Hello Fodorites: I need some expertise on Athens. I'm in my mid-30's and traveling alone. I will be in Athens one day--arrive 11am Sunday, depart 7:00am Monday on a flight to Paros. I'm looking for a nice hotel, i.e. clean rooms, good water pressure in bathrooms, helpful/friendly staff. I thought about treating myself to a night at the Grand Bretagne, but it's about $100 out of my price range. Some of the small boutique hotels look very nice, but I'm afraid the other guests would be mostly honeymooning couples--no offense to honeymooning couples, I'm recently divorced. I think I would prefer to stay in a larger hotel. I'm very social and it would be nice to find walking/dining companions and a larger hotel seemed a better bet. Any suggestions??

Thanks in Advance--Jen

jeninthecity,

You have half a day in Athens, I don't think you are going to find walking/dining companions in that length of time, if at all.

Why not stay at Sofitel at the airport? My daughter has stayed twice and said it's good. We are both fans of Grand Bretagne.

Check the Magna Grecia Boutique Hotel on Mitropoleos Street between Syntagma Square and the Monastiraki Metro Station. Very convenient for your return to the airport for the flight to Paros. Unfortunately the Metro doesn't run that early, but there's an early morning Airport Express Bus from alongside Syntagma Square that leaves every 1/2 hour all night long. That early in the morning it'll take you about 45 minutes to get to the airport.

www.magnagreciahotel.com

We stayed at the airport Sofitel our last night in Greece last Sept. I booked thru the Sofitel website and got a non-refundable price of $212 which included breakfast. If you can get a good price, I'd suggest spending the day and the evening in Athens and then head back to the airport as late as you want. The hotel was wonderful and you'll have less than a five minute walk to your flight in the morning. You can check in as soon as you arrive, ditch your luggage and head into the city and maybe even meet some new friends along the way. The metro and the airport bus are both easy to use. I hope you enjoy your trip.

Consider the Electra Palace Hotel in Plaka section of Athens (don't confuse with similarly named "Electra Hotel&quot.
http://www.electrahotels.gr/english/english.html

Deluxe hotel (although not in Grand Bretagne class), excellent location in Plaka, 10-15 min to Acropolis, AND was extensively renovated about 3-4 years ago. The bathrooms are "USA-style", spacious, with LOTS of lovely, high pressure, hot water

Double room rates were in the 200-250 euro range, last May 2006.

Sofitel makes a lot of sense if you are looking for convenience. No toting your bags on the Metro and hunting for the hotel at the other end (or an expensive taxi fare). Sofitel is opposite the airport terminal, and right next to the Metro stop. When you have an early morning flight, a five minute walk from the hotel lobby to the Olympic check-in counter will allow you a better night's sleep than if you stay in central Athens.

I was going to post about the Electra Palace, but tom-h beat me to it, so I'll just add another vote for it. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. I recall a very good breakfast as well.

W/ a 0700 flight, I would also book the Sofitel.

Check in (or leave your bags is the room isn't ready) and then go into Athens for teh day/evening.

Thanks for all the replies. It hadn't occured to me to stay near the airport. Logistically speaking, it makes the most sense. Good suggestion. I booked through the website.

I've extended my stay so I now have 3 days in Athens at the end of my trip. Not looking for high-end this time, but someplace decent, good for 30's single. I'm considering The Alexandros, Phillipos, Athens Cypria, and Acropolis View; avg. $120 USD per night. Any thoughts?

Jen

Another vote for the Electra Palace.
And if you visit the hotel bar / pool area, I'm sure you will find people to talk with.

Carolena

Also stayed at the Electra Palace. Location was great, view from the roof pool is nice, indoor pool had warmer water, rooms were fine and good water pressure for showers. Have only good things to say about it and would stay there again.

Jumping in to ask a question about the Electra Palace. It sounds ideal.

Does anyone know if they have twin rooms with two bed? The website doesn't say and the picture of a standard double shows one regular double bed.

cheryllj: You tacked your question on to a 6 month old thread discussing athens hotels. You want to know something specific about the Electra Palace, so I would start a new thread w/ the hotel's name in your title.

I haven't been to Greece yet, but I've traveled alone quite a bit and when I stayed in an upscale hotel, (Vinoy, Corronado,etc) I check to see what kind of conventions are going on at the time of my stay. That always guarentees single travelers to meet. One of my good friends today, I met at the Manchester in Vermont, years ago during a fire-extinguising convention.

Today, I forgo the fluffy towels, & down comforters for hostels. I still keep in contact with an Aussie that I ran around D.C. with at the Hi-Washington hostel. Every time I stay in the hostels, there are mostly singles all ages, from all over the world, and with the common rec-t.v.,computer rooms it's a snap to hook up with dinner-touring people.