Makrygianni / Dionysiou Areopagitou

AthensWas Hotel

★★★★★

AthensWas occupies one of the best addresses in the city: Dionysiou Areopagitou, the broad, pedestrianised, tree-lined promenade that curls around the southern foot of the Acropolis. From the front door you can walk to the Acropolis Museum in a minute or two and to the South Slope entrance of the Acropolis in a few more, and in the other direction the walk to Plaka, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch takes ten minutes. It is a member of Design Hotels, and the look is calm, clean-lined modernism with a Greek soul: Greek marble, Greek walnut and Italian designer furniture, with a muted palette that lets the light and the views do the talking. The rooms and suites are generously proportioned for central Athens, quiet and beautifully finished, and the top categories include grand suites with terraces that face the Acropolis. The hotel's crown is SENSE, its rooftop restaurant, which looks directly up at the Parthenon; it serves modern Mediterranean cooking and is one of the city's most memorable places for dinner, especially when the monuments are floodlit. Guests who book directly with the hotel receive a discount on food at SENSE. The atmosphere is intimate and discreet rather than grand, the service personal, and the setting peaceful, because the promenade outside is closed to traffic. One important caveat, which the hotel states itself: it cannot accommodate guests with walking disabilities, so travellers with mobility needs should look elsewhere. For couples, design lovers and anyone who wants to be close to the Acropolis without the bustle of Plaka, it is one of the most rewarding stays in Athens.

The location advantage: being on Dionysiou Areopagitou changes how you experience Athens. You can be at the Acropolis entrance for the first slot of the morning without any transport, walk back for a rest in the heat of the day, and stroll along the promenade in the evening, when locals come out for a walk below the illuminated rock. Makrygianni and Koukaki, the neighbourhoods just south, are full of good cafes, bakeries and tavernas used by locals, and the Acropoli metro station is close by for trips across the city and to the airport.

Choosing a room: the hotel offers a range of room and suite categories; the most coveted have Acropolis views and private terraces, while lower categories face the surrounding streets and are quieter and better value. As in most boutique hotels, it pays to book early for the view rooms, especially from spring to autumn. Breakfast is served with care, and the concierge can arrange private guides and early museum visits.

Price and value: AthensWas sits in the luxury bracket, below the city's grandest hotels but above most boutique stays, and rates peak in summer. The five-star climate resilience fee applies per room per night. What you pay for is the address, the design and the rooftop: few hotels in Athens put you so close to the Acropolis in such a calm and stylish setting.