Our correspondent and discerning traveler Jon Allen, owner of Island House Key West, the fantastic gay men’s guesthouse located in the Conch Republic, sent us this update from a recent visit to Greece.
Athens as a destination has been transformed by preparations for the Olympics held there in 2004. The whole city has been cleaned up, a beautiful Metro opened, and scores of new hotels, museums, and attractions are on offer. Athens now deserves a visit itself, instead of just being a stopover on the way to the Islands.
The listings follow.
The listings are included in this online magazine: http://www.deon.gr/
My notes are as follows from Chris, our very knowledgeable (and cute) gay guide. He’s a mid-thirties hip guy who would not have looked out of place in Williamsburg (he pointed out to me when we first met that we were both wearing Ray Ban Wayfarers!) so I take his recommendations as being from that perspective
Some of these we experienced ourselves, others I’m taking his word for.
Particularly recommended:
El Cielo
Fou
Bear Code
8th Sin
Del Sol
FCUK
Shamone
Alexander Sauna
Give these a miss:
Almaz
Fou
S-Cape
All of these recommended places are in Gazi, near the Kerameikos metro station. Except for this one, which is near Monastiraki station
Rooster (the whole area around Agias Irinis Square is very picturesque and very gay on a Sunday morning!)
We stayed at the Hilton, which was just wonderful. Just a five minute walk to the Metro (3 stops and 6 minutes to Gazi!) The Hilton is a complete resort in itself: beautiful gym, indoor and outdoor pools and jacuzzis, multiple restaurants, and great service. Amazing views of the Acropolis. Make sure to book a room on the executive floors: the executive lounge serves a full hot breakfast and dinner, with free wine and cocktails. You can easily save $100 a day on food and beverages by staying ‘executive.’ Tip: don’t miss watching the sunset over the Acropolis from the balcony of the executive lounge.
The LGBTQ Travel Expert. Educator. Speaker. Author. 
cool report!
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Great article, Ed. Many people I speak with think that Athens is dirty, but they haven’t been there since 2004. When we went in 2009, it was beautiful. I know, I’m biased because I went to graduate school for the study of Greek philosophy and myth (and I love Mediterranean culture in general), but Greece is one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
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I love it too and always have … even when it was a tad grittier:)
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