Which Thessaloniki city hotel is better for families?

Imperial Palace is the stronger family option. Generous rooms and suite dimensions provide the space families need, and the sit-down breakfast format works well for adults and children. A suite at Imperial Palace often represents better per-person value than two separate rooms at a smaller property.

Is it cheaper to book direct with Imperial Hospitality?

Yes. The best available rates at both city hotels are through direct booking. The current offers page lists exclusive packages including breakfast-inclusive rates, early-bird discounts, and extended-stay pricing not available on third-party platforms.

Can I stay at both Thessaloniki city hotels on the same trip?

Yes. Some guests split longer stays between Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace. Contact the Imperial Hospitality team to discuss this option and ensure a smooth transition between the two hotels.

Thessaloniki City Hotels | Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace

Two City Hotels in Thessaloniki, One Central Address

Thessaloniki is a city that works on foot. Its historic centre is compact enough to cross in under 40 minutes, its main landmarks cluster within a 15-minute walk of each other, and its food and café culture is distributed across streets that reward aimless wandering as much as deliberate navigation. The right city hotel here is not one that merely tells you it is central. It is one that puts you inside the city, in a position where you can reach everything on foot, with no taxi budget and no daily logistics to plan.

Imperial Hospitality operates two city hotels in Thessaloniki, both in the historic centre, both within minutes of Aristotelous Square: Imperial Plus | Urban Smart Hotel and Imperial Palace | Classical Hotel.

They share the same central location, the same cleanliness and service standards, and the same commitment to value for the rate. This article lays out both hotels in full, so the choice between them is clear before you make a booking.

The Location Both Hotels Share

Before the differences, the fundamental similarity: both Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace are in the part of Thessaloniki that matters for a city hotel. Egnatia Street, the Roman road that has been the central east-west axis of the city since the 2nd century BC, runs through this zone. The waterfront is minutes to the south. The Byzantine upper town is visible on the hillside to the north. Ladadika, the best dinner district in the city, is eight minutes on foot to the west. The White Tower, the most recognisable landmark in Thessaloniki, is twelve minutes on foot to the east.

The measured distances from either hotel:

Aristotelous Square: under 5 minutes
Modiano and Kapani Markets: 6 minutes
Seafront promenade: 7 minutes
Ladadika: 8 minutes
Rotunda (Agios Georgios) and Kamara: 9 minutes
Church of Agios Dimitrios: 10 minutes
White Tower: 12 minutes
Archaeological Museum: 16 minutes
Ano Poli (Upper Town): 22 minutes on foot or 8 by taxi

For any stay of one night or more, this location eliminates transport as a variable. You are right inside the city from the moment you arrive.

Imperial Plus: The Smart Urban City Hotel

What It Is

Imperial Plus | Urban Smart Hotel is the city hotel built for the guest who wants to move fast, connect reliably, and come back to a room that works without friction. The Urban Smart Hotel design runs through every decision in the property.

This is not a minimal or stripped-back hotel. It is one where the choices have been made deliberately in favour of performance over scale. Everything in it is where it should be.

The Rooms

The room and suite categories at Imperial Plus are organised around the city view and the balcony:

The Executive King Bed with City View and Balcony is the defining room of the hotel. A king bed, a private balcony with city views over central Thessaloniki, and a room that sets the right tone for a stay in a city that rewards the people at the centre of it. For a couple on a city break or a business traveller who wants the room to feel like a considered choice rather than a default, this is the room to book.

The Executive Junior Suite with City View and Balcony adds a separate seating area and a larger balcony. For a three-night stay, a special occasion, or a guest who wants the room to function as more than a place to sleep, this is the natural step up from the Executive King.

The Deluxe King Bed with City View is the efficient city hotel room: city-facing, well-proportioned. For a solo traveller or a guest whose priority is the location rather than a private outdoor space, this is the right category.

The Breakfast

The Imperial Plus breakfast buffet is designed to get you out the door and into the city efficiently. A wide selection of hot and cold options, Greek dairy, pastries, eggs, and savoury choices, served in a format that lets you eat properly in under 30 minutes. For a city hotel whose primary proposition is that the city is immediately around you, the breakfast that matches that tempo is the right one.

The Imperial Rooftop

The Imperial Rooftop | Sky Yard is the skybar at the top of Imperial Plus, and it is the amenity that most clearly distinguishes this hotel from everything else in central Thessaloniki. Panoramic views over the city and the Thermaic Gulf, a curated drinks menu with a focus on northern Greek wines, and an atmosphere calibrated for the end of a day in the city rather than the beginning of it.

For hotel guests, the Imperial Rooftop is included in the stay, not charged separately. For a city hotel that positions itself as a gateway to Thessaloniki, having a rooftop that gives you the city from above at the end of the day is a meaningful addition to the proposition.

Who Imperial Plus Is For

A business traveller on a one to three-night stay who wants efficiency, reliability, and a central address on Egnatia Street. A couple on a city break who wants a balcony room with city views and rooftop access. A solo traveller who is in Thessaloniki to see the city and wants a hotel that stays out of the way. Anyone who treats the hotel as a high-quality base rather than a destination in itself.

Imperial Palace: The Classical City Hotel

What It Is

Imperial Palace | Classical Hotel is the city hotel built for the guest who wants the hotel to be part of the experience. The classical design runs through the interiors, not as a stylistic affectation but as a genuine commitment to proportion, warmth, and the sense of a room that was designed to be inhabitable rather than efficient.

The Rooms and Suites

The rooms and suites at Imperial Palace are the defining feature of the property. Generously proportioned in a way that is felt immediately on arrival, with furniture scaled correctly to the space, warm lighting, and bathrooms finished to the same standard as the rest of the room.

For families, the suite categories provide the space that multiple guests sharing a room actually need. The per-person cost of a suite at Imperial Palace is often comparable to booking two separate rooms at a smaller property, while providing shared space that makes a multi-night family stay genuinely comfortable rather than cramped.

For couples on a longer stay or a special occasion trip, the larger rooms and the classical atmosphere of Imperial Palace create a different quality of city hotel experience from the smart-urban approach of Imperial Plus.

The Breakfast

The Imperial Palace breakfast is a full sit-down service: unhurried, with a wide spread that includes Greek dairy, yoghurt, fresh fruit, eggs, pastries, and savoury selections. For a tourist family, a couple on a relaxed stay, or a guest who wants the morning to have its own character before the city begins, this breakfast earns its place in the day rather than simply fuelling the morning.

Who Imperial Palace Is For

A family with children who need space and a breakfast format that works across ages. A couple on a two or three-night city hotel stay who want the hotel atmosphere to be part of the experience. Extended business visitors who need a comfortable, spacious base across a working week. First-time visitors to Thessaloniki who want to arrive in a hotel that feels settled and authoritative rather than functional and efficient. Anyone for whom the room they return to at the end of a day in the city should feel like somewhere worth returning to.

Getting to Either Hotel

From Thessaloniki Airport (SKG)

Thessaloniki Makedonia International Airport is 15 km from the city centre. A taxi takes 20 to 25 minutes and costs approximately €18 to €22. Bus Line 78A runs to the city centre in approximately 45 minutes for under €1.

From the Railway Station (OSE)

The station is approximately 2 km west of the hotel area. A taxi takes 5 to 8 minutes at minimal cost. On foot, the walk takes 25 to 30 minutes along flat central streets.

Parking

Paid car parks are available within 2 to 3 minutes on foot of both hotels. For a city hotel stay centred on the historic centre, parking once on arrival and walking for the duration is the most practical approach. Contact either hotel in advance via the Imperial Hospitality contact page for parking guidance.

Direct Booking: The Best Rate for Either Hotel

The best available rate at both Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace is through direct booking. The current offers page lists active promotions including breakfast-inclusive packages, early-bird rates, and extended-stay discounts that third-party platforms do not carry.

For a city hotel stay of two or more nights, including breakfast at a bundled rate is consistently the right economic decision. The Imperial Plus breakfast buffet and Imperial Palace breakfast are both available as part of direct booking packages.

For specific requirements, whether that is an early check-in, a late arrival, an accessibility need, or a special occasion setup, contacting the Imperial Hospitality team directly before booking ensures the request reaches the people who can act on it.

FAQ: Thessaloniki City Hotels — Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace

What are the best city hotels in Thessaloniki?

Imperial Plus | Urban Smart Hotel and Imperial Palace | Classical Hotel are both centrally located city hotels in historic Thessaloniki, operated by Imperial Hospitality. Both are within 5 minutes on foot of Aristotelous Square, and within walking distance of every major landmark in the city: the White Tower (12 min), ta Ladadika (8 min), the markets (6 min), and the seafront (7 min). Full location details are here.

What is the difference between Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace?

Imperial Plus is a smart urban city hotel: compact, efficient rooms with city views and balcony options, an Imperial Rooftop skybar, and a breakfast buffet suited to guests who want to be out early. Imperial Palace is a spacious classical city hotel: generous rooms and suites, a full sit-down breakfast, and an atmosphere suited to families, longer stays, and guests who want the hotel to be part of the experience. Both are centrally located and well-run.

Which Thessaloniki city hotel is better for business travellers?

Imperial Plus is the stronger business option. Smart hotel design, reliable Wi-Fi, desk space in every room, a central Egnatia Street location, efficient breakfast, and the Imperial Rooftop as an informal meeting venue or end-of-day space. For a business traveller on a one to three-night stay, Imperial Plus provides the combination of efficiency and location that a working trip requires.

Do both city hotels offer breakfast?

Yes. The Imperial Plus breakfast buffet is an efficient hot and cold selection. The Imperial Palace breakfast is a full sit-down service at an unhurried pace. Both are available as part of direct booking packages via the current offers page.

How do I get from Thessaloniki Airport to the city hotels?

A taxi from Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to either hotel takes 20 to 25 minutes and costs approximately €18 to €22. Bus Line 78A runs to the city centre in approximately 45 minutes for under €1. For evening arrivals or guests with luggage, the taxi is the more practical option.

The Bottom Line

Thessaloniki rewards the visitor who positions themselves well within it. Its historic centre is walkable, its food culture is among the best in Greece, and its density of Byzantine and Roman heritage makes even a short stay feel substantial. The right city hotel for Thessaloniki is one that puts you inside this zone, not adjacent to it.

Imperial Plus and Imperial Palace both do that. Browse the full accommodation options, check the current direct booking offers, and contact the team with any questions. Both hotels, one address, one booking decision.