The Golden Age Hotel of Athens

"You could walk past this Twenties residence on a pedestrian street in upmarket Kolonaki and never know it was the city’s most soulful guesthouse. Step inside and it’s like wandering into the bohemian home of an art collector: there’s a softly lit salon with a Strauss piano, antiques upholstered in vintage fabrics, and a library of wonderful books you want to read. The two ethereal ground-floor suites have verandas shaded by a loquat tree. Up the marble staircase are four more enormous suites with velvet divans, floating beds, intriguing artworks, and sultry bathrooms with rough-hewn marble sinks (one even has a swing). Local chocolatiers, perfumeries, and coffee shops created delicious treats and toiletries in every room. The greatest surprise is the roof garden: an urban jungle of plants, day beds, and outdoor showers. Wonderfully idiosyncratic, this is a rare treasure that feels genuinely lived in. Address: Shila, Mantzarou 10, Kolonaki Book now at Expedia Book now at Booking.com This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK." - Rachel Howard