실라 아테네

This is the prettiest, most charming, and romantic little hotel in the world! Located in a quiet, narrow, cobblestone street in the middle of one of Athen's most vibrant neighborhoods, it offers a quiet, aesthetic marvel of a retreat with gracious service and stunning beautiful, interestingly curated, and designed-minded suites. I only wish I'd had a longer stay. Highest recommendations! Especially to couples... maybe grouchy of me to note, but screaming kids would really ruin the vibe here. It's very sophisticated, though absolutely not stuffy or pretentious. It's the opposite. It's just perfect.

Firstly, Athens is one of if not the best cities in the world to spend some time in - combining, as it does, the historical sites with a cutting-edge social and artistic scene. It has everything. Then the question is - where to stay? Shila is a really excellent option if, like me, you value stylish decor and sophisticated furnishings. Plus top-quality service from the people who work here and a very convenient location in Kolonaki, where you're close to the action in the centre but far enough away to enjoy the slightly more refined atmosphere of this (by Athens standards) 'posh' neighbourhood. As for some of the practicalities: the rooms were spotlessly clean (which is especially important given the otherwise 'shabby chic' decor); the breakfasts, served either in your suite or the rooftop, are excellent; the rooms have Bose wireless speakers, that you can link to from your devices and/or use the iPad provided (which have Spotify and Netflix accounts); not really a practicality, but worth mentioning anyway, is that they offer a bottle of local fizz to guests, which is a lovely touch. So a very strong recommendation from me. And they have a sister-hotel, Mona, in the centre, which looked really nice (I went for a drink on the rooftop bar and a quick tour and it had the same sort of aesthetic as Shila).