Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece

The Grande Bretagne is the grande dame of Athens hotels - the one that the ubiquitous Winston Churchil and no doubt Ernest Hemmingway stayed in (were they ever at home?). It's right on Syntagma Square - Constitution Square - which is the main central plaza of Athens, where the parliament building is, guarded by goose-stepping beret-wearing soldiers with pom poms on their feet. You're a stone's throw from the best bits of Athens - Monastiraki, Plaka, and the best museums, including the lovely little Benaki museum. The hotel has a great bistro on the ground floor, very bustling at lunch, and a fabulous roof top restaurant with great Acropolis views. Many of the rooms also look up to the Acropolis. The whole hotel was renovated around the time of the Athens Olympics to the tune of millions of euro, and it is in splendid nick. The winter garden, magnificent lobby and up-to-the-minute spa all attest to that renovation. If you can stretch to it, it's our favourite in Athens.