Athens House

The shared kitchen was good, and they were happy to let us leave our bags there the next day. The room was basic but did the job for a night, with a large television and a sink. It’s not far to the metro or most main attractions, though the street can feel off-putting when you arrive at night. Like much of Athens, it looks much better in daylight. The décor felt a few decades out of date, and the views weren’t great. The mosquito net wasn’t properly attached to the window, so I got bitten and didn’t sleep well. The thin walls and early building work next door made it noisy. If you can spend a bit more, there are better places, but this will do if you can’t.

The staff were alright, and the price was cheap. But the place was dirty and dusty, with a strong cigarette smell worse than at any other hostel. The bed was so uncomfortable I woke up with hip pain, and it was freezing in winter. The infrastructure is poor, and even though it’s fairly close to good places to visit, the neighbourhood feels pretty scary at night. Drug users and prostitution are common on nearby streets. I wouldn’t recommend it. Avoid it.

As a solo female traveller visiting Athens for the first time, I felt unsafe as soon as I came up the steps. It was dark, dingy and dirty, and the staff weren’t there. The woman who was there when I arrived wasn’t friendly either. There were prostitutes nearby, and I didn’t feel comfortable going to the convenience store. I left the very next day. Omania in general isn’t a safe area either.

The owner and his college were quite friendly, and the place is cheap, though it should cost even less for what you get. But the building is filthy and feels dangerous. The lift to the fifth floor has no door, and the stairs are dark and really scary. Our room wasn’t cleaned once in five days. The shared bathrooms were disgusting, and one wouldn’t lock. The showers were the worst experience I’ve ever had, and the smell in the building is indescribably disgusting. The district feels very dangerous, with prostitutes, junkies and everything else you can imagine. It is close to downtown, but I should have read the comments before booking. If you want to stay two nights or more, never go there.