Athens City Hotel

"Non-Pretentious" sums this place up really well. Staff are friendly and welcoming, speak good English. You get what you pay for and those who are expecting a 5* hotel are very much in the wrong place; this is Athens, an ancient city that's limited in space, it's physically impossible to get a hotel in a spot like this that is any bigger than this without compromises; so yes the elevator is small, but it works and works well. The staff have been incredibly helpful, answered all of my questions, provided useful information and show a great amount of care towards visitors. They constantly strive to improve the place, and during my stay they've shown they listen to feedback and have invested into improving the customer's experience; even upgrading the coffee and drinks as mentioned in other reviews to brand new machines that work and work well. The breakfast isn't anything grandeur - but it's functional; what you need for exploring a day in Athens. To be spoiled by croissants, pastries and full English breakfasts isn't the job of a place like this; if you want to be spoiled go to a place where you pay to be treated like royalty. Here you get treated like a friend instead. Cleaning is done and done well, the shower is big enough for a man like me to fit comfortably in, the air conditioning works well enough to sleep through the 28c nights and the walls are thick enough to keep yourself to yourself. Never had I thought "oh I wish this was different" because I knew what to expect when I booked. I didn't expect the Hilton experience because I didn't pay for it. I knew that Athens was a cramped and confined city - I knew that no matter where you are in Athens you would be looking at other buildings and balconies, and you should expect the same too. Athens is massive; it extends as far as the eye can see, so to expect anything greater than that when looking at a place like this is absurd. Still, from my balcony I had 16 hours of sunlight overlooking a courtyard which was pleasant; not noisy, calm and relaxing. In the evening I could smell the mouth-watering kitchens of all the giagiás cooking their homely meals, then watch others relax and enjoy life. Even on the street you are surrounded by warm and cozy little cafes and kitchens with friendly people enjoying life in that moment there. As for the location; it is far from the city centre. It's a 45 minute walk to Omonia, but a two minute walk to a supermarket, a ten second walk to a coffee shop and a fifteen second walk to a bus stop. If you're staying longer then an uber is always quick option to get about and the food delivery app Wolt will give you seven hundred restaurants that deliver within an hour at all times of the day. Thankfully 28 October street is flat, open and well lit - and never once did I feel unsafe in the neighborhood. My only two gripes were that the wifi was pretty slow, annoyingly so when I was trying to book things. On the fifth floor I had better connection to the third floor than the hotspot on the fifth - but towards the end of the week it improved so maybe they upgraded that too. The only other gripe is that the towels provided are tiny - so bring your own. Additionally, my room was amply sized - not a horror story like I had heard from others in other hotels - the pillows soft, the bed soft, the sheets comfortable and the sleeping experience was solid; so no faults there.