Throughout its 120 year history this elegant hotel has been host to a myriad of influential people from statesmen to kings, whilst retaining all the charm, grace and respect for tradition that is as intrinsically Greek as an island in the sun.

With their red tasseled caps, embroidered vests, white kilts, and red slippers, the euzones guards stand watch over the tomb of the unknown soldier and the parliament building, never wilting even through the scorching Greek noonday sun. Later, from the window of your hotel room you marvel at the precision with which the changing of the guards takes place and reflect on the fascinating history that surrounds you at every glance.

At every point of the compass except the south, where the Aegean Sea sparkles like a blue pearl, mountains rise to surround the city that writers, poets and philosophers have described as one of the most civilised of cities in the world since around 400 B.C.

Here, in the heart of Athens, civilisation found its zenith in all areas of development from the arts to medicine. Very few places can match the sheer timeless splendour of Athens. There is a tenacious regard for history and the significance of tradition that permeates every aspect of Greek life, from the pride shown the old part of Athens known as the Plaka, to the importance placed on family and the links enshrined through subsequent generations.

No other hotel in Athens more characteristically epitomises this concern, than the Grande Bretagne. Now with the fourth generation family member at its head, the hotel continues to be an institution both in Athens and throughout Greece. Originally a villa, the hotel, in its present incarnation, is a hybrid of architectural styles that date back 120 years.

"This hotel represents over a century of Greek history to the Greek people", says Mr. Doxiathis, the great grandson of the hotel's founder. "I assure you that more political decisions have taken place here than at the Royal Palace nearby or the Parliament Building opposite. Because of our proximity to these places, the hotel became a very popular venue for discussions between visiting dignitaries, particularly behind the scenes discussions in a relaxed atmosphere".

The history of the Grande Bretagne begins in Odessa, Russia, where a little over a century ago, a young man left his tight-knit Greek community to become assistant chef to King George I at the Royal Palace.

"My great grandfather actually became very well known when he left the Royal Court and went to Paris at the time of the Great Exhibition. He had the opportunity of serving such dignitaries as the Shah of Iran, delicacies of Oriental influences such as they had never tasted", Mr. Doxiathis explains. They were all very impressed!"

It was, however, the woman the youthful chef met whilst in Paris, who would become his wife, that set in motion the development of the hotel over which Mr. Doxiathis now presides. A staunch Frenchwoman, the proud new bride convinced her husband to give their fledging hotel a French name when they finally returned to Athens after their marriage. "We have got the best of both: the Greek food and the French tradition!" grins Mr. Doxiathis, fielding remarks as to the novel hybrid of name and culture, obviously not for the first time.

Since the Second World War, the Grande Bretagne has held the unique distinction of being the only hotel in a major city to be the official guest house of the government. "Most countries have a separate residence, a palace or whatever for those who come for State visits, but in Athens we are it", he says with pride, adding that a recent guest at the hotel was Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.

One of the priorities for Mr. Doxiathis is that the hotel retain its character and not be seen to be just another modern hotel. While continuously upgrading the building as it grew from an original 30 room hotel to its present 400 rooms, there has been a concerted effort to blend technological advances, such as direct electronic dialling, with the established tradition of yesteryear.

"The real challenge of running a hotel such as this is in developing the correct mentality amongst the younger staff members", says Mr. Doxiathis. "What helps us, is that we have many of the older staff working with the newer staff to train them, so that over time these younger people have an understanding of what we and our guests expect".

Situated in Syntagna Square opposite the National Gardens, the Grande Bretagne is within easy walking distance of all the major attractions. The walk to the Acropolis takes one through the Plaka, with its winding, cobblestoned alleys and rich influence dating back to the early 1800's. Or one can had to the Agora, the market place of the ancients where the best preserved temple in all of Greece, the Temple of Hephaestus stands.

"Because we are the oldest established hotel in Athens", says Mr. Doxiathis, "we are close to all the major banking institutions, the museums and of course the Parliament building. The Acropolis is only a twenty minute walk away, and all the best shopping is in this immediate area, as are the finest restaurants in Athens".

Not that one need leave the hotel to sample some of Greece's finer taste offerings. The Grande Bretagne's Greek chefs, many with international experience, create traditional Greek dishes to tantalise even the most fastidious of palates.

But for all this, there is one issue that continues to annoy Mr. Doxiathis, the view of many people that Greece should remain as it has been in the past, a comparatively inexpensive place to visit. In his opinion, Greece can no longer afford to subsidise the difference in airfares between itself and the other northern European destinations, a tactic which allowed prices to be kept relatively low. Since opening up its economy, the country itself is more prone to market forces beyond its control. "Remarkably however, even with the devalued dollar, prices are relatively similar to what they were four or five years ago", Mr. Doxiathis points out.

One gets the impression from Mr. Doxiathis that even a hundred years hence certain aspects of Greek life will not change: the reverence for the past, the importance placed on tradition, and the high regard in which the Grande Bretagne is held by all those even remotely associated with it.

"Even in a hundred years", Mr. Doxiathis says quietly, "the Grande Bretagne will still be here, but whether it remains in the family depends on future generations. It depends on whether they will like the business, because you cannot impress on someone that they should be a hotelier simply because it is tradition".

While such sentiment is to be applauded, and is eminently understandable given its background, it would be a tragedy of ancient Greek proportions if a modern, family institution like the Grande Bretagne were allowed to pass into the pages of history.