Staying at Ledra Marriott Athens - need advice
 

I am arriving in Athens a day and a half before meeting up with a group tour and staying at the Ledra Marriott. I see that it is not very centrally located and really need some advice.

I'll be on my own for the one night and am wondering where it makes sense to go - to sightsee/shop/eat. I'll also need advice on how to get there. Before heading off to the islands my group is going to spend a day touring Athens seeing the obvious sights: the Plaka, Acropolis and Parthenon. Can anyone recommend an itinerary that makes sense from my hotel and would give me a view of a more modern Athens - cafes, shops, museums, e.g.? Alternatively, are there any museums, historic buildings, etc. that are wonderful, but perhaps not on everyone's itinerary?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

We stayed at the Ledra Marriott as it was the place where we could get a reservaton. However, the concierge was so very helpful and made our stay wonderful. The concerge arranged dinners for us in intersting local places. We took taxis everywhere, inexpensive and never had a problem finding one.
Give the Ledra concierge the sighseeing tour info that you will be joining with your group so that other suggestions can be made for you.

Plaka, Parthenon and Acropolis all on one day is a killer.

I enjoyed a drink atop the Gran Bretagne at sunset until it got very dark at their bar terrace. Worth every penny.

Keep in mind, your own hotel has a direct view of the Acropolis from the rooftop bar. I have five rooms on the 24th of June. When are you there?

I'm afraid I'll be there before you, Iris. That's too bad.

These are nice replies - making me feel better about not being in the center of things.

For those of you who stayed there, may I ask how you got there from the airport? And, if you took a taxi, about how much did it cost?

Sarah; Good question. I see a taxi can cost 65 euros per the Marriott site. So, anyone, can we take the metro/train from the airport to a stop near our hotel, the Ledra Marriott for 8 euros??

We had a pre-arranged driver meet us at the airport, don't remember what it cost.
The Ledra's rooftop view of the Acropolis was a WOW travel moment for us as we arrived at night and it was our first view of it. A fellow American broke the spell by yelling "What is that thang?"
Other than exploring some neighborhoods on your first day, consider one of the smaller museums, Cycladic art,etc. If your tour doesn't go to the Archeological Museum, you should go there, incredible collections.

ok, here comes some info from an Athenian.....
Ledra marriott is an excellent choice, even though it is not located in the top center.... on the other hand it is not far away from the center either...
Getting there from the airport by taxi should cost according to the latest regulation exactly 35 Euro, not more and not less... Government set a fixed price, since some taxidrivers were not very honest with their clients....
As for modern parts of the city and where to go....
Try the Kolonaki area, a central part of the city with great cafes, restaurants and fabulous designer shops located a few steps away from the parliament.
If you have enough time you can go to the seaside and visit Glyfada, an upscale southern suburb located on the sea, with many great cafes restaurants shops etc...
Interesting museum in the center is the Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, located in the Plaka near to the Acropolis.
But ofcourse there are more important museums such as the Benaki museum or the excellent Goulandris Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art , both located in the Kolonaki Area.

Fortunately, Clausar offered some precise information.
1. The location of Ledra Mariott is very good and it is very easy to access a lot of places from that point. To begin with, you can even walk to Neos Kosmos metro station (15-20 minutes walking in the summer is pretty good). What is more, the hotel is located on one of the most central Athens Avenues (Syngrou). There is a bus station in front of your hotel from where a lot of buses that pass from Fix metro station, run very very often. It takes 5 minutes to the metro station by bus, you can even go there by taxi. Fix station is one stop away from Acropolis metro station and 3 stops away from Syntagma.
Moreover, you can go to Fix station and take the tram to SEF. You can get off at Marina Floisvou station (20-30 minutes route) where you will see a very beautiful marina with yagcts and plenty of cafes, bars restaurants. It is ideal for any time.
As you are visiting Athens during summer, you do not need to be in the town centre. The coastal area has many more places that are worth visiting.
2. Acropolis and Parthenon are at the very same point. Plaka is a neighborhood below the Acropolis. You can see all of them in less than 3 hours. Of course, it is possible to visit them and even more, in one day. You can even take a bus from your hotel and get off a couple of stops after Fix metro. Then you will walk towards the Acropolis passing through Plaka. You can even walk from Fix to the Acropolis!!
3. As far as transport from the airport is concerned, you can go by the metro that runs to Syntagma. There, you have to change for the red line to Aghios Dimitrios and get off at Fix. From there, take a taxi that will take you to the hotel for less than five euros.
Do no way get worried for your hotel location. It is very close to the town centre and it offers amazingly easy access to all public means of transportation! Check a google map to see the hotel location, the metro and the Acropolis area.
Have a nice holiday!

Unfortunately, although the new flat rate of €35 is valuable information for most people heading for a central hotel, please note that is does NOT apply in this case. It is a good guide for how much you should pay, but the €35 fare can't be enforced as the hotel is outside the zone that this applies to,
http://www.aia.gr/UserFiles/File/map..._daktilios.pdf
To be honest, I would get the bus or metro to Syntagma, then straight into a taxi for the remaining short journey.