Grecian getaway

As visitors return, Athens is opening a range of new hotels. From affordable urban options to luxurious seaside resorts, there plenty of choice for the discerning traveller

- PAUL J DEVRIES

After two difficult years, this summer is one of optimism for Greece. Tourist traffic is on its way back to, and possibly set to beat, 2019 levels - a critical upward trend in a country where one in four jobs is directly or indirectly generated by tourism.

Visitors to Athens will have a range of new and refreshed hotels to choose from, with the wave of hotel development sweeping other European capitals making its way to the city. The rebirth of the 1960s Astir Palace in Vouliagmeni kicked things off in early 2019, emerging as a lavish Four Seasons resort with 330 rooms and suites (including the original bungalows nestled in the pine trees) and an endless list of amenities. An outpost of One and Only Resorts is coming to completion just up the coast, and the former international airport - one of Europe's largest redevelopment projects - will be home to multiple hotels.

There is greater choice in the city centre too, including smaller, boutique options for those who prefer something more intimate. Monsieur Didot opened in late 2019 with only four rooms and two suites, inside an 1880s neoclassical building where John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed incognito when visiting the Greek capital.

Xenodocheio Milos Athens is located opposite the National Historical Museum, and opened at the start of this year with 43 rooms and suites. It is the first hotel venture of Costas Spiliadis, the chef behind the Estiatorio Milos restaurant brand in cities including London and New York. Meanwhile, the 1963 Modernist-style Hilton Athens will nearly halve its room count as part of its transformation into Conrad Athens.

Here we take a look at a selection of recent arrivals and upcoming openings in Athens, and some noteworthy additions on the mainland coast and out on the country's sunlit islands.