Ilion Suites

A 300-year old residence in historic Nafplion with colourfully decorated bedrooms

Greece’s first capital could hardly be more different from its current one. Cobbled pedestrian lanes, red-tiled rooves, Italianate piazzas, Turkish mosques and a Frankish castle all make the compact seaside town of Nafplion a far more enticing prospect than the sprawling metropolis of Athens. It’s also much better placed for the country’s prime sites: Mycenae, Epidavros, Corinth, Argos and Olympia are just a short drive away. And there are sandy beaches, rugged mountains and lovely islands (Hydra, Spetses) on your doorstep.

In the 1830’s, when Nafplion was capital of the newly liberated Greece, the city’s mayor lived in a grand, two-storey townhouse just above Constitution Square. The same building, now bearing the name ‘Ilion’ (Troy), has been converted to 10 ornate bedroom suites, each flamboyantly decorated with vivid-coloured walls, painted bedheads and antique furniture.

Highs

• Location in the heart of Nafplion’s old town
• Lovely breakfast in the patio garden
• High-tech bathrooms with jacuzzi showers
• Some rooms look over red roofs to the sea
• Quirky touches: naif-painted goddesses on your bedhead, cherubs flying across ceiling panels, Chinese screens and retro telephones

Lows

• The OTT décor is not for everyone
• The cheaper rooms are quite small
• Some windows look onto breakfast patio
• Steep, narrow stairs to some rooms
• Some bathrooms are tiny and plumbing can be dodgy