Gatsby Athens

Rooms

There are 33 rooms and suites across 7 categories and 6 floors, with the best being on the 5th and 6th floors. Which you choose will depend on budget, availablility and how much space you need. All except a couple on the first floor have small Juliet balconies.

We thought Lavish Rooms fine for a couple on more of a budget; Elite Junior Suites get an extra something (3 have an in-room tub, 1 has a large balcony) and an extra 5 sq.m. of space. Most suites are on higher floors: top-of-the-pile Gatsby Party Suite has two walls of window catching the sun, one of which leads onto a small balcony with a cosy hot tub and an outdoor cinema hidden behind a door. One level down, the Bubbly Suite is similar but without the hot tub and cinema. Some lower-floor suites, such as Cool Corner Suite 107, make up for the lack of views with an extra spacious sitting area. Darling Rooms are the entry level, and the only twins in the building; a couple are accessible.

Decor throughout is bang on-trend: matte brass Art Deco fittings where every corner is curved, and a muted palette of slate blue or dusty pink. You get plenty of comforts - it's a 5* hotel after all - including kingsize beds, robes and slippers, autonomous heating, retro Bakelite phones, coffee-capsule machines, Ortigia toiletries and an intriguing "Surprise" button (which I'm ashamed to admit I never pressed; do let me know what happens if you do). Most bathrooms have shower cubicles; a few have walk-in wetrooms or tubs.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobes
• Central heating
• Coffee / tea making
• Cots available
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

The a la carte breakfast is one of the hotel's highlights, with an unrushed, indulgent vibe (it's served till noon). The menu is divided into salads, pancakes, eggs and classics. Order as many dishes as you want: in the interests of research, we went all out with eight on our first day, which more than sufficed for lunch as well. Standouts included scrambled eggs with tomatoes and feta, and the Gatsby granola with thyme honey, berries and bitter chocolate.

Lunch and dinner menus are short but varied, ranging from Greek snacks (pita and tarama, grilled octopus) to 12-hour slow-cooked lamb, via a cosmopolitan hopscotch of sashimi, ceviche, beef tartare and rib-eye steak. i-escape guests get a discount, which is handy given the five-star-hotel prices. Since we visited, the restaurant has taken over the adjacent building, but retains its urban-jungle vibe, with dripping lights and illuminated butterflies, with live music every afternoon and early evening in the neighbouring bar.

Most likely though, you'll be eating out at one of the many characterful tavernas in Plaka or Monastiraki (5-10 mins), or further afield. There are some great, some lively and some downright touristy spots, so ask the super-helpful staff for the lowdown.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• You're perfectly placed for exploring both Syntagma (Constitution) Square with its evzones guards and House of Parliament; and the semi-pedestrianised Plaka, with its outdoor tavernas and curio shops
  
• Overlooking Plaka is the Acropolis, which needs no introduction - except to say book a timed entry ticket, go early or late to dodge the crowds, and don't miss the separate museum
  
• Also walkable is gentrified Kolonaki, with its fine dining and funicular train up to the summit of Lykavitos (Lycabettus) Hill
  
• Athenian nightlife is centred around street-arty Psyri (for meze eateries and live rembetika) or Gazi (for all-night bouzouki clubs and gay bars); both are a short taxi ride
  
• Escape the melee with a trip to pine-shaded Kaisariani Monastery, or to the city beaches at Faliro, Glyfada or Vouliagmeni (30-60 mins)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming

Kids

This is an unashamedly couple-oriented hotel, but families can book interconnecting suites such as 106 and 107 (Cool Corner Suite and Juliet Petit Room); or put older children in a separate Darling twin room.

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Gatsby is in Athens' epicentre, between Syntagma (Constitution) Square and the historic Plaka district, beneath the Acropolis.

By Air
There are plenty of direct flights to Athens International Airport from European cities, plus major North American and Asian hubs.

From the Airport
Either take the metro from the airport (Line 3) to Syntagma and walk 5 mins; or take a taxi (about 45 minutes). There's also a 24-hour bus service (every 20 minutes) to Syntagma from the airport.