Athenian rhapsody

With its rooftop pool, Acropolis views and decor by the likes of Jean Cocteau, this former townhouse in the heart of the Greek capital is an oasis for curious travellers

All holidays with British Airways Holidays are ATOL protected and include a generous baggage allowance per person and a 24-hour holiday helpline while you’re away. Secure your trip to Athens and a stay at The Dolli Hotel with a low deposit, and enjoy flexible payments until you fly.*

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‘The hotel feels remarkably homely. It is a sanctuary’

he cradle of western civilisation, Athens is also a dynamic metropolis where the architectural splendours of the old world are framed by the comforts of the new. Nowhere combines the appeal of a European capital with the wonders of antiquity quite like it. It’s not for nothing that Athens was crowned the continent’s leading city break destination at this year’s World Travel Awards. Its marriage of urban buzz – great dining, drinking and entertainment options – and historical soul is a winning combination. In central neighbourhoods such as Plaka and Monastiraki, ancient and modern sit alongside each other like the very best of friends. British Airways Holidays knows Athens well, so when the tour operator partners with a hotel or resort there you can be sure it’s somewhere special. The Dolli Hotel in central Athens, however, is much more than that.

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Top deck The rooftop pool and cocktail bar offer magnificent views over the city

* Full balance due four weeks before departure for short haul holidays. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply. See ba.com/deposits **Where available

Once one of the grandest private homes in downtown Athens, this five-star boutique hotel was built to a neoclassical design by architect Andreas Kriezis in 1925. It is blessed with one of the best views you’ll find on the planet – from its rooftop restaurant you’ll see the Acropolis, its closest neighbour, lit up at night in all its theatrical glory. This widescreen view is shared by the hotel’s pièce de résistance: an infinity pool – as chic a spot as one can imagine – where you can enjoy cocktails until 7pm. Not only are the major sights a short stroll away, but you can also pick them out from the terrace: plot your journeys around the traditional tavernas of Plaka, the photogenic alleys of Anafiotika and the Agora, the marketplace of Ancient Greece, which includes a mint and a library along with altars and temples.

Athenian rhapsody

Home from home Behind The Dolli’s grand façade lies an elegant yet relaxed interior

A break there with British Airways Holidays can be secured with a low deposit*, and flexible payment options to suit your budget. There’s a generous baggage allowance per person, ATOL protection for peace of mind and a 24/7 holiday helpline to call while you’re away. British Airways Executive Club members can use their Avios Points for part payment on holiday packages. See ba.com/holidays for more details. Reaching Athens is easy: British Airways flies direct from London several times a day. For extra luxury, upgrade to Club Europe and you’ll get priority boarding, access to the private lounges**, dedicated check-in desks**, more personal space on board to relax, complimentary food and drinks and a larger baggage allowance.

Chills and hills Take in the Acropolis as you relax in the pool

The views inside the Dolli run the riches outside it a close second. First, it is full of light – an essential component in a hotel that is so laden with exquisite design features, from preserved stucco ceilings and ancient Greek ceramics to a fanciful frog chair by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne and hand-painted Jean Cocteau plates. Second, there is room to relax; to start to really live there, not just stay. The attention to detail is extraordinary: furnishings and artwork that were chosen for their particular interest, as well as their beauty, work in thrilling harmony. And somehow, even when marble, crystal and fine art predominate, the hotel feels remarkably homely. It is a sanctuary.

City lights Despite the quiet charm within, The Dolli sits amid the bustle of Athens

The food is tremendous and a match for the restaurant’s rooftop setting. For lunch and dinner until 11pm, it serves an excellent mix of sushi and crudo dishes, salads and pastas, with meats grilled and fish steamed with imagination and a lightness of touch. A refined wine list, including native varietals, will spoil even the most demanding of palates. A breakfast of pastries, cold cuts and eggs served a variety of ways is also available at the part-enclosed restaurant, while at Le Salon and Le Bar Secret, an aesthetic feast awaits (Picasso, Lucio Fontana and Egyptian antiquities), as well as coffees, teas, wines and spirits, canapés and patisserie. All-day dining can be enjoyed in the handsome wood-panelled Library, where you can share plates, cocktails and intimate moments, and browse books and magazines beneath an Alexander Calder mobile.

The 46 rooms come in a variety of sizes, from bijou doubles to deluxe pieds-à-terre and connecting suites that have the floorplan of serviced apartments. All have 3.5m high ceilings, enormous windows, indulgent beds with crisp white linens, and opulent marble bathrooms with walk-in showers large enough for two. Expect to pay a premium for Acropolis views, but rooms facing Mitropoleos Street also have charm to spare. A delicious welcome treat greets each guest, who will be tempted to throw a party when they see how well stocked the mini bar is. The Dolli is nothing short of an oasis sitting elegantly above the splendid hubbub of central Athens. It is what it means to take a city break in style, offering the calmest contrast to the vibrant bustle of the streets five storeys below.

‘You’ll see the Acropolis lit up at night in all its theatrical glory’

‘All rooms have enormous windows and opulent marble bathrooms’