Athens’ Hotel Grande Bretagne to Celebrate 150-year Anniversary with Events

The Hotel Grande Bretagne, one of the most recognizable and iconic buildings overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, is coming up on its 150th anniversary in 2024.

Owned by Lampsa Hellenic Hotels S.A., a subsidiary company of the Laskaridis family, the hotel is managed by Marriott International, Inc.

As announced recently by Lampsa Hellenic Hotels CEO Tasos Homenidis, a series of important events will be held in 2024 to highlight the hotel’s rich history.

Lampsa Hellenic Hotels CEO Tasos Homenidis.

“Important historical moments took place at the Grande Bretagne , which kept this large square in Syntagma active over time, and today is the city’s leading hotel destination,” Homenidis said during a recent lunch event for journalists covering tourism, gastronomy and lifestyle news. the lunch was hosted at the Tudor Hall restaurant in the luxurious King George hotel, located next door to the Grande Bretagne.

“To highlight the Grande Bretagne’s rich history, a series of important events focusing on the building’s identity will be organized in 2024,” he added.

Media lunch event at Tudor Hall, hosted by management of the Grande Bretagne and King George hotels. Photo source: Hotel Grande Bretagne / Panoulis Photography

Maria Koutzabasi, PR & Operations Executive of Grande Bretagne & King George and Hom Parviz, GM of Grande Bretagne and King George with Greek journalist Aris Kavatzikis, the winner of the Christmas raffle during the media lunch event at Tudor Hall. Photo source: Hotel Grande Bretagne / Panoulis Photography

The history of the hotel that hosted royalty, heads of state, international business tycoons, and celebrities including leading ladies Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Maria Callas, and Brigitte Bardot; Hollywood icons Greta Garbo, Sean Connery, and Francis Ford Coppola; and music stars Sting, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Jay-Z, and Jose Carreras, began in 1842 when it was an impressive 90-room mansion of Antonis Dimitrios.

History and heritage

In 1874, the mansion was purchased by hotelier Savvas Kentros who transformed it into the Hotel Grande Bretagne. With its unprecedented opulence, the glittering hotel was heralded as Athens’ finest.

Since then many historical events took place in the city of Athens and through the course of time the hotel changed ownership hands.

When Greece fell to Nazi occupation in 1941, the hotel was turned into headquarters of the Third Reich. Following World War II and unrest of a civil war between the communist resistance and the Greek Army, the hotel re-opened its doors to the world’s social, political, and economic elite when peace was restored in 1956.

In 2000, Hyatt Regency A.E. (a holding company of Hyatt International and the Laskaridis family) secured control of the Board of Directors.

In 2003, with an investment of 82 million euros, the Hotel Grande Bretagne underwent a massive restoration and emerged as a state-of-the-art, five-star reincarnation of its former glory that continues to offer guests legendary hospitality.

In 2004, Hyatt Regency sold its stake to the Laskaridis family, one of its major shareholders. Today, the hotel is owned by Lampsa Hellenic Hotels S.A, a subsidiary company of the Laskaridis family.

Photo Source: @Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens

Offering breathtaking views of the Acropolis, Syntagma Square, the Greek Parliament and Lycabettus Hill, today the Grande Bretagne is a multi-awarded landmark luxury hotel within walking distance of exclusive shopping areas, museums, sites and the business district. The hotel boasts 320 rooms that marry charming old-world elegance with state-of-the-art facilities and 58 suites that enjoy additional benefits including personalized butler service.

Actively involved in the Greek tourism sector, Lampsa’s portfolio also includes the King George Hotel and Athens Capital Hotel–MGallery, both located at Syntagma Square. The group also owns two hotels in Belgrade (Hyatt Regency and Mercure Excelsior).