Heart Of The City: A For Athens Hotel

A for Athens is easily accessible

The hotel is easily accessible by metro from Athens international/domestic airport. From the airport, take the blue metro line which costs 8 EUR (approximately 9 USD) for 1 passenger or 14 EUR (approximately 16 USD) for 2 passengers to Monastiraki station. There are about 16 stops along the way and will take approximately 40 minutes. Once you are out from the train, look for the signage in the station indicating “the square”. Escalators are available at the metro station, so you can travel around easily with luggage. Once you are out from the station, you can easily spot the hotel to the west of the small road across the street. You will have to walk past the crowded Monastiraki square and get across the small but busy road. If you take a taxi, it will cost about 35 to 50 EUR (approximately 40 - 55 USD) depending on the timing.

Once you navigate yourself out from the crowd at Monastiraki square and the busy road, do note that the entrance of the hotel is right at the corner of the building. As you stepped into the hotel, you will be greeted by the warm staff at the check-in counter. The friendly hotel staff will also offer you a location map and point out the key places around the hotel. The entire check-in process is swift and easy. The lobby is small but it also provides 2 public desktops and a printer for its guest. There are 2 elevators in the lobby where 1 will bring you up to your guest rooms from level 1 to 5; and the other is a public elevator, which goes up to the sky bar on level 6. Both elevators are very small and can only hold about 3 average passengers without big bags; otherwise it can take only 1 passenger with 2 big luggage. If you are not carrying bags or luggage, you may want to take the staircase, which is certainly a faster way when you are heading down.

Look forward to comfort in your room

Based on your budget and number of guest, there is a variety of guest rooms from standard rooms to family rooms to choose from. The prices of the rooms range from 80 to 160 EUR (90 to 185 USD). Given the simple design of the room with wooden finishing, you can expect to feel almost at home during your stay. You can also expect a good sleep on the comfortable bed with the ideal firmness level and the down feather pillows. The hotel provides both soft and hard pillows, to cater to individual preference.

To reserve a room, there is a booking feature on the hotel website. However, the dates are indicated in local Greek language and will bring you to a new page on booking.com, also in the local language. For those who do not understand Greek, you can go directly to booking.com website or any other hotel-booking websites to reserve your room. Some websites offer discounts and promotional prices, so it is highly recommended that you compare at least 3 prices before making a reservation.

The room also comes with a safe box in the wardrobe. Although instructions to enter the new pins are provided on the box, it is not exactly clear and you may take some time to figure out. Iron and ironing boards are provided upon request. Satellite/cable TV is available in the room, offering a variety of channels. However, most channels are in local language during day time but offer good English sitcoms and dramas after 10pm. The phone positioned next to the bed makes it easy to contact the reception, whenever needed. The hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi services but you need to log in each time you access. Overall, the log in process is fast and Wi-Fi connection is good.

A magnificent view of Monastiraki Square from the hotel

Beside the station is the Athens Flea Market, which consists of many shops selling trinkets, bags, clothing, etc. There are plenty of restaurants around the hotel too. Lycabettus Hill is one of the famous attractions in Athens, located 2 to 3 metro stops away from the hotel. You are highly encouraged to walk there, as you will discover many other attractions such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Panathenaic Stadium along the way. Since the hotel is located next to Monastiraki square, do expect the vibrancy and the noises to last into late nights. Besides the partying crowd, the African drumming on the street starts in the evening and can end as late as 2am. This energetic vibe will appeal to travelers who enjoy nightlife.

A kitchen counter located outside the bathroom

The sleek contemporary designed rooms come with spacious shower areas too. Water pressure is great! Also, the shower gets heated up pretty quickly, which is helpful during cold nights. Clean towels are provided and changed on a daily basis. Basic toiletries such as 2-in-1 body cleanse and shampoo; body lotion and shower caps are provided and replenished on a daily basis. Outside the bathroom is a small kitchen counter with washing sink.

A small refrigerator is also provided under the counter to chill your drinks. Complimentary bottled waters are available on the 1st day of check-in but you have to request for them, still on a complimentary basis, on subsequent days. The hotel staff respond rather quickly and most requested items will be sent to your room within 5-15 minutes depending on the timing of the day. There is no coffee maker or water kettle but coffee-lovers can get their dosages at the cafe just right outside the hotel.

The amazing roof top bar that offers a great view

The sky terrace is an iconic highlight of the hotel, which offers a spectacular view of Monastiraki square and the famous acropolis, especially when night falls. On Fridays and Saturdays, the bar can be very crowded with youngsters; mostly tourists; wanting a drink and a view of the night scenery of Athens. Drinks and food are served at a reasonable price though services could be much better given the public crowd in the evenings. Located on level 6, the sky bar is open to the public till 3am. Given that, guests who value greater privacy and silence should opt for rooms on the lower level. Those who are staying on level 5 may be affected by the noise level coming from the bar.

Having breakfast with a view

Plenty of seats are available at the sky terrace. On the upper deck, there is an open-air seating area that has a magnificent view of the acropolis and Monastiraki square. However, it can get too windy and bright in the mornings, especially during summer. The lower deck features a sheltered area with an equally great view. This is where most guests choose to have their lovely breakfast. A note of caution: the staircase from the breakfast buffet area to the lower deck is slightly steep, especially if you are holding plates and cups. There are also some tables and chairs on the same deck of the buffet area but it offers no view.