Grande Bretagne Hotel - Athens, ATHENS

Address:

Constitution Square, Greece

Description:

The Grande Bretagne is not simply a luxury hotel in Athens (surely the most luxurious establishment in Greece) - it is an institution in itself. Ever since it opened its doors to receive the first visitor in 1874, the Grande Bretagne has been a point of reference in the social, political and economic life of Athens and, by extension, of the whole of Greece. Over the 126 years of the hotel' s existence one also observes the evolution of a basically agricultural society -just half a century after the country's liberation from the Ottoman rule and the creation of a tiny, impoverished country- through the gradual stages of development leading to a modern State and the creation of an important middle class with a European character. Over this period, the country lived through an unfortunate war with Turkey, two Balkan Wars that tripled its territory, two World War~, the Asia Minor Disaster and its accompanying radical transformation of the structure of Greek society, and the Civil War, with its catastrophic consequences. At the same time, the nature of visitors travelling to Greece changed radically, passing from a few thousand wealthy travellers -admirers of Ancient Greece and its monuments- to millions of visitors, whose interests also encompass seaside resorts, entertainment, business or governmental liasing.