Athens One Smart Hotel

The Acropolis is about a 30-minute walk away, mostly flat, with shops and restaurants along the route. Breakfast was a nice start to the day, with a good range of hot and cold buffet items. We enjoyed our stay and would return. From Piraeus Cruise Port, the hotel offers a taxi for a fee, around 35 euro, similar to a taxi or Uber. Airport transfers cost 35-60 euro depending on the time, 5a-11p or 11p-5a, so check current prices with the hotel. Arriving by taxi, I first thought the hotel didn't look like the photos. Inside, though, it was very nice and clean, just like the pictures, and the staff were friendly. The streets outside were dirty, but that's how it is everywhere. Thank you.

There's no kettle in the room, so I couldn't make tea or coffee. The shower screen was too narrow to stop water getting out, and the whole bathroom floor flooded while I showered. Street noise also came through badly because the windows had very poor sound insulation. The hotel is centrally located in Athens, and the small room was functional, but in my view this is a 3-star hotel, not a 4-star one.

The staff were lovely and the hotel was clean, but the area felt run down, with gangs, drug users, and ladies of the night around. Our taxi driver told us not to go out at night because it wasn't safe. I wouldn't book with young children, as the neighborhood isn't suitable. Breakfast's hot food was cold, and on my first evening meal I was served raw chicken. There are no facilities for hot drinks in the rooms, so you have to buy them from the restaurant. The location was poor.

Inside, this is a really nice hotel: everything feels new, it’s very clean, and the WiFi signal is strong. It deserves a five-star user rating for the hotel itself. The area right outside is the problem. There are lots of people dealing drugs, using them, or working as prostitutes and pimps. A couple of nights we approached from different directions and took the narrow side streets. We were shocked by how many people were lying around, and by the smell of urine and human waste. If you want less exposure to that, stay on the main roads.