It's always heartening to see a tumbledown 19th-century Athenian neoclassical building renovated and, in this case, turned into a boutique hotel. Magna Grecia is not only on Mitropoleos Street, but it's also right on Mitropoleos Square, steps from Athens' main cathedral (the Metropolitan, hence the name of the street and square). Inside are the high ceilings, ornamental plasterwork, wall paintings, French doors, and polished hardwood floors of the original Athenian structure. Most rooms are decorated in pastels, ranging from lilac to Aegean blue; many have the filmy bed canopies that became so popular in recent years in Greek boutique hotels. The Mitropoleos Square location is a great place to watch fancy wedding and baptism parties arrive and depart from the Cathedral. Rooms facing the street and square also have Acropolis views, as does the rooftop restaurant, the Acropolis View, popular with locals.