Ace Hotel opens its Athens outpost inspired by the Golden Age of the Greek Riviera

The newly opened Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens draws on a golden era of Greek Riviera leisure, reviving a Brutalist 1970s structure in Glyfada as a retro-style hotel and swim club.

During the 1960s and ’70s, Glyfada was a glamorous playground for the rich and the famous, attracting Hollywood stars, politicians, and entrepreneurs to its sun-soaked shores. Today, the Ace Hotel’s arrival pays homage to that legacy with mid-century-inspired design and a touch of North American flair, reimagining the former Fenix Hotel.

The brand preserved the Brutalist structure’s striking facade, studded with cubic balconies and tasked Paris design studio Ciguë with transforming the interiors. The firm removed later additions to reveal the building’s original rugged character, embracing a 1970s aesthetic. The hotel’s 120 rooms are imbued with a serene, natural vibe that pays homage to the coastal setting with earthy tones, woven rugs, and shell-coloured walls.

Ciguë’s redesigned ground floor is now an open-plan lounge, with the indoor space flowing into an outdoor deck and pool. The interior features rich woods, ceramic tiles, and whitewashed walls that serve as gallery backdrops for artwork by Athenian creatives, including handwoven tapestries by the Callas brothers and prints by Greek folk artist Alekos Fassianos.

Art spills to the exterior, too, where a mural by Panos Profitis adorns the poolside façade.
Like its sister venue, the Ace Hotel Palm Springs, the Athens outpost caters to locals and travellers alike through its restaurant, bar, lobby and swimming pool.

Artemisiou 1, Glyfada 166 75, Greece