Meni Hotel

I checked out after about an hour because I felt unsafe. The room was incredibly hot, the ACs didn't work, and the receptionist was reluctant to help. For some reason, the receptionist controlled the AC, deciding how much cooling or heating the room got. The Wi-Fi was out, and the elevator was another problem. The location was awful too. The owner smokes indoors, stares you up and down when you arrive, and is constantly shouting at staff. The whole scene was sad. I wouldn’t stay here even if it were the last hotel in Athens. I’d rather sleep at the airport.

We booked six nights through Expedia for the end of September 2025 and arrived at 10:30 pm. The receptionist said we owed another 60 euros for the room, on top of the 30 euro local tax we expected to pay on arrival. They claimed Expedia hadn't paid enough. We had already paid Expedia the quoted room rate in full, so we said any issue with the payment was between the hotel and Expedia. The owner, an older man, was there yelling at us and the receptionist in Greek, so we couldn't tell what he was saying. We were told plainly that we wouldn't be checked in if we didn't pay. It was late and we were exhausted, so we reluctantly paid. They wouldn't budge or treat us fairly. After getting home, we filed a chargeback with our bank and won. If this happens to anyone else, I'd recommend acting promptly. If you've paid for the room in full upfront, the hotel shouldn't charge you because of a problem with Expedia, Booking.com, or another booking site passing on the amount. Even when we didn't see the owner, we heard him yelling at guests or staff, apparently, in the middle of the night. It woke us several times, even at 2 am. The TV at reception was often extremely loud. When I asked the receptionist to turn it down, she said she wasn't allowed to. The owner was often around, watching TV at reception or smoking in the cafe, day or night. It felt weird and uncomfortable. I can't understand why he keeps behaving this way when so many other reviews describe him as a serious problem. We expected some traffic noise because the hotel is on a roundabout, and that alone wouldn't have bothered us. But the sliding double-glazed doors did little to block the sound. Motorbikes revving, emergency sirens, and people out late made it hard to fall and stay asleep. It sounded as if the doors were open, even when firmly shut. There's a wide gap where they meet, with a draught-excluder type fitting that doesn't keep out much noise or even draughts. The attractions in the city center are about a 15-25 minute walk away, but the neighborhood felt run down. There was graffiti on nearly every shopfront and building, and the streets and buildings looked very dirty from pollution, even by city standards. London is cleaner. We also passed many homeless people, some of whom looked as if they might be using spice. They were harmless and we had no trouble with them, but seeing so many near the hotel was unpleasant. I know people can't help being homeless, but the visible homelessness and drug use, including women sleeping outside with young children, was very sad to see and made it seem the city wasn't doing much to help. The room itself was nice and the bed comfortable, with only a few minor finishing issues. Housekeeping came most days, but not every day. When they did, they made the bed and wiped the bathroom. The sheets weren't changed during our stay, and the floor was never swept or vacuumed. After a couple of days, we could feel and see the dust and dirt on our bare feet. I would never stay here again. Looking back, I wish I'd taken the earlier reviews more seriously and booked elsewhere.

There was a smell of smoke everywhere, including the room and hallway. A strange man came into my room at night without knocking. He was tall and thin, bald, wore glasses, and worked at reception. I shouted and scared him off. It seemed he may have wanted to sleep in an empty room, but I don't know for sure. As a woman alone in a room, you can imagine how frightening that was. I feel sad and disappointed.

The rooms may be well equipped, but when the owner makes you feel unwelcome and treats you like a persona non grata, that says enough about the experience. I do want to congratulate the hotel's cleaners, who try every day to do the best they can, and the receptionist, who was generally polite. In my view, they each deserve a better workplace where their skills and qualifications can be appreciated.