Athens Lights Hotel

Never again. The room and bathroom weren’t really clean, and it was the worst night I’ve ever had in a hotel. It was unbelievably loud all night. At 4 pm, it still felt like techno was playing in the room.

The rooms were nice, but the shower didn’t work beyond the faucet, and there was no staff in the building to get it fixed. After the long hassle of getting inside, I was already sweating by the time I reached my room. I’d booked through Capital One and received no check-in details beyond the 2 pm start time. When I arrived at 3:30, nobody was working at the hotel. It took nearly 30 minutes to reach the owner using the number on the front door. My cab driver finally got through, then staff talked me through the lockboxes remotely. Finding the hotel and checking in was a huge inconvenience. The location was hard to find, with a lot of open drug use nearby. It felt unsafe and didn’t seem suitable for families. Being close to the Acropolis was about the only upside. Service was horrible. I’d strongly recommend staying somewhere else.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and it’s still a place I’d recommend. The room was a bit awkwardly laid out and pretty Spartan, and I wasn’t keen on the bed or walls, but it did the job. The location was decent too: Omonia train stop is an easy walk, as are other districts, about 10 minutes away.

For what I paid, around 46 euros a night in August, this was a very good value and I’d stay here again. The hotel is new, only six months old when I visited, and clean, though the amenities are basic. Omonia Square and its metro station are about a five-minute walk, with two lines there for getting around Athens. The friendly staff made the stay, especially Tonia, who knows the area well and gave me useful tips and heads-ups that saved time and hassle. Frans and Jenni were friendly too.