ATHENS — On our first night in Greece, my father took four of his grandchildren, his two children, his wife, and his daughter-in-law to dine at a hotel that routinely has its marble steps hammered into pieces that are then thrown at riot police.

This happens, of course, during the popular demonstrations that have increased in frequency in Athens over the past two years. The protests forced the hotel in question, the Grande Bretagne to repair its front entrance six times in 2011 at an uninsured cost of more than $600,000. To protect against tear gas the hotel staff dons gas masks; the guests put towels under the doors.