Balasca Hotel

Shops are close by, and right across the road there’s a great, cheap Greek food spot for express suvlaki. The area felt pretty safe, though I’d still suggest getting around in a group. The staff were nice, and breakfast was better than people make it sound. It felt like an authentic experience of life in athens.

We felt unsafe in the disgusting, seemingly dangerous neighborhood, where there were many homeless people. Inside, there were cockroaches on the floor in both the hallway and our room. The air conditioning wasn’t working anywhere in the hotel. They gave us a fan, but it was dirty. The staff seemed weird, and their English wasn’t very good, even though this was an international hotel. It was an awful stay, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it in Athens.

I was there for just one night and was relieved to leave. It was peak season, every hotel was booked, and this was the only one available nearby. The place was dated and had very few amenities, including no air conditioning. They only took cash. The night staff were unsmiling and unfriendly, though a cheerful older woman on the morning shift lifted the mood. Expect a basic stay if you book here.

The room was much too cold, and the receptionist’s way of looking at us was outrageous. We had to pay in advance, they wouldn’t take a card, and they never gave us a receipt. It’s a shame a hotel in Greece’s capital would treat its customers so badly. Horrible.