Welcome to Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens

After the Ottoman fall in 1830, Athens began to attract a new type of visitor—wealthy Greeks from the “Diaspora” intent on reclaiming their ancestral heritage. Among these, Antonis Dimitrios returned in 1842 to start a business. He acquired a plot of land opposite the Palace of King Otto and commissioned Athens’ first “Stadtpalais”—a majestic residence that reflected the refined city lifestyle enjoyed in London and Paris. His impressive 90-room mansion was the first incarnation of today’s hotel.

The hotelier Savvas Kentros purchased the former Dimitriou home with Efstathios Lampsas in 1874, and with a staggering loan of 800,000 drachmas, transformed it into the Hotel Grande Bretagne. With its unprecedented opulence, the glittering hotel was heralded as Athens’ finest.

When Greece fell to Nazi occupation in 1941, the hotel was turned into headquarters of the Third Reich. At the end of World War II, the unrest continued as civil war erupted between the communist resistance and the Greek Army. The Hotel Grande Bretagne housed scores of refugees for years while hosting diplomatic negotiations between George Papandreou and the British delegation, most notably Winston Churchill.

With peace finally restored in 1956, the hotel was able to re-open its doors to the world’s social, political, and economic elite. When the Junta of 1967 collapsed in 1974, Constantine Karamanlis spent four months forming a new government from his fifth-floor suite. That same year, Archbishop Makarios addressed Greece from a second-floor balcony after his near assassination and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

We have been actively Recycling as of 2006, glass, paper, plastics, lamps, kitchen oil, toners, batteries and electronic equipment.

As participants of the “Green Room” initiative of Marriott International, all Guests are given the option to take part in this program. Being so proactive in regards to the environment has given us the honor of being award the distinguished “Green Key” award.

Our established Environmental Health and Safety Council of the Hotel makes sure that we comply with all local law, EU law, and Marriott International initiatives for the environment.

Our Annual Environment week for our Associates takes place prior to the Annual ‘Earth Hour’with the participation of WWF Hellas in the presentations made to our Associates.

We participated in the Tree Planting- Reforestation initiative organized by the media conglomerate of SKAI for Sunday, 13/03/2011 in the area of Pendeli. Our Hotel offered sandwiches and soup with beans to all the participants & the team of our Hotel planted 150 trees. Our motto for the event was: “Let’s all participate by planting a tree, in order to help the environment and our city”.

As an extension of Marriott International’s community program named: ‘’TOGETHER AS ONE’’, for the first time we organized in 25/10/2015 a beach cleaning in Legrena. Our action took place in collaboration with Medasset. Medasset is a nonprofit organization with its target: the study and protection of sea turtles. On 06/11/2016 we conducted the 2nd beach cleaning in Oropos area and on 23/04/2017 we organized the 3rd Beach Cleaning Activity in Akrotiri in Elliniko.

We use only Ecolab biodegradable chemicals for cleaning purposes throughout the Hotel. These chemicals are 95% biodegradable.

We have installed low wattage, energy saving lighting throughout the Hotel.

We use natural gas for cooking purposes in our kitchens, and also use renewable energy sources wherever possible in the building.

We regularly organize fundraising activities with various local charities, such as, “Hamogelou tou Paidiou”, “Me Agapi”, Doctors without borders”, “Theotokos”, local orphanages, etc.

Twice per year, our Associate’s collect clothes in specially placed bins for the purpose of donating clothing items and books to the homeless shelters of the Municipality of Athens, as well as, the “SOS Children’s Villages”.

Every week we organize and give food portions to the Municipality of Athens for the “Homeless Foundation” and the “Galini Foundation” for Socially Vulnerable Groups. This activity started in 2013 and is ongoing.

We regularly make donations of Hotel equipment that is in storage and no longer required to local orphanages of Athens.

We inform all our Hotel Guests of the specially designed program of Marriott International to support the actions of UNICEF, our “Life is Unique”.

We participate in the “Check Out for Children” program in both our Hotels: Check Out for Children is a partnership between UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organization, and Marriott International Hotels & Resorts. The partnership supports UNICEF Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). In 2016 UNICEF & Starwood celebrated 21 years of the COFC partnership and thank guests and employees who together have raised over $35 million to help UNICEF improve the lives of more than 4.5 million children.

Every day 1,400 children die from diseases caused by dirty water or poor sanitation. Yet, just $1 could help provide 9 children with safe drinking water for a month.

Check Out for Children offers guests at participating hotels the opportunity to add $1 to their bill to help UNICEF provide clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities for children and families across Africa and the Middle East.

After achieving outstanding results during Sales Blitz Program 2010, a Global Initiative of Marriott International Hotels and Resorts, our Hotel was awarded US$1000.00 as one of the top participating properties.

We decided to donate the US$1000 to UNICEF and its fundraising program.

Also, we give emphasis on local support by obtaining many times our Annual Associate’s Children’s party presents from UNICEF to support their important actions.

We support UNICEF through the international channels of our Marriott International programs, also with the R2A(“Road to Awareness” program. The Road to Awareness is an associate fundraising campaign, which has been making a positive difference to children in the communities Marriott International operates in since 2008. Every year, employees throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East organise fundraising events to help raise funds for UNICEF’s vital work for children. The campaign began when several senior associates at Marriott International decided to take on a cycling challenge in the French Alps in aid of UNICEF. In the six years since associates have raised over $5 million, and the bike ride has continued to be a highlight of the campaign every year.

During the last years (2013-2015) we organized each year a Bike Ride Event in which our Associates participated with their bikes in an Athens city center bike tour, giving the message of volunteerism, team spirit, and sensitivity. Our aim was and is to collect money for UNICEF in order to contribute to their important target. On 06/11/2016 we conducted our 4th Bike Ride in Oropos area and on 23/04/2017 we organized the 5th Bike Ride in Elliniko area.

The last 6 years we support the International Fund for the initiative on prevention of breast cancer through Race for the Cure.

The race takes place every year at Zappeion supported by Alma Zois-The panhellenic women society of breast cancer. Our hotels support financially the society by covering the participation cost of the associates and by donating a symbolic amount for each kilometer run or walk by each of our associates.

The last 2 years we organize with great success a Christmas Bazaar In which they are sold handmade creations of our associates in order to raise money for ‘’Kivotos tou Kosmou’’ and ‘’Faros Tiflon’’. Kivotos tou Kosmou is a nonprofit organization established in 1988 and takes care of abandoned children. This year was the first time where we hosted also handmade creations of ‘’Faros Tiflon, an organization for helping blind people.’’

We organize the “Parents Day” in which every year we invite the Associates Children on Christmas in our Hotel. During this day each child visits the department of its parent in order to see the working environment and they discuss professional guidance. This year, our event was conducted on 21/12/2016.

Every year we invite orphans from the”Children SOS Village” to participate in our Annual Associate Children’s during the Christmas period.

We collaborate with the Hellenic Cancer Association and organize fundraising activities. Furthermore, we take part in the program "Marriott International Associate Relief Fund". The mission of the Marriott International Associate Relief Fund (SARF) is to help ensure safe living conditions for Marriott International and franchise associates after a natural disaster or a large scale act of displacement through the provisions of need-based emergency financial grants.

The SARF is a charitable corporation established by Marriott International Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and financially supported by associates and matching corporate funds. The SARF supports the emergency housing needs of associates who incur a significant loss in property damage as a result of a natural disaster or a large scale act of displacement by providing need-based financial grants.

In 2016 our Hotels participated in a Football Game organized by Astir Palace with a beneficial view the amelioration of the installations and standards of living of "SOS Villages of Vary" and "Xamogelo tou Paidiou."

We hold a bi-annual Blood Donation in cooperation the Aghia Sofia Children’s hospital in order to support our Hotel’s Associate Blood Donation Bank.

We pay close attention to conditions of the workplace, so as to protect our Associates and create a safe working environment for them by adhering to all National Health and Safety standards.

We focus on the Training & Development of all our Associates.

We have a plan on Information and Training through Wellbeing activities with our Associates

We give additional leave days in case of maternity. Our target is to mothers and supports them in order to dedicate more time to their families

We regularly host Parties and Cocktails for our Team, as part of our ongoing internal communication initiatives.

From 2004 and on, as a benefit, we have an addition to the social security system: a Group Medical Insurance program for our employees.

We have introduced a new hypo-allergenic “Pure” room category in our Hotel that has been specifically designed for our highly sensitive Guests.

We conduct a new generation program through an internship program the last years by employing 20-30 people every season.