Athens Marriott Hotel

At dinner in the Athens Marriott, the waitress opened a bottle of water and poured me a glass without saying anything. I asked if it was complimentary, and she told me it cost €6. When I asked why she hadn't checked whether I wanted it, she said that was the restaurant's policy. I spoke to the manager, who apologized, took away the bottle and glass, and asked if I didn't want water after all. By then I couldn't stomach staying to eat, so I left and asked for the hotel manager on duty. He said the waitress had made a mistake, that she should have asked first and offered me a complimentary bottle with my meal. When I asked in disbelief if that was all, he offered a 20% discount. I left the hotel and went to a nice restaurant.

The hotel was clean, the staff friendly and welcoming, and breakfast was good and as expected. Our room had a safe and an electric kettle, but no coffee machine, microwave, or similar appliance. We walked to the Hellenic National Library and the adjacent congress center in about 10-15 minutes. You have to cross the road through an underpass, which felt a bit unsettling late at night, though it was fine during the day. We were there for two nights for a symposium. Airport travel took some planning, especially with luggage. We took public transport on arrival: the metro fare was €9 per person, valid for 90 minutes including transfers, but a bus was still needed after the metro, which was awkward with suitcases. For the trip back we took a taxi for €60. The hotel runs shuttles to Plaka, the historic city center, at set times, so that's handy if the schedule works for you. Piraeus and the port are fairly close, but evenings get very crowded. In heavy traffic, even 10 kilometers can take over an hour by taxi. Comfortable and well maintained, though airport connections and evening trips around Piraeus need some thought.

I was sent here for work, otherwise I wouldn't have picked it. Marriott luxury? I didn't see it. A lot of it felt average, though the staff were amazing and very professional. That Nescaffé powder in a supposed five-star luxury hotel says plenty about the group. My criticism is aimed only at Marriott's top leadership, who have turned their luxury hospitality vision into a pure profit machine while trading on the name. They put a sad little sauna beside the gym bathroom and changing room. It feels like it's there for the brochure, not for guests.

Viking placed us here after our cruise, and going from five-star quality accommodation to this was jarring, almost unforgivable. The nice, inviting lobby was the one good part. The floors on the way to our room were filthy, and there was an almost constant sewage smell. Our room was filthy too: debris across the floor, muddy bathroom footprints, hair in the shower and sink, sticky stuff on half the surfaces, and wallpaper peeling off the wall. It was January, but even basic amenities were missing. I've stayed in no-star roadside motels that were much better. Thank heavens for the little restaurant a short walk away. This hotel is nowhere near the quality I expect Viking to be associated with.