Trendy Tel Aviv-based Brown Hotels is betting big on Athens.
The past year has seen the arrival of three Brown hotels in the Greek capital: Brown Acropol, Villa Brown Ermou and Dave Red Athens. A fourth, the 220-room Lighthouse Athens, will open next month, with three additional properties scheduled to open throughout the city by 2023.
On a recent visit to Athens, I checked into the two new four-star properties: Villa Brown Ermou and Brown Acropol.
Villa Brown Ermou is located in Athens’ Plaka Neighborhood.
Credit: 2022 Villa Brown ErmouThough both hotels are set in the heart of the capital and are just 15 minutes by foot from each other, they are dramatically different in size, style and personality.
Here’s what to know before booking.
Small and Intimate: Villa Brown Ermou in Athens’ Plaka Neighborhood
The 51-room Villa Brown Ermou, which opened last May, is situated in the ancient Plaka neighborhood, one of the most popular tourist areas in the city thanks to its quaint village feel (think: postcard-worthy Greece, complete with narrow, winding cobblestone streets, white-washed buildings, cute shops and lively sidewalk cafes).
Nestled on a quiet pedestrian street, the four-story Villa Brown Ermou is set in a former apartment building that has been transformed into an intimate boutique hotel, with a small reception area that doubles as a bar and a cozy breakfast room for guests.
The guestrooms at Villa Brown Ermou are quite snug — even the largest Deluxe rooms are under 250 square feet — but they are little jewels, each decorated in an elegant, belle epoque style. High ceilings and original moldings are complemented by plush velvet furnishings, tall mirrors and brass accents.
Guestrooms at Villa Brown Ermou are snug but stylish.
Credit: 2022 Villa Brown ErmouI stayed in the Chic room category, the smallest of the options, measuring about 194 square feet. My room was located at the pin-drop-quiet back of the hotel overlooking residential buildings. A comfy king-size bed dominated the room, leaving little space for much else, though a minibar and Nespresso coffee machine were squeezed into one corner. The marble bathroom was equally petite, with a rainforest shower and freestanding sink.
Better suited for couples are the Deluxe rooms. Some come complete with furnished balconies located at the front of the building. They not only offer more space, but also feature lovely architectural details such as marble (non-working) fireplaces, along with canopy beds, seating areas with dusty-pink sofas and brass-edged tables and desks.
Metropolitan and Edgy: Brown Acropol in Omonia Square
After a visit to Villa Brown Ermou, clients will notice a wholly different scene at Brown Acropol, which is located in the bustling commercial hub of Omonia Square.
The area is undergoing something of a resurgence, with a newly refurbished fountain in the square’s center and multiple hotels popping up around it, including three Brown properties and a Moxy hotel (set to open in April). But Omonia is not a square in the traditional sense — there are no charming cafes or benches for lingering — rather, it’s a busy traffic circle flanked by some rather unattractive 1960s-era buildings.
That said, Omonia does have a cool, edgy, urban feel — and the 165-room Brown Acropol fits right in. Opened last August, it’s set in a 1970s hotel designed by legendary Greek architect Emmanuel Vourekas, who was also responsible for the iconic Hilton Athens (now closed, but set to reopen in 2024 under the Conrad brand), and renovated by architect Dimitris Karabatakis.
Interiors are a playful throwback, with vintage and bespoke retro-style furnishings and carpets, disco balls hanging in the lobby and hallways, and a soundtrack of Motown and ‘70s hits. The nostalgic design scheme carries up to the spacious guestrooms, decorated in groovy shades of brown and burnt orange, with funky patterned wallpaper and whimsical, old-school touches like a bar cart and record player.
Brown Acropol features a nostalgic design aesthetic.
Credit: 2022 Brown AcropolDeluxe Balcony rooms, located at the front of the building, have outdoor space — but also street noise. Classic rooms at the back of the hotel, meanwhile, are about the same size but are far quieter and boast big bathrooms with a tub.
Brown Acropol is home to a spa with a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub available to guests free of charge, as well as a small menu of treatments. But the best amenity is the vast rooftop sundeck, with loungers, hammocks and three outdoor hot tubs offering panoramic views of the city and the Acropolis in the distance.
Where to Eat and Drink Near the Hotels
Given the small size of Villa Brown Ermou, there isn’t a full restaurant, but rather a cozy bistro serving hotel guests a breakfast of assorted pastries, fruit and cold meats and cheeses. If the weather is fine, visitors can enjoy it at one of the handful of tables set up in front of the hotel.
If you opt to go off-property for a bite, all the trendy restaurants, traditional tavernas and smart cafes and bars of Plaka are just a short stroll away from Villa Brown Ermou.
Around the corner, Ergon House is a light-flooded space with a food market and bustling cafe offering a menu of Greek and Mediterranean specialties, including excellent salads and pastas.
Travelers can sample the vast selection of Greek varietals at Oinoscent, a sleek wine bar that also serves wonderfully inventive seasonal Mediterranean dishes (note that reservations are essential). Be sure to recommend that clients also pop into Brettos, Athens’ oldest distillery, for an ouzo or one of its 40 homemade liqueurs.
At Brown Acropol, the rooftop restaurant is the highlight of the hotel: It’s a large lounge-like space with floor-to-ceiling windows providing fantastic city views. In warmer weather, sliding glass doors open to take advantage of the breeze. On weekdays, there’s a sprawling breakfast buffet for hotel guests with Greek salads, meats and cheeses, yogurt, fresh honey, pastries and fresh fruit, as well as an a la carte menu. (On weekends, it opens to the public for an upscale brunch featuring live entertainment.)
Brown Acropol has a rooftop sundeck with loungers, hammocks and three outdoor hot tubs.
Credit: 2022 Brown AcropolThough it was wet and windy when I visited in March, it’s clear that the Acropol’s open-air rooftop bar, with its fabulous views, will become a prime gathering spot for cocktails when the weather improves.
And just around the corner at Dave Red, the brand’s three-star hotel and the only other Brown Hotels option in Athens (at the moment), there’s a top-notch burger joint and an underground nightclub operated by the team behind Athens’ hip Six D.o.g.s. bar.
The Details
Brown Acropol
Villa Brown Ermou
