staff and management for their courteous and prompt service. Definitely, a place to stay if you...

We’re so sad to write this review. We’ve been planning this anniversary trip for months (2 nights at this hotel and then off to our cruise and then another night back in Athens) which has not yet been booked since we were hoping we would love it here and come back for our last night. Unfortunately this is not the case. Pros: It’s a beautiful historical building. Almost everyone has gone above and beyond to be kind and accommodating. The first night when we needed extra pillows, they were on top of it. The pool is clean with a beautiful view and the waitstaff worked diligently to keep up the appearance of the area. Cons: I know it’s Europe but the showers are so tiny (I’m 125lbz) and I could barely fit. It is very claustrophobic. It is Impossible to shave your legs or move around at all. If you are a bather, you are fine but most Americans I know like a good shower. Tonight when we came home at 11:30 PM they had skipped our turndown service. We were out of hand towels, face towels and 1 shower towel. They sent a man with a stack of floor mats and a couple of bath towels. The man was just a frazzled man trying to fill in. Also, keep in mind that “city view” means you’re facing the city center’s main road and constant road noise, traffic and sirens nonstop. If you are a light sleeper, this won’t work. It’s 2:30 AM as I type this because I can not sleep here. Lastly, I had a very expensive blowout at the spa today which took 1,5 hours. It looked okay when I left but a few hours later it was completely flat. This was supposed to last through my cruise but I will need it redone tomorrow. My blowouts have always lasted several days. Hoping they can touch it up in the AM before we leave. Overall, we don’t recommend. We’re hoping we have a better experience somewhere else on the way out of Greece. One last note: we enjoyed the rooftop bar but we encountered the only rude person we had come across on this trip. On the first day we were enjoying the bar and I ordered a glass of champagne. We received a text that our room was ready (after checking in at 9AM after 15 hours of travel., they finally had it ready around 2PM). We were so exhausted so we paid and headed to pick up our keys (with my champagne in hand as I was going to enjoy it in our room).One of the waitstaff followed me out and asked me if I was a hotel guest (she thought I was stealing the glass). I told her “yes”. She continued to berate me and talk down to me and asked me if I knew it was glass and breakable?? She talked to me like I was 2 years old. My husband and I were in shock over her behavior. Fortunately, she was the only unkind person we came across...

We are 74 years old and spent 459,000 points for our fiftieth anniversary and my wife is a Marriott gold member. The hotel is magnificent, and the staff were great, BUT, touring takes a lot out of an old person, plus I have mobility issues. The comfort of our stay was terrible. The AC has no visible temperature setting. At home we sleep at 66 degrees Fahrenheit. we have no idea how cold the AC gets the room but had everything on MAX. We each probably woke up four to five times a night throwing the fifty pound comforter off and pulling it back on due to the temperature all night long, not getting a very restful sleep. When we arrived home, I literally sleep fifteen hours straight being physically exhausted from the trip, not sure how I did it, but I did.||The shower is smaller than a phone booth and I had to get my body wet, shampoo my hair and rinse, shut the water off, soap up my head and rinse. This had to be done around five times to complete a shower cycle on various sections of my body. not very relaxing and getting me mad every time I took a shower. I’m not skinny but not overly heavy, I couldn’t imagine how a large person would handle it, I mean my elbows kept on hitting the glass. I'm sure if they redid some of their rooms removing the bath tub and putting in a good size shower and gave people the option, they would probably pick a shower room over a tub room. I mean who even takes a bath these days and even if they did would they take one in a hotel, YUCK. maybe they should try that as an experiment.||So overall, a very unenjoyable stay and if we ever come back to Athens, I'll put aside the fact of wanting to stay in a fancy hotel with so much history and prestige behind it and get a lot less expensive room with a more modern atmosphere. If they had a "satisfaction or your money back guarantee," I would definitely request it.||kinda ruined the trip to a certain extent, but love the country and being southern Italian, "UNA FACCIA, UNA RAZZA", means One face, one race. It is a traditional expression applied to Italians and Greeks to indicate the many similarities.|I actually have Greek DNA in my...