Olala Syntagma Apartments

The apartment has a street view, so anyone after a scenic outlook should look elsewhere, or just head outside. Its location let me walk to Athens' sights without staying in the busier area below the Acropolis. I had a worry-free week in an updated, tidy place at a reasonable price. Entry felt secure, with solid door deadbolts, and the apartment had the basics for cooking or making coffee.

With three adults staying, we found the apartment's kitchen appliances handy. The Xiaomi kettle was huge and all metal inside, and the induction stove worked well, though the nonstick pan wasn't compatible, so scrambled eggs were out. The hair dryer was a good quality one that didn't overheat, and the internet never cut out. For three people and three nights, there were only two coffee pods and two tea bags, though oddly lots of sugar sticks. I liked the sofa bed. It was wide enough for two and let me stretch out and turn, unlike narrower ones I've used. The pad gave good back support, though it felt a little too firm. The tiny lift was typical of European hotels and could barely take three adults with backpacks, so we used the stairs and saved it for heavy luggage. The front door keypad was fussy: you have to touch it to wake it, and sometimes that registers as a number. I never got the downstairs door open with the keypad and ended up using the website every time. The main drawback was the nearby nightclub on Wednesday morning. From around 2 to 5 a.m., I could hear the beat while sleeping on the sofa bed by the street-facing window. Closed, the windows kept most of the sound out, but it was still noticeable. I'm a light sleeper and kept drifting in and out, which was annoying. Without that, I'd have rated the room five stars.

The balconies are lovely, and the place was clean, with a well-equipped kitchen and easy check-in. The location is great, too. But the apartment was much smaller than I expected, better for three adults than five adults and a baby. There was no baby high chair and hardly any kitchen counter space, not enough to prepare even a tiny meal. You could hear the lift running noisily in every room all day.

Room 4.1 was a good size for two, really clean, with a nice balcony to sit on. The bedroom was roomy and I slept well. Air conditioning was essential. At night, the open windows let in noise, but closing them stopped it. The kitchen had only the basics, and the bathroom was small enough that I had to tuck myself into the shower to close the door. Noisy people in the building can also be heard through the door. The location worked well for sightseeing, with Syntagma metro station about five minutes away. After booking, I kept getting updates through to check-in. Before arrival, you get an email asking you to register with ID to receive the apartment unlock codes. One day I saw people waiting outside because they hadn't completed those checks and couldn't get in yet. I'd definitely stay again. If a room with a balcony were available, that would be my first choice.