When in Athens - Hostel

The When in Athens Hostel is in a lovely building in an even nicer neighbourhood, with cafés and bookshops all around. It was beautifully furnished and very clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful. I stayed in summer 2024 and had a great time. It costs a little more, but it’s definitely worth it. Highly recommend :)

I stayed five days. The hostel was clean, comfortable, and well looked after, and the facilities were good for travelers. The staff were also friendly, professional, and helpful. But the manager’s extremely rude and disrespectful behavior ruined the whole stay. The way he spoke and acted was nowhere near basic courtesy for a hospitality setting. What should have been a pleasant visit became bitter, and it erased all the positive things I’d planned to say. That alone is why I’m giving the hostel such a low rating. A clean place and good staff don’t mean much if management can’t show guests basic respect.

Reply to management’s response: First, I didn’t ask for “significant” compensation, as you said, but for a fair amount. Also, as I wrote below, the email didn’t sound genuine to me and seemed ChatGPT-written, so I didn’t find it credible. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. Your reply here does seem authentic, and I hope you really checked everything as you said and found nothing. I felt the bites during my stay but, like you, didn’t suspect bugs at the time. There’s no full-length mirror in the bathroom, and the bites are on my lower back and legs, so I couldn’t see them myself. Allergies can show up later, too, according to a Google search, and mine got worse afterward. It’s possible the chair at a restaurant where we ate was infested. I read that this had happened in at least two Athens restaurants this year. If I’m wrong, I apologize for accusing you. I take this seriously for other people as well as myself. Original review: The hostel looked impressive and very clean, and the linen was crisp. I’d give it five stars if I weren’t suspicious of bed bugs. I spent two nights there and got terribly bitten. They steam tourists’ bags when they arrive, but only on the surface. Maybe I was just unlucky and got the infested bed. A week later, a large area of my skin was still covered in itchy marks, which isn’t nice on vacation. They definitely weren’t mosquito or spider bites. When I got home, I had to quarantine all my things, which was really annoying. Management sent a long email saying they checked the bed and found nothing, but it looked ChatGPT-written and didn’t sound credible to me. This is an assumption since I didn’t inspect the mattress myself. I felt itchy, but only realized the next day when a friend saw the marks. I hadn’t stayed anywhere else before it happened, not even in a taxi. The four-bed room was tiny, with almost no space for bags, though that didn’t bother me much. On my first day, the shower on the second floor only had cold water. I complained at reception and they fixed it. The air conditioning was controlled centrally from reception. I had to get out of my upper bunk three times at night to ask them to change it because cold air was blowing. Some people in my room started coughing during the night, probably because of it. It was also very noisy overnight, with doors slamming, especially when the lock jammed, and people packing or unpacking at 4am. That’s down to inconsiderate guests, not the hostel. The employees were very friendly and helpful.

My one suggestion would be to add soap dispensers in the showers and maybe slippers for rent, since towel rental is already available. If your room feels too hot, ask the front desk to adjust the thermostat. Otherwise, the good reviews here ring true. The space is clean, air-conditioned, and nicely designed, with friendly and helpful staff. There’s a pleasant common area and kitchen downstairs, plus a garden out back. Attractions including the Acropolis are within walking distance, and there are good bars and restaurants nearby. They also sponsor a good pub crawl.