King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens

Beautiful location—right in the heart of Athens. Our hotel room has two verandas: from one, we can watch the changing of the guard at Parliament, and from the other, enjoy views of the famous Parthenon. The Plaka where the shops are is also just a short walk away. The hotel itself is beautiful, although calling it “luxury” may be a bit of a stretch. There isn’t much space for luggage in the room, and the bathroom feels quite dated. Climbing into the tub to take a shower is also a little uncomfortable and scary.

We had an Acropolis view room and it was gorgeous! What a treat to get to see the Acropolis when we woke up and and before went to sleep. It was a true King bed (I’m always skeptical outside the US) and beyond comfortable. Everything was immaculately clean. Despite being on a main road / plaza, our room was very quiet. The location is hard to beat - super close to all the main tourist attractions and charming Plaka neighborhood. Breakfast was very good - they keep the buffet replenished and the staff is super attentive and friendly. Plus the views from the Tudor dining room are hard to beat. They also provide tons of bottled water throughout the day for you to take along as you explore the city.

Can’t say enough nice things about this hotel. As it was our wedding anniversary the hotel sent us a nice bottle of French champagne and some strawberries to the room, which was an upgraded suite. The breakfast is amazing - how many hotels can say they offer an Acropolis view with a Michelin star with breakfast? We will definitely be back!

Having stayed at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, the sister property next door, a few years ago, we had high expectations for our stay at King George. The Grande Bretagne is a Luxury Collection property in every sense of the word. Sadly, our experience at the King George did not compare and fell well short of our expectations. As a Marriott Ambassador Elite member with 2,500+ nights and extensive experience staying at Luxury Collection properties around the world, we feel well qualified to comment on the experience offered. After learning that we had been upgraded to a “Deluxe Suite,” we were very much looking forward to a wonderful five-night stay. The check-in process was relatively smooth. We were disappointed, however, to learn that the gyms at both properties were closed for renovation. The substitute facility consisted essentially of two rooms at the Grande Bretagne with a collection of cardio equipment and a handful of dumbbells. We had read that guests were being offered access to an independent off-site gym, but this was not mentioned when we initially asked about fitness facilities. Only after specifically requesting it were we offered access. Our “Deluxe Suite” was anything but deluxe. The floor plan was incredibly dysfunctional, with furniture placed in spaces that simply did not accommodate it. We had to move the end tables and even the bed in order to access the only closets in the room. There was extremely limited space on either side of the bed, which would present a significant safety concern for anyone with limited mobility. The bathroom was equally disappointing. With only a single sink and very limited counter space, we were forced to store half of our toiletries along the bathtub wall. Our initial reaction, before unpacking, was that we could make the room work. In hindsight, we should have simply requested the room category we had originally booked. That was very disappointing, particularly given the expectations associated with a “Deluxe Suite.” The internet experience was another major issue. The login protocol would not bring up the required authentication page, so although our devices showed a connection to the hotel's network, there was no actual connectivity. We logged 150 nights with Marriott last year and have rarely experienced problems with internet access. We attempted to troubleshoot the issue over the phone without success. Eventually, a gentleman was sent to our room to assist, but his response was essentially that the problem must be with my laptop. His approach was not particularly helpful, and customer service and technical support clearly did not appear to be his areas of expertise. I subsequently requested an opportunity to speak with the General Manager. Hom Parviz, who oversees both properties, was kind enough to reach out to me the following day. I appreciated that he listened intently as I shared our frustrations. Unfortunately, given that we were in the middle of a six-week trip and had already unpacked, we had no desire to change rooms, and there did not appear to be any practical options available to resolve the issues. When we returned to our room after spending the day exploring Athens, we found a handwritten note apologizing for the experience along with a book on the history of the Grande Bretagne. It was a thoughtful gesture, although, at a weight of approximately 20 pounds, it ultimately did not leave the room with us when we departed due to traveling for another four weeks. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this stay is that it reinforced my growing feeling that Marriott Ambassador status is simply not worth pursuing. I would discourage anyone from making it a goal based on the assumption that the benefits will meaningfully improve the hotel experience. Having reached Titanium Elite status years ago, I decided this year to spread our stays among non-Marriott properties, including Intercontinental and Four Seasons. After this experience, that decision feels even more justified. In my experience, many of the benefits associated with Ambassador status have little practical value. Confirmed early check-in is rarely available when we need it, and room upgrades can be similarly underwhelming—as this stay demonstrated. I only wish we had chosen another property for this particular stay. Given our experience at the Grande Bretagne and our expectations for a Luxury Collection property, the King George was a significant disappointment.

My family had 3 rooms on the first floor at King George Hotel for 4 nights. The rooms were comfortable however there was construction going on during our stay. During the day, we would hear loud drilling in our rooms. It was fine at night, but uncomfortable during the day. The location was great and we were only a short walk to the Plaka area. We did have breakfast in the hotel which was good. Overall the service at the hotel was excellent and I would choose this hotel again.