Absinthe
04-03-2009, 11:28 AM
A friend of mine from another part of Greece is coming to Athens for the weekend, and he called me up yesterday and asked me to book a decent hotel room* for him because he's in the army and he doesn't have access to the internet.
*Decent hotel room in Athens...
Well there's a paradox here :D You see the problem with Athens is the following. There are really luxurious (and rather expensive) 5-star hotels and then there are....hotels (if you can call them that) that are below the standards of Zimbabwe even, and that are also pricey considering their lack of basic services (beginning from 50euros/night for a single bed room :eek:).
So there's basically not many intermediate solutions...either you pick a really expensive hotel or you cross your fingers that you don't end up in a ghetto hotel with prostitutes and organized crime members... :D
I am basically aware of those dangers so I first tried the very few hotels that I already know of, that have reasonable prices and offer decent accomodation.
After all my attempts failed since there were no vacancies, I resorted to google search for other hotels that might be inexpensive.
Some of the reviews cracked me up big time and I thought it's pure Aristophanic comedy as well as priceless to share for laughs...
We are at the centre of Athens. We offer a roof garden bar and restaurant, internet, air-conditioned rooms and a full American breakfast!
Hotel Diethnes, a beautiful neo-classic building, is centraly located in Athens just next to Metro and suburban stations.
‘Hotel Diethnes,’ easy accessible by the red line of the Athens metro network from the Airport and the Harbor is centrally located in Athens in a very well preserved building of the 20th century.
The 25 spacious rooms, the facilities and the excellent services can guarantee your pleasant and comfortable accommodation in sunny Athens where nightlife experiences go on and on...
All our comfortable rooms are air-conditioned, have ensuite shower and bathrooms equipped with hairdryer, TFT 19" TV Monitor, telephone and minibar.
“Stay Away!!”
A TripAdvisor Member
Vienna, Austria
Mar 22, 2006
14/16 found this review helpful
I have been living in Europe for 2 1/2 years now and travel a lot during school vacations--I am an international teacher. I always stay in budget hotels or pensions.
This hotel is one of the worst places I have ever been--so bad it is memorable. (:D)
The area of the hotel is a place of vacant lots and empty, half torn down buidling. It looks like a war zone. (:D)
There are no decent shops or cafes anywhere near the hotel. It is near the metro on which it takes about 20 minutes to get to central Athens.
The first night I was there I saw a cockroach crawling along the wall. Then another. (:D)
I had booked the hotel through the intenet and paid for two nights in advance.
The second night there were more cockroaches. (:D)
I left the hotel after 2 nights and spent the rest of the week somewhere else. The room was dreary and drab and not very clean with soiled/stained looking carpet and bedspread.
The window looked out on a vacant lot full of trash. (:D)
I had reserved for a week, and when I told the hotel clerks I was leaving because of the bugs, they were very rude and resistent and an argument insued.
Eventually, I just left and had to hope they wouldn't charge my credit card for the nights I didn't stay. They didn't. I would tell anyone to avoid this place. It is dirty and bug infested and in a horrible neighborhod. The hotel staff/management are not what I would consider honorable because of their attitude when I wanted to check out because of the bugs.
:icon_lol:
Having encountered similar situations during my vacations in greek islands, I suspect the above story to be absolutely, 100% true.
The window view to a dirty alley is always a classic :icon_lol: and the stained bed sheets and bugs is nothing to be surprised of.
The jist of the story:
:eusa_shifty: Should any of you, from whatever reason, ever decide to visit Athens even for a single night, do not book a room over the internet, trusting the description of the Hotel.
Consult me first and I will do my best to research for decent accomodation for you. :) And don't let this deter you from travelling here...it is an interesting place to visit....just mind the bed bugs don't bite! :D
*Decent hotel room in Athens...
Well there's a paradox here :D You see the problem with Athens is the following. There are really luxurious (and rather expensive) 5-star hotels and then there are....hotels (if you can call them that) that are below the standards of Zimbabwe even, and that are also pricey considering their lack of basic services (beginning from 50euros/night for a single bed room :eek:).
So there's basically not many intermediate solutions...either you pick a really expensive hotel or you cross your fingers that you don't end up in a ghetto hotel with prostitutes and organized crime members... :D
I am basically aware of those dangers so I first tried the very few hotels that I already know of, that have reasonable prices and offer decent accomodation.
After all my attempts failed since there were no vacancies, I resorted to google search for other hotels that might be inexpensive.
Some of the reviews cracked me up big time and I thought it's pure Aristophanic comedy as well as priceless to share for laughs...
We are at the centre of Athens. We offer a roof garden bar and restaurant, internet, air-conditioned rooms and a full American breakfast!
Hotel Diethnes, a beautiful neo-classic building, is centraly located in Athens just next to Metro and suburban stations.
‘Hotel Diethnes,’ easy accessible by the red line of the Athens metro network from the Airport and the Harbor is centrally located in Athens in a very well preserved building of the 20th century.
The 25 spacious rooms, the facilities and the excellent services can guarantee your pleasant and comfortable accommodation in sunny Athens where nightlife experiences go on and on...
All our comfortable rooms are air-conditioned, have ensuite shower and bathrooms equipped with hairdryer, TFT 19" TV Monitor, telephone and minibar.
“Stay Away!!”
A TripAdvisor Member
Vienna, Austria
Mar 22, 2006
14/16 found this review helpful
I have been living in Europe for 2 1/2 years now and travel a lot during school vacations--I am an international teacher. I always stay in budget hotels or pensions.
This hotel is one of the worst places I have ever been--so bad it is memorable. (:D)
The area of the hotel is a place of vacant lots and empty, half torn down buidling. It looks like a war zone. (:D)
There are no decent shops or cafes anywhere near the hotel. It is near the metro on which it takes about 20 minutes to get to central Athens.
The first night I was there I saw a cockroach crawling along the wall. Then another. (:D)
I had booked the hotel through the intenet and paid for two nights in advance.
The second night there were more cockroaches. (:D)
I left the hotel after 2 nights and spent the rest of the week somewhere else. The room was dreary and drab and not very clean with soiled/stained looking carpet and bedspread.
The window looked out on a vacant lot full of trash. (:D)
I had reserved for a week, and when I told the hotel clerks I was leaving because of the bugs, they were very rude and resistent and an argument insued.
Eventually, I just left and had to hope they wouldn't charge my credit card for the nights I didn't stay. They didn't. I would tell anyone to avoid this place. It is dirty and bug infested and in a horrible neighborhod. The hotel staff/management are not what I would consider honorable because of their attitude when I wanted to check out because of the bugs.
:icon_lol:
Having encountered similar situations during my vacations in greek islands, I suspect the above story to be absolutely, 100% true.
The window view to a dirty alley is always a classic :icon_lol: and the stained bed sheets and bugs is nothing to be surprised of.
The jist of the story:
:eusa_shifty: Should any of you, from whatever reason, ever decide to visit Athens even for a single night, do not book a room over the internet, trusting the description of the Hotel.
Consult me first and I will do my best to research for decent accomodation for you. :) And don't let this deter you from travelling here...it is an interesting place to visit....just mind the bed bugs don't bite! :D