For romance, Coco-Mat Hotel Athens BC is hit or miss.
Calm, wood-and-natural-materials design with famously comfortable beds, a block from the Acropolis Museum and a five-minute walk to the South Slope and Plaka. The rooftop pool has an unobstructed Acropolis view — about as close to the ancient core as a design hotel gets. A restful, stylish stay right on the tourist spine without feeling like it.