Any famous guests?
Recently several political figures have stayed here, such as the Prime Minister of Belgium and the President of the Czech Republic. We had Pele staying here, for a major football tournament. Joan Collins has been here several times on her way to one of the islands, as has Elizabeth Taylor. We also had Oliver Reed as a guest, who was no trouble at all.
Any unusual requests?
It's part of this job to get difficult requests, and I never really think of them as unusual. When people are staying in a hotel, they expect to be able to pick up the phone and get something, just as they would at home. Everything seems very easy to many of them - some people ask for things and like to be looked after straight away. I have been asked to provide some social escorts and this kind of thing; that can put you in a corner and embarrass you. We give them the paper with the ads and they can make the calls - this is all we can do for them.
What about a night out?
When a guest asks for a recommendation for dinner, we always try to understand what exactly he wants. It's important to know what kind of meal they would like to have, how much they would like to pay, and whether or not they would like traditional Greek food. We try to recommend places close to the hotel as getting back by taxi late at night can be a problem. For Greek food, Daphne's in the old part of the city is excellent. There is a lovely garden and usually guitar music playing. Pilpool serves continental food and has an excellent view of the Acropolis, which is something lots of guests ask for. Dionysus is on Lycavitos Hill and has a fantastic view of the city - people travel up on a cable car. There is the open-air theatre of Herodion beneath the Acropolis which hosts international music or ancient plays during the summer. Vanessa Mae played there two days ago.
What about a day out?
The city is a show in itself and guests can take in the sights either on an organised bus tour or in a private car. It's a good idea to try going outside the city , maybe to take a drive along the coast to see the Temple of Poseidon. The Acropolis is an obvious place for people to go, as is the National Archaeological Museum. The Cycladic Museum is showing the latest relics excavated during the recent works on the Paris Metro. Away from the museums, people really enjoy wandering around the flea markets and enjoying the atmosphere.
Hotel Grande Bretagne: 00 301 331 4444
Cycladic Museum: 00 301 724 9706
Dionysus Restaurant: 00 301 923 3182
Pilpool Restaurant: 00 301 342 3665
Daphne's: 00 301 322 7971
