In a city as sprawling as Athens, selecting a hotel is as much about location as it is about amenities. After staying in another part of the city for a business trip, I knew I wanted to be closer to the ruins and the downtown area when I returned to the city for a personal stay. When plans fell through, and I had to find something inexpensive on the fly, I chose the Acropolis Museum Hotel primarily based on its price and location. Upscale Athens luxury was out of the question. Although it could have been a disaster, what I found what a charming and quirky boutique hotel that was inexpensive, yet well-located for all my explorations.
Located in a renovated classical white building, the Acropolis Museum Hotel lies behing a wrought iron gate and has 22 rooms on three floors. Although it’s located on a main thoroughfare (Syngrou Avenue), inside you’ll be able to tune out the noise and enjoy affordable comfort and warm hospitality in this convenient Athens small hotel.
The main floor has a parlor with a selection of books, both guidebooks and general reading, and serves as a great meeting point for heading out for the day. The front desk is a few steps up and offers English speaking staff that is eager to help you find the perfect restaurant, cafe for a late-night coffee, and give you direction to the nearby sights.
My standard double room was comfortable, although small by U.S. standards, and the bathroom had more than enough room for showering and dressing. The window opened to allow for some fresh air. My room overlooked a small courtyard, but even with windows open, I didn’t have clamorous street noise. Decor was quirky, with gold lame draped above the bed creating a jacket and tie display worthy of Liberace.
A partial basement serves as a communal breakfast area, including with room rate, just walk in and help yourself. Breakfast was typical European buffet fare – an assortment of meat and cheeses, hard boiled eggs, breakfast meats, cereal, coffee and tea. Freshly squeezed orange juice was a real treat. There is no other restaurant on property, but you’ll have lots to choose from within a 10 minute radius.
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The Acropolis Museum is at the foot of Acropolis Hill, just a few short blocks away from the Acropolis Museum which opened a little over a year ago. Walk a little bit further, and you’re at the entrance to the Acropolis, where you’ll want to make the hike up to the Parthenon. Both the museum and the site are worth the price of admission. The Plaka is also an easy walk away, and while it is a touristy area, it’s still a great area to grab a coffee and baklava and do a little people-watching.
The Akropoli metro station (red line) is adjacent to the Museum, giving you easy access to the rest of the city. You’re one stop way away from Syntagma, full of restaurants, shops, and cafes, and you can also make a connection there to Monastiraki (blue line). If you prefer to walk, it’s about 10 minutes to Syntagma. The blue line also runs out to the Athens Airport.
The neighborhood around the Acropolis Museum Hotel is safe, both day and night, and we often walked back to the hotel after a late dinner and an even later dessert of baklava. The area is well lit and alive with people out, enjoying the late nightlife in this vibrant city.
The Acropolis Museum Hotel used to be budget lodging at its finest. During my stay, what started out as a last-ditch choice turned out to be a quirky boutique hotel that was well-located, reasonably priced, and one that we’d go back to again.
Revisiting the rates years later though, it seems like this property has gone more upscale and taken advantage of demand for rooms in prime locations in Athens. Now it is more accurately described as mid-range. Their website makes mention of now using Coco – Mat mattresses, an eco-friendly brand since they are made of natural materials such as sea grass, horse hair, and coconut. There may have been other upgrades in the amenities as well, though not that none of the rooms top 300 square feet except the triple and family rooms.
The Acropolis Museum Hotel is located at 48 Syngrou Avenue, Plaka, in Athens, Greece. Rates start at a around €125 per night and include breakfast, taxes, and wifi. They can go even higher though when every hotel in central Athens is getting filled up. Check the official website and compare rates at Hotels.com or Booking.com.
