The Grand Bretagne Hotel was named again on the same list for 2020 as one of the best hotels in the world, according to Conde Nast Traveler.
Once a year, the editors of the world’s top travel magazine get together to make lists: favorite castles, favorite safaris, favorite restaurants, favorite spas and more. But one list tops them all — hotels.
The CN editors’ Gold List is the stuff that legends are made of… and the list that any hotel would dream of making.
The 2020 list includes hotels on six continents and 49 countries. In a nutshell, these are the top hotels in the world according to some of the most seasoned travel journalists.
Greece’s iconic Grand Bretagne is among those hotels.
Located in the heart of Athens, the historic Grand Bretagne is Syntagma Square’s most famous building after the Hellenic Parliament.
Long considered the “go-to” hotel for heads of state, Hollywood celebrities and the global elite, the Grand Bretagne has a history just as rich and eclectic as its clientele.
Built originally as a house for a wealthy businessman in 1842, the building was bought in 1874 by Efstathios Lampsas. Lampsas transformed the building into a hotel and gave it its name, the Grand Bretagne. A decade later the hotel had electricity and became one of the most modern buildings in all of Greece.
Various wings and additions in the mid 1900s gave the building its current structure and imposing magnitude. This made it an attractive location for welcomed and some not-so-welcomed guests, including the Nazi German leadership who captured the building and transformed it into their Greek headquarters during World War II.
Only a corner away from the Greek Parliament, the hotel’s facade has become synonymous with modern day demonstrations and social unrest taking place in Syntagma Square, making the hotel the focal point of modern democracy at work.
The Grand Bretagne’s world famous Alexander’s Bar was voted by Forbes Magazine as the world’s best hotel bar. A stunning 18th century tapestry of Alexander the Great is the focal point of the bar and gives it its name. But the drinks are what makes this place world famous, including connoisseur choices of the famous extra rare single malt Macallan series of 1937, 1940, 1946, 1952, 1969, 1973 and the astonishing Luis XIII Black Perl.
Not to be forgotten are the GB’s seemingly endless guestroom options, each complete with elaborate and thoughtful decor that makes for an incomparable hospitality experience.
Book your Athenian weekend or lay-over at the Grand Bretagne here. Check availability and rates for your stay in Athens.
