Updated: September 3, 2026
Greece › Athens › Kid-Friendly Hotels
By Santorini Dave • dave@santorinidave.com
Athens Hotels: My Picks for Families
- Best for First Timers:
Ava Hotel & Suites (Large suites in pedestrian Plaka) - Best Family Rooms:
ATHENA Pallas (Family rooms and apartments) - Best Luxury Beach Resort:
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel (Athens Riviera) - Best for Early Ferries:
Port Square Hotel (Beside Piraeus metro and gates E7/E8) - Best Aparthotel:
The Foundry Suites (Full kitchens, rooftop garden)
Family rooms at ATHENA Pallas in Athens.
Athens Family Hotels: My Advice
- For most families, stay in Plaka, Monastiraki, or Koukaki. Plaka is my favorite for a first visit. You can walk to the Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, restaurants, and shops. Monastiraki is busier and noisier but has excellent metro connections and works well for short stays before or after the islands. Koukaki is quieter, more residential, and often better value, with casual tavernas and plenty of apartment-style hotels.
- Choose Syntagma for convenience, not charm. Syntagma is practical if you want easy taxis, direct airport transportation, shopping, and larger full-service hotels. For atmosphere, I prefer Plaka; for a quieter neighborhood, Koukaki.
- Be careful north of Monastiraki toward Omonia. Athens is generally safe, but the streets get grittier as you move toward Omonia, especially around the market and some blocks north of Sofokleous Street. This area can be fine for adults, but it is not where I would send families on a first Athens visit.
- Do not overpack your sightseeing days. Heat, hills, marble steps, and crowds can wear kids down quickly. Do one major ancient site in the morning, then use the afternoon for the Acropolis Museum, a hotel pool, a nap, or Plaka.
- For the Acropolis, go early and bring a carrier for small children. Strollers are not practical inside the Acropolis site. Tickets have timed entry, so book the first morning slot if you can, especially from May to September.
- For airport transfers, taxis are easier than the metro. The fixed fare between Athens Airport and central Athens is €40 from 5:00 a.m. to midnight and €55 from midnight to 5:00 a.m. With kids and luggage, I would take a taxi. Uber and FREENOW use licensed yellow taxis in Athens.
- If your ferry leaves before 9:00 a.m., consider sleeping in Piraeus. The Port Square Hotel is across from Piraeus metro and an easy walk to gates E7 and E8. For later ferries, I would stay in central Athens and take a taxi or the direct metro from Monastiraki.
The Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Athens
1. Ava Hotel and Suites
Hotel phone: +30 21032 59000
My favorite family hotel in central Athens. Spacious suites have kitchenettes with a microwave, fridge, and stovetop. The quiet Plaka location is excellent, inside the pedestrian zone and close to the Acropolis Museum, Acropolis, and Akropoli metro station. Good breakfast and much more space than most central Athens hotels.2. Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel
Hotel phone: +30 21089 01000
The best luxury beach resort in the Athens area. Set on a peninsula in Vouliagmeni with three private beaches, two seasonal outdoor pools, a supervised kids club for ages 4 to 12, tennis, water sports, and plenty of space to run around. Fantastic for a few relaxing days before or after sightseeing, but I would not use it as a base for daily trips into central Athens.3. Electra Palace Hotel
Hotel phone: +30 21033 70000
One of the easiest luxury hotels for families who are in Athens to sightsee. Excellent Plaka location within walking distance of the Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, restaurants, and shops. There is a seasonal rooftop pool, an indoor pool, and rooms and suites for up to three guests, some with Acropolis views. Rooms are more traditional than trendy, but the location and pools are hard to beat.4. St George Lycabettus
Hotel phone: +30 21074 16000
Five-star hotel in Kolonaki with a seasonal rooftop pool and excellent views. The hotel also has a private screening room, and its Sunday brunch from October through April includes a children’s activity area. Kolonaki is quiet and upscale, but this is not my first choice if your priority is walking back and forth to the Acropolis and Plaka. The uphill location can also be tiring with young kids or a stroller.5. Grand Resort Lagonissi
Hotel phone: +30 22910 76000
Large beachfront resort on a quiet stretch of the Athens Riviera. There are sandy beaches, an outdoor pool, water sports, playground, and a kids club for ages 4 to 12 that operates from mid-May through September. A good choice if most of your stay will be at the resort; a car is useful if you want to explore the Riviera.6. ATHENA Pallas
Hotel phone: +30 21032 50900
Large family rooms and apartments with colorful graffiti artwork. Family Rooms sleep four, while larger connecting configurations work for families of five. There is a kids menu and baby food is available on request. The hotel is on Athinas Street near Kotzia Square and the Central Market. The location is convenient for Monastiraki, but the streets toward Omonia get grittier at night.7. Vincci EverEden
Hotel phone: +30 22910 60031
Good-value beach resort for families who do not need to be near central Athens. The resort has a private Blue Flag beach, playground, water sports, and two outdoor pools. Family Suites have two separate sleeping areas with a double bed and two single beds. It is far down the Riviera in Anavyssos, so I recommend renting a car.8. Ergon House
Hotel phone: +30 21001 09090
A fun choice for families who love food. The ground floor is a large Greek food market, and the hotel offers cooking classes and communal kitchens where guests can prepare food bought downstairs. Central location on Mitropoleos Street, an easy walk to Syntagma, Plaka, and Monastiraki.9. Athenian Riviera Hotel
Hotel phone: +30 21089 00000
Low-key boutique hotel with a pool in Vouliagmeni. Two beaches are a short walk away, rooms have private balconies, and some suites have hot tubs. A good smaller alternative to the big Riviera resorts. Vouliagmeni is the best beach town on the Athens Riviera.10. The Gem Society
Hotel phone: +30 21022 07777
Stylish central hotel with unusually good options for larger families. The Signature Suite sleeps up to five and has a private terrace; connecting rooms are another option for larger groups. Located between Syntagma and Omonia, about a 10-minute walk from Monastiraki.11. Ivis 4
Hotel phone: +30 21032 13340
Small boutique hotel in Psiri with several suites that sleep four. Rooms have original street-art murals and many have balconies. Breakfast is included, and the restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. Very convenient for Monastiraki and the Ancient Agora.12. The Foundry Suites
Hotel phone: +30 21118 24604
One of the best apartment-style hotels in central Athens. Several apartments sleep four and have proper kitchens with a stovetop, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Breakfast arrives in a picnic basket and can be eaten on the rooftop garden. Excellent for families who want more space and the option to cook.13. Palmyra Beach Hotel
Hotel phone: +30 21089 81183
Good-value family hotel near the beach in Glyfada. Deluxe Family Rooms have two separate bedrooms, and there are also Junior Family Rooms. The hotel has a pool, Glyfada Beach is about 50 meters away, and the tram stop is about 200 meters away. Better for a beach-and-city combination than for a short sightseeing-only stay.14. City Circus Athens Hostel
Hotel phone: +30 21302 37244
My favorite budget option for a family of four. The private Superior Quad room has four beds and an ensuite bathroom. The Psiri location is about 300 meters from the metro and an easy walk to Monastiraki, the Ancient Agora, and Plaka.More Family-Friendly Hotels in Athens
- Athens Gate Hotel (interconnecting rooms and excellent location near the Acropolis)
- Plaka Hotel Athens (family rooms in central Plaka)
- Athens Lotus Hotel (family studios sleep up to five)
- Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso (beach resort in Vouliagmeni)
Santorini Dave was started in 2011 when I posted a short guide to visiting Santorini with kids. Now, my site publishes regularly updated guides to 
Hi Dave. My family (2 adults and 2 kids ages 5 ans 8) and I are booked in The Stanley this July. The hotel looks very clean, has large family rooms for the 4 of us, and has a large rooftop pool. Best of all the metro station is literally downstairs. Do you have any experience with this property and the area? I can always change the reservation if needed. Thank you!
Yes, I know the area well. The Stanley is prominently located directly on Karaiskaki Square in central Athens, right beside the Metaxourgeio metro station (Red Line M2), providing excellent public transportation connections throughout the city (though you do have to switch trains to get to the airport or the ferry port). The surrounding area is a busy, somewhat gritty, and very urban neighborhood, distinct from the more tourist-oriented Plaka or Monastiraki districts. It can feel a bit seedy but never dangerous. While major historical sites like the Acropolis are a few convenient metro stops or a longer walk away, the hotel itself is great value and known for its rooftop pool and bar/deck, which offer panoramic city views, including the Acropolis in the distance.
Hello Dave,
We are family of four, kids 12 & 16, and are planning to visit Athens end of December for 4 nights. Looking for a midrange hotel. There is no availability in your listed hotels. Athens4 vs Amazon Hotel, any suggestions between these two?
Tanya
I think both are good midrange hotels with central locations. Amazon Hotel on a busier street and 10-minutes closer to Acropolis and other sites in Plaka. Athens4 down a small side street. But otherwise not a huge difference.
Hi Dave, wonderful website and thanks a lot for your overview. May I ask where do you get all the pictures from all the hotels? Do you visit them all or do you reach out directly to them and take the pictures?
We take almost all of the hotel photos when we visit and review. Occasionally, we’ll need to use photos provided from the hotel, but we really try to avoid this. I hope our pics are helpful.
Compliments on the website. Was wondering if you had any suggestions for a nice place to spend a couple of days, located between Athens and Kyllini. I will be flying into Athens, and travelling to Zakynthos, and would like to spend about 2 days somewhere enroute. I have two young girls, aged 5 & 7. They like water, so a place by the sea would be ideal. Thanks, Hugh.
From Athens to Kyllini it is 287 kms via the most direct route and for the most part it is served by a currently very disrupted major highway (between Corinth and Patra) Once they’ve finished the roadworks (turning it into a proper multi-lane highway), it will be once more be a fast route. Meantime the route is slow and frustrating for drivers. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that there is a picturesque coastal road (the original coastal highway) that links all the coastal villages between Corinth and Patra. If you don’t mind taking your time you can actually make quite a pleasant trip out of it. Half of 287 is 143.5 kms and that will get you as far as Stomio on the Gulf of Corinth local road. Now Stomio is not exactly earth-shattering, but it is half way. A little earlier you will pass through Xylokastro (120 kms) which is a bit of a resort town mainly for Greeks and is a lot livelier than Stomio. It has hotels, restaurants and a beach scene.
However, you may want to push on and make you night’s stop at Diakofto (161 kms) which has the advantage of being another busy seaside town AND has the additional advantage of being the terminus of the Diakofto/Kalavryta rack and pinion railway to the mountain village of Kalavryta. This is one of the Peloponnese’s more interesting traveller attractions though not well known to the international public. The train starts from the middle of town and heads on up through the narrow gorge before arriving in the pretty village of Kalavryta (33kms away) where you take have a stroll, take lunch and descend in the afternoon. Your daughters would surely enjoy that adventure! Diakofto has a small beach scene and enough restaurants to choose from plus accommodation options.
The road to Kyllini after Patra resorts to being a normal rural main road and is a reasonably easy run make sure you time your run to catch the ferry you want to Zakynthos.
A wild card thought: you could always take the northern Gulf of Corinth route and make your night stop at Delphi to see the ancient sites and Delphi is a magical, spiritual place. Descend to the coast for lunch and a swim at Galaxidi then make a relatively un-busy run to the pretty port of Nafpaktos for afternoon coffee and ice cream, then over the impressive Andirion-Rion suspension bridge to the Peloponnese before making a right to Kyllini. Apart from the initial busy freeway run to the turn off to Delphi from the main South-North highway via Thiva (Thebes) the route is generally rural and after Galaxidi relatively free of traffic. It will take you longer, though and the sea run is not as populated or scenically pretty as the old national highway along the south side of the Gulf of Corinth.
Hello there! We are a family of 4 with children ages 9 and 12. We are looking at staying at the Dorian Inn next month (October) for a 2 night stay in Athens. We love its proximity to all the sites and the fact that it has a pool. It also appears to be a clean hotel with breakfast included. However, some of the reviews have me concerned about the area that it is in. Can you offer any further information? Thank you!
Maxine
The area will strike you as shady, dirty, and unpleasant when you first pull in. But it’s not unsafe. Your kids are an age when they’re likely going out to explore on their own. Unfortunately even the most liberal parent probably wouldn’t feel comfortable sending their kids out the door in this neighborhood. But so it goes, you’re only there for 2 nights and probably won’t be spending much time at your hotel in any case. I think it’s a fine choice and a short walk from the Plaka and Acropolis.
Hello – would love some advice. My sister is going to be in Athens for a conference early March and we are thinking of joining her with our 3 year old. Would love to get to an island – but know many will be shut to tourists. We are not sun seekers (more food seekers). Can you recommend hotels (with separate room for little one). Also an island/ area to enjoy sites, eating, relaxing?
Thanks you,
Natasha
The two best areas at that time are Chania (on Crete) and Santorini. Both will be getting some tourists by March so a lot should be open. Chania also has a large local population and never shuts down like other Greek islands. Both are loaded with great restaurants.
Hello! Your website is very helpful! My husband I will be in Athens for 5 days and hope to do some sightseeing but also a lot of relaxing, we have a 3 year old and almost 7 year old.
We are torn between staying in the city at a place with a pool or simply staying in Glyfada and travelling to the centre for some sightseeing. Any guidance much appreciated!
Mary
Glyfada is a good a place to stay in Athens as any and apart from being away from the city bustle and noise you have at least the sense of being at a half decent seaside resort. So, yes, go ahead and book yourselves a place to stay in Glyfada. It’s only 14kms to the centre of Athens via the more direct Leoforos Vouliagmenis – take a cab if you are in a hurry, they are relatively inexpensive in Athens – or if you prefer a more leisurely segue to the city, take a modern tram along the coast and up through the ‘burbs which will take you right to Syntagma (Constitution) Square in about an hour or so. Alternatively you can take the tram as far as as the Stadium of Peace and Friendship and swap to the metro for the last leg to the Port of Piraeus. There are plenty of buses to/from Athens too, but they can get uncomfortably crowded at peak times.
Glyfada itself is a very pleasant seaside resort and along with Vouliagmeni further south it is where many of Athens’ well-heeled reside. Wikipedia calls it Knightsbidge-on-Sea, the Hellenic Hamptons or the Beverley Hills of Greece and the suburb certainly does have a rather chic feel to it with its upmarket cafés, restaurants, and boutique shops. There are plenty of hotels with pools to choose from, though the (pay) beach is very decent and you may care to spend some of your relaxation time on a lounger under an umbrella with a bar or café at your shoulder. So rest assured that your plan is a solid one, you will be in good company in a pleasant environment and not really all that far from the city.