Revolution Square is home to some of Bucharest’s best-known buildings, including the former royal palace now Art Museum, the impressive Athanaeum concert hall and the striking modernist monument to the revolution. The Athenée holds its own among these edifices and is saturated in history of its own – it was a den for wartime espionage and, during the communist era, its rooms were once all famously tapped.
The interior has a touch of the faded Grand Hotel but the dark wood, Doric columns and opulent chandeliers give it a retro charm that suits the venue. Rooms are similarly throwback in appearance but good-sized and all have their own private sitting area. Views are over the city or the hotel courtyard.
When eating in the hotel, choose between French or Italian restaurants. Try the Aperitivo or take your drinks on the elegant terrace. Afterwards, retire to the English Bar, where wartime spies smoked cigars, to sample some of the 50 varieties of whisky they hold.