Spa at Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens

The spa at Hotel Grande Bretagne is an urban hotel spa beneath one of Athens' most prestigious hotels, on Syntagma Square in the heart of the Greek capital. The hotel faces the Hellenic Parliament and is a landmark of the city, and the spa gives visitors a quiet retreat a short walk from the Plaka, the National Garden and the Acropolis. The setting is elegant and traditional rather than minimalist: a mosaic-tiled pool, a steam room and a set of treatment rooms make up the main facilities. The signature draw is the combination of the spa with the hotel's rooftop swimming pool, which has views of the Acropolis and is available to spa guests, a rare pairing in a city where views of the ancient citadel are usually reserved for restaurants and bars. Treatments emphasise luxury Greek herbal body care, drawing on regional plants and the country's long tradition of herbal remedies. The menu is comprehensive, with prices about €70 to €200 per treatment, and choices are made from the written menu when booking. Specific therapist training is best confirmed with the hotel. As a hotel spa in a major city, it works well as a recovery stop after sightseeing, particularly during the heat of summer when the Acropolis and the archaeological sites are crowded. Hotel guests are the primary users, and non-guests should enquire about access and day rates. Reservation is advisable for treatments, and the pool and steam facilities are best used before or after a treatment. Syntagma metro station is directly adjacent, so the spa is simple to reach from the airport line and from most central Athens districts.