Daily Times

‘We’re crazy about the 60s, that much is obvious.’ So says the welcome letter every guest is handed when they check into Brown Acropol hotel in the centre of Athens.

And it’s true, it is obvious. There’s the golden mirror ball in the lobby and in our bedroom the semi-psychedelic brown-and-white wallpaper, throwback drinks trolley and record player housed in a little mock-vintage suitcase.

There’s even a vinyl compilation album to play, which doesn’t feature much 60s music, but it does help maintain a ‘swinging’ vibe.

Another eye-catching piece of decor is a black-and-white image by Greek photographer Spyros Staveris of bras in a shop window.

I’m not sure it’s 60s, but we can file it under ‘counterculture’, which is apt enough.

Don’t think this is a hotel that prioritises style over substance, by the way – there are plenty of comforts.

Our room is lovely and spacious and the king-sized bed a monument to the science of bedmaking – marvellously comfy.

The ensuite pleases in the right places, too.

As any interior designer will tell you, when it comes to bathrooms, don’t skimp on the shower unit and taps.

Acropol Brown hasn’t.

The shower is elegantly retro with chunky taps, while the tap by the sink has an eye-catching Victorian-style lever for turning the water on and off. We have a balcony too, but the view isn’t much to write home about – a bit of nearby Omonia Square and down Panagi Tsaldari Street.

For a much more photogenic perspective, head to the 9th-floor rooftop, where one can behold the magnificence of the Acropolis and sink into huge beanbags and sip ice-cold beer served in glasses that have been in the freezer.

Remarkably, while we parents cherish servings of Mythos lager, my five-year-old daughter leaps into one of the three hot tubs, despite the 38C heat. It’s much cooler up on the rooftop the next morning, when we arrive to devour what turns out to be a magnificent buffet breakfast.

Huge fans keep the air circulating around the elegant wooden tables and chairs as we munch on watermelon, yoghurt and pastries. And pop music pumps through the loudspeakers to keep the party atmosphere bubbling. The animated table next to us is getting into the spirit of the occasion and has glasses of prosecco brought over.

They, like us, I think would be happy to return to this hip hotel with a hint of hedonism. Especially given the excellent-value prices like that of its sister hotel Lighthouse Athens, with rooms from just £73.