Athenaeum InterContinental Athens

I found it to be okay, but not impressed since it’s supposed to be a 5 star hotel. It was the little things that stood out. We had a suite. The decor was beautiful. Our bathroom door didn’t not shut all the way. Perhaps the weatherstripping/door seals were recently replaced. Either way, it would not close. The breakfast was good, many choices. I had French toast and on another occasion hash brown potatoes. The food was cold every time. Finally, one of the utensils at my place setting was dirty. On a good point, the concierge was very helpful and recommended a restaurant I loved and went to numerous times during my stay..

I would expect great service from this hotel and it didn't disappoint. Everything was as expected. We utilised the lounge with its stunning views of the Acropolis. ALL the staff were really friendly, helpful and excellent. Special mention to the lady serving at breakfast (apologies didn't catch the name), really helpful and friendly. The employees make the hotel. Thankyou Location is not fantastic. Approx 20ish min walk but taxis are reasonable and public transport good.

Convenient location, spacial rooms, comfortable beds and up-to-date facilities. We first stayed here on 25 April and decided to choose Intercontinental again for our second visit to Athens on 1-2 May. Great services! They sent efficient staff to help us with our suitcase lock, even at 10pm, and they managed to open it without breaking it. Also offers rich breakfast buffet, and Christos and Ioanna are very nice baristas!

Overall, we had a bit of a mixed experience at this hotel. It’s definitely a beautiful hotel. The location felt slightly out of the way as it’s situated on what seemed to be a very busy main road, so to walk anywhere you have to take back streets. That said, it was easy enough to get taxis or use the metro, and we did walk to Plaka one evening in about 30 minutes. However, some of the side streets didn’t feel the safest, so I wouldn’t recommend walking back when it’s dark. The hotel itself is absolutely stunning, and the room was a solid 10/10, genuinely no faults there at all. Where things started to feel a bit off was the pricing. We’re Diamond Elite members with IHG Hotels, and while we were offered 50% off breakfast, being told it would still cost €15 each felt excessive, especially when you can get something just as good in Athens for €5 or less (which we ended up doing). For reference, under the diamond elite, breakfast should be free. We were told this was due to the fact that my dad wasn't staying with us, which I do completely understand, but again, at previous IHG hotels (Paris, Lison, Copenhagen) , as he emails in advance to inform staff we are staying, they extend all the same perks. Again sounds silly to complain, but the overpricing of the breakfast (30 euros) if we hadn't questioned breakfast and they hadn't offered 50% seems very high. We also tried to visit the rooftop lounge, but after being allowed to look at the view briefly, we were asked to leave as we hadn’t paid to access it. Reception later explained it would cost over €100 per person, per day. That felt quite unreasonable, especially when we later went to a bar near the Acropolis with an even better view and only a €25 minimum spend per person. We understand it’s a high-quality hotel, but some of these policies felt unusual—particularly compared to other IHG stays we’ve had across Europe. One standout was the piano player in the lobby, 10/10. He was always smiling, friendly, and welcoming, easily the warmest member of staff we encountered. Unfortunately, service elsewhere didn’t quite match that. One evening, we sat in the lobby bar (admittedly in pyjamas), and it took over 40 minutes for a waiter to approach us, and another 20 minutes for our order to be taken. It’s hard not to wonder if being a younger couple who maybe didn’t quite fit the hotel’s vibe played a part, but overall, something just felt a bit off. In summary: beautiful hotel and flawless rooms, but the overall experience didn’t quite live up to expectations.

We stayed at this hotel in July 2025. We stayed in one of the newly renovated suites with club lounge access. The staff was very kind, the room enormous, really nice bathrooms with the Byredo amenities. The breakfast both at the lounge and at the restaurant were very good. The snacks during the day as well. The view is just WOW. You need to walk a bit to the touristic places but it is worth it. We really enjoyed, well treated as usual in the Intercontinental hotels.