David

I am traveling to Athens in April and have made reservations to stay at the Grande Breatagne with my wife and 2 sons. I have heard that the rooms are somewhat rundown and in need of renovation. Anyone with recent information/experience?

monica

I was there on my honeymoon 2 years ago and had a chance to stay in 3 rooms. We stayed in one room for 1 night and flew to the islands and came back and stayed in another on our way back to the states. Our room had a leek from the ceiling and they were kind enough to change our room to a very nice one with a large patio on the 5th Floor(I'm not sure about the floor). Ask for a room with a view of the Parliment. The rooms we had were on various floors and the design was different for each one. Some were nicer than the others and very different. They all had very nice marble bathrooms. So I think its a toss up. If you don't like the room I think if they aren't booked they can change you. Always remember...its not the standard 4 star hotel we expect in the U.S. I did like it very much and would stay there again.

Sally

We were in Athens in Nov. and I can tell you to not to expect too much from the hotels. I booked a 4 star hotel which, in my opinion, should have been rated a 2 star. Other tourists we ran into had the same opinions of the hotels they were staying at. We did walk by the Grande Bretange and it looked okay, nothing grand about it. Good luck.

Deena

I stayed there seven years ago twice (once right before we departed to the islands and our last night in Athens). The rooms were vastly different. Our first room was not great. The furniture was dated, the carpets a bit worn, and the traffic outside was noisy. It wasn't horrible but I had expected a little more luxury. The next room we stayed in was huge. The bathroom was enormous and very nice. It was an inner room and was quiet. We like it very much. It was seven years ago and I don't know if the hotel has been renovated since. Back then, it had a faded elegance.

Claudia

We stayed there twice, (once in 1976 and again in 1997) and had no complaints.
As one other guest wrote, you aren't in the US. But the rooms were clean, bathrooms were relatively large, and we were comfortable. Overall, I thought the staff were friendly and helpful too.

Good luck. and don't forget to go eat/stroll the Plaka area.

Patrick

I am amazed at the comments about how not to expect so much. We stayed at the Electra Palace in Plaka (not the Electra near Styg. Square) and it rivaled any 4 star hotel in the US. In fact our upper floor room was nicer and larger than some 5 stars I've stayed in around the world, including the US. We had been worried because it was so much less expensive than the Grande Bretagne which was so highly recommended, but we really wanted to stay in the Plaka area. Guess we were especially lucky that we did.

Peter

David,

I stayed there in late September `00 on a one-night stopover for my honeymoon (Santorini, Mykonos, Rome).

My room was simple - no frills. I was hoping for more. When I booked it originally, I had thought it was the best in Athens.

In summary, I wasn't impressed. It is a hotel with an incredible history, but unfortunately it is showing its age.

I stayed in MUCH better hotels on the islands.

Good luck.
PS. I had breakfast there and wasn't impressed either. If you stay, skip it and opt for something in the Plaka, which is lovely.