City Center Athnes Rooms

The first night, we found a cockroach in the room. When I told the staff, they just said to kill it. After that, the curtain rail fell on my head, the socket near the bed didn’t work, and cold air came in all night and during showers because the bathroom window wouldn’t shut. My partner and I couldn’t sleep properly and kept the lights on all night because we were afraid of insects. The room fell far short of the “soundproof” and “comfortable” descriptions on Booking. I don’t usually leave bad reviews, but this was one of the most uncomfortable hotel stays we’ve ever had.

For 1-2 nights, you’ll be fine here. The room was clean and okay for the money, and I was glad they had lockers for €7. There’s no in-person reception, but communication by email or WhatsApp was good. Breakfast was very basic: two pieces of toast with cheese, a boiled egg, a packaged croissant, and instant coffee. The elevator is tiny, and the shower cap was a little broken.

The location, about a 20-minute walk from the city center, and the hot water in the shower were the only good things about our three-night stay. The rest was deeply uncomfortable. There’s no reception or anyone to greet you. The owner or manager sent door codes on WhatsApp for the building entrance, the main room door, and our individual rooms. The building hall had no lights, and we had to climb three flights of spiral stairs. We were frightened. The elevator was too small, and its outside handle was broken. Our room had a queen bed where my sister and cousin slept, two single beds where my sister and I stayed, a small fridge, two nightstands, a TV that didn’t work, and an air conditioner that had a problem the entire time and didn’t work either. The room was dark, the beds were uncomfortable, and there was no full-length mirror. The owners had left one blanket in a closet, but it was filthy. I hung my black coat there the next morning and it came away dusty and smelling bad. After my first night, I had a terrible allergy reaction, with swollen eyes, nose, and upper lip. Breakfast was a disaster: two pieces of toast with one slice of cheese in a plastic bag, two boiled eggs, two store-bought croissants, and coffee or tea. There were no shower caps or shower gel in the bathroom. We didn’t get toilet paper or fresh towels, and nobody came to tidy the room during our three days there, so there was no room service. We didn’t contact the person on WhatsApp. The only staff member we met was a Russian woman who boiled eggs each morning. Her English was poor, so we spoke with her in Russian. The door battery ran low at one point, leaving the apartment doors wide open. If someone had closed them, there would have been no way to get in or out. Anyone could access our rooms. The hallway lights near the rooms only came on when you stepped fully outside, so leaving felt risky. We saw people we believed were addicts around the hotel each morning as we went sightseeing and when we returned. This was not an experience I’d recommend.

Don’t book. We had to leave the room at midnight after finding bedbugs. Neither Booking.com nor the accommodation responded to our complaint. The area felt unsafe too.