I am having a hard time finding an Athens hotel that appeals to me. I am looking to spend up to $200 US per night. I would also like to be near the Acropolis.

I was looking at St. George's, Divani Acropolis and Electra Palace, but none of them really even look that interesting or unique to me.

In my own limited experience, Athens is not a great place for moderately priced hotels. With the exception of the very top tier such as the Grande Bretagne or the St. Geroge, I don't think it is a great hotel town by any standard. And for less than 200 Euro you are not going to find anything really upscale. You can take a look at the Herodion website and see if that appeals. Or check out the Cecil, which I believe is unique in its way. What do you mean by interesting anyway? Interesting clients? Interesting decor? But I have been in Athens only twice so perhaps someone else will be of more help.

Here is the Herodion page:
www.herodion.gr

It looks kind of boutique-y. I got a good rate here last fall by writing to them directly, but ended up staying at the Electra Palace.

ek-

That place defintely looks better than what I have been seeing on other websites. St. George is in our price range, although it seems to be located slightly out of the way from the Acropolis.

I don't know why you have this madness to be "near the Acropolis", virtually everywhere in central Athens is "near the Acropolis".

I stayed at Hotel Grande Bretagne, and walked to the Acropolis very, very easily. You could even walk there from the Hilton which is located a little way out of the "main" city.

And also, for 200USD you aren't going to get something genuinely "interesting" (at least not in a pleasant way) or "unique". On that sort of budget I'd stick to a well known chain (probably US like Mariott) where you can expect to receive a certain standard of comfort, and no unwanted extras.

I never stay in chain hotels if I can avoid it. St. George's, a 5 star listed as one of Athen's best, is about $200 US per night through the travel agency that I am dealing with.

St George's is hardly 5-star (I know it is on paper), the rooms are small, and the public areas are very 4-star, as is the service - I walked in there on my trip.

It is far from Athen's best. I don't know why people use travel agents these days, the best deals are found on the internet, and with far more honest opinons from people who aren't worried about their commission!

I agree about the Acropolis location; I wrote this on another similar thread yesterday. Remember that being near the Acropolis is not the same as being near the path that leads to the entrance. One thing I found when investigating hotels in Athens last fall: they seem very amenable to negotiating their rates if you write to them directly and ask. I did so much research before I left and liked the Herodion but, as I said, ended up at the EP cause friends wanted to stay here. The price/quality ratio was not great...big, rather cold place with nice rooms, staff not particularly warm. Yes, we had a side view of the Parthenon lit up at night but how much time did we spend hanging out on the balcony and looking at it? Not that much! Honestly, I think Athens is not a great place to find an interesting, affordable hotel but I applaud you for taking the time to check things out. Good luck!

We stayed at the Athens Cypria, and had a view of the Parthenon from our balcony. We liked the hotel very much: it was conveniently located, the room was good sized, the bathroom was quite nice, and the front desk staff were friendly and helpful. In 2004, we paid 125 Euro.

It may be out of your price range (unless you can find a deal on some booking site), but the Periscope Hotel (22 Haritos Street) looks like a really hip and groovy boutique hotel. I like the sleek look of the minimalist decor.
www.periscope.gr

I stayed here in its previous (cheaper, less hip) incarnation as the Athenian Inn, and loved it. The Athenian Inn was completely gutted and redone as the Periscope. It's not near the Akropolis, but it's in the Kolonaki district, which is upscale and NOT touristy. You can sit outside at one of the bars in the main plateia surrounded by well-heeled locals rather than tourists. You can easily get to the Akropolis on the Metro (closest station is Evangelismos station), and it's about a 30 mins or so walk there depending on your pace.

If I could afford it, I'd stay at the Periscope because I liked the location so much. I was sad when they renovated and doubled the price.

I just booked the Grande Bretagne for 3 nights in July. The weekend rate is 210 euros per night (at least for the weekend we'll be there).

I haven't been there since 2002, but check out the Andromeda Palace. It's more "boutiquey" than the larger hotels and near the U.S. Embassy. Good restaurant. Short walk to a nearby metro. We walked to Kolonaki every night for dinner. Returning this year but staying at the Grand Bretagne to use up some Starwood points.