Periscope

There’s a lot more to Greece than just fine beach weather and whitewashed waterfront villas. One might expect that the birthplace of Western civilization would remain a forward-thinking, cosmopolitan city, and one would be right. Signs of sophistication are everywhere: restaurants, shops, galleries, and occasionally a very up-to-date boutique hotel on the order of the Periscope.

It’s located in the upscale neighborhood of Kolonaki, surrounded by quite a lot of the best Athens has to offer. And the hotel itself, while pursuing a bit of a submarine theme — vaguely naval chairs, a preponderance of grey, even an actual roof-mounted periscope — turns out to be a very understated and stylish little hotel. The rooms are somewhat minimalist, but not without personality, and come equipped with high-tech home theater systems, and the suites add balconies, baths, and a bit more space to spread out in.

A chic little bar and lounge is the center of the Periscope social life, serving breakfast and light fare in an environment that’s suitably stylish yet unpretentious. All told the Periscope is more pied-à-terre than pleasure palace, to be honest, but there’s a certain pleasure in a hotel that knows exactly how much is enough.