Budget Hotel in Athens: Attalos vs Cypria? Other suggestions also welcome!
 

We will spend 3 nights in Athens (Oct 16-19) at the end of our vacation. We are ok with very basic accommodation as long as it is very clean, centrally located and safe to walk around.

I have read, and read, and then read some more. And have come up with two contender hotels: Attalos and Athens Cypria. They are smilarly rated in Booking, Trip Advisor gives the advantage to Attalos. There is a $50 difference between both for the 3-night stay in favor of Attalos. We are budget travelers but not penny pinchers (well, at least not me and I'm the one in charge of travel planning). Yet, those $50 will buy quite some Mythos and a few souvlakis.

Esteemed Fodorites have recommended both. So, any thoughts on pros and cons for each hotel? Any other budget hotel I should consider?

I would choose the Athens Cypria, due to it's location. :)

Another vote for Cypria. I've stayed there several times, and one of the things I like are their generous-sized bathrooms. The hotel is clean, and only a few minutes from Syntagma Square.

Stayed in both twice, the attraction of the Attalos is the rooftop bar, but the Cypria is in a good location. Also consider most I've stayed, I'm always on a budget!
My reviews for just about all of them (19?) are on TA, http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members-reviews/Yiassas
It does vary with the time of year as to which ones come out on top pricewise but for location close to the Cypria consider Pan, Arethusa & Amazon as well.
I rarely need one now as I live in Athens, but still use one occasionally for a night in town & early start sightseeing when friends are visiting. I would choose almost all of the ones I've already stayed at when I need one again, feel free to ask for more detail on any that fit your budget on your chosen dates. Probably easiest to compare them all through booking.com or similiar.

We have stayed at Attalos several times. It is clean and well located just 250 meters from the Monestraki Metro station and of course that great rooftop bar.
This year we decided to stay at Cypria because the price was just a bit better and breakfast was included. Its good to see recommendations from Yiassas, Heimdall and Clauser all regulars here.
Yiassas you live in Athens now? I still wave to your cousin on Bowen island as the ferry passes.

Haha Stanbr, I will let her know!
Yes, I've been living in Athens for a year now, before that I was visiting about 8 times a year so tried most of the hotels except the expensive ones :)

Thanks to all for the recs! The Cypria is the frontrunner then.

I've stayed in both the Attalos & Cypria, as well as many many other hotels in Athens. They are both solid choices, for different reasons.

The Attalos is actually easier to get to, from my point of view. You can take the Metro directly from the airport to the Monastiraki metro station, which is a short walk to the Attalos on flat, relatively well-maintained sidewalks (perfect for roller bags). Or, if you are taxi people, the taxi can drop you off in front of the hotel.

In contrast, to get to the Cypria, you take the Metro, again a straight shot from the airport to Syntagma. However, you then need to get out of the Syntagma metro station which is always crowded and involves stairs (for me, difficult to manage even with a roller bag -- there is an elevator, but it was closed on 2 different arrivals). Then the Cypria is downhill (only a little further than the Attalos). Which means if you are leaving by Metro, uphill on the return trip. Also, because it is on a pedestrianized street, a taxi has to drop you at the corner.

The Cypria has a new part and an old part. If you get a room in the new part (which you should), the bathrooms are much bigger than those at the Attalos. I once had a bathroom at the Attalos that was so small my elbows could touch the walls when sitting on the toilet!!

As far as location, the Cypria is quieter than the Attalos (tho I've never been bothered by noise in either location). I prefer the location of the Attalos as it is close to the central food market, to Plaka, to the various archeological sites & to Psyrri where a lot of good restaurants are to be found. It is also very close to O Thanasis, a restaurant with the best kebab in town where we head for our first meal whenever we return to Greece. The Cypria is not necessarily far from these things - just further.

For breakfast, I dislike the food at both hotels. I'm happier going to a cafe or else just buying a kouloura ring from a street vendor or a slice of pita at Ariston, an amazing bakery that you shouldn't miss. Ariston is closer to the Cypria; address is Voulis 10.

For budget accomodations also take a look at the Metropolis Hotel, Plaka Hotel and Pella Inn.

Oops! Mental typo in above comment. I said, "I prefer the location of the Attalos as it is close to the central food market, to Plaka, to the various archeological sites & to Psyrri where a lot of good restaurants are to be found."

I meant to say: "...& to Gazi where a lot of good restaurants are to be found." Gazi has lots of good restaurants. Psyrri has a couple good ones and others that are just mediocre tourist traps."

Thank you! That was exactly the info I wanted.