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Greece Travel: Travelers Reviews

Attalos Hotel

www.hotelsofgreece.com/athens/attalos

When I asked some of the travel agents for an inexpensive hotel in Athens for my website they all recommended the Attalos. Now they regret it because the word is out and they can't find rooms there for their clients. The Attalos is the best cheap hotel in Athens. The rooms are cleaned and the beds made every day. Every room has air-conditioning. The staff are friendly, courteous and speak English. They have a fantastic rooftop bar where you can watch the sound and light show on the Acropolis (the light part anyway), and when you finish you are between the Plaka and Psiri, the two best neighborhoods for nightlife and food. In the day you are 2 blocks from the Flea-Market the central food market and the ancient Agora. I love the Attalos. Andrea wants to rent an apartment in Athens. I want to stay in the Attalos forever.  It really is my home-away-from-home and the place you are most likely to find me in Athens.
Matt Barrett

Dear Matt,
I would like to Thank you for a great website - it is so informative that I didnt have any trouble and I am 53, a female and was travelling on my own. (Only slight hitch was the Taxis overcharging) I also took your advice and stayed at the Attalos Hotel, it was just great, clean and comfortable and so Central. The guys on reception were also very helpful about getting around Athens as cheaply as possible. They even directed me to the local bus and I then took another Bus to the Corinth Canal and returned home safely all in a matter of 4 hours.Thank you so much, next time round will be an Island hopping trip which I look forward to. Regards Merylin from South Africa.

Wanted to drop you a line and let you know that my sister and I stayed at the Attalos (from your site) and were  VERY happy with it.  It met our basic musts - price, clean, good bed, great location, decent breakfast and pleasant and helpfull service.  We also stayed one night at the Cecil which did not hold a candle to the Attalos except for the elevator (straight from Charade.)

In order to get a good rate we had to book through an Athens travel agency.  For some reason, hotels do not deal directly with travelers!

Thanks again for good recommends.

We just returned from Athens and we stayed at the Attalos on your recommendation. It was perfect. The staff there were very pleasent and kind particularly when we arrived at 1 am after a very harrowing trip from Ioannina.
Thanks again,
Sally Johns

Dear Matt,

I've just returned from a trip to Greece. I used George's taxi service
from the airport and was very pleased. Also, I stayed at the Attalos and
really enjoyed it. The rooms were clean, the rooftop view wonderful and
the staff were competent and very helpful. Your site was great for trip
planning, and it' wonderful for travel follow-up.

Thanks/ Efharisto,

Rob Duncan
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Hello Matt Barett

My husbond and I spent the last weekend in Athen.
We stayded in the hotel Attalos. We enjoyed the time there
It was SUPER. Thank you for your information. It was what you said
"a home in Athen"

Our stay in Athen was very pleasant. The air was not so bad as I had tought.  We
went to Pireus and it was nice there to.

We had a nice long weekend and we are glad for all information we got in in
youdr Athens Survival.

Birgitta Kinnula

Dear Matt,
I had a great trip to Greece. Thanks for all your recommendations. We were met at the airport by Nick (for George) who was marvelous and made several calls to locate our friend. Stayed at the Attalos which I really loved. Next day took 1/2 day tour of Athens with Chris (for George) after which he took us to meeting place for our cruise on Viking Star.
The Attalos was fantastic. We stayed 3 nights, beginning of visit to Greece, between boat and bus tour and last night and were able to store purchases between visits. Very friendly people and awesome Rooftop Cafe.
Finally returned to airport with Nick on last day.
Taxi service and hotel both first class.
I hope to return to Greece next year. We had a great cruise but were expecting to be on a more traditional looking sailboat that actually sailed. (Viking Star has booms welded down). Any suggestions? If no reasonable group cruises to Cyclades I would possibly stay on Ios or Paros and do ferry trips to other islands.
I am enchanted with Greece.
Efharisto!!!!!
Diane Gonzalez

Arrived safely back to Savannah after a hectic but enjoyable trip.  I enjoyed
staying at the Attalos Hotel and everyone working there was very nice.  It was as you say, 'my home
away from home'.

Thanks and regards,
Michael McCarthy

Dear Ioanna,
I have returned to Australia again. I would just like to say how much I
enjoyed staying at the Hotel Attalos. Everyone was so friendly. The room
was great  and I certainly loved the view from the roof garden. Please
convey my sincerest thanks to the management  and I will certainly
recommend the Attalos to anyone that I know may be visiting Athens.
Hopefully I may return again some day . Till then
Yours very sincerely
Les Peterkin
LAPeterkin 

Hi Matt,

This is Lilian, I'm from Brazil.
I'd like to thank you about your guide. It was really healpfull to my trip to Greece.
I was there last week and I visited Athens and Mykonos.
I've booked in another hotel, more expensive by the way, but your review about the Atttalos Hotel changed my mind.
I stayed at Attalos Hotel just because of your review. Really great view of the Acropoli and great location.
I could go walking almost everywhere!
Now, I hope to visit Greece again! Beautiful and lovely country!
If someday you would like to visit Brazil, write me. I'll be very glad to help you!

Best regards,

Lilian

Kalimera .....,

My family and I would like to thank you  for your hospitality during our two
weeks stay in you hotel. We enjoyed the warm welcome, nice rooms, the excellent and good service and the
wonderfull view from the rooftop bar.
The Attalos hotel will be known to our friends and relatives through
mouth-to-mouth advertising and we hope to come back ourselves in the not so distant future.
Many thanks and kind regards,

André Emery

Karadima (and all at the Attalos Hotel)

Just a quick note to thank you for the excellent accommodation provided to us
during our stay inAthens.  We are already making plans to return to Greece next year and will
certainly be makinguse of your hotel at some point during our visit.
Thanks once again and see you next year.
David and Sarah Crooks

My fiancée and I wished to get married in Greece so we packed up six of our
friends and left on June 1.  We stayed at the Attalos Hotel in Athens (your
recommendation).  They couldn't have been more hospitable.  For a group of
young people on a budget, the price of the rooms was perfect and they were
immaculate.  The city of Athens is so alive!  We had dinner at an outdoor
cafe with the Acropolis above us.  There was a man with an accordion and his
daughter had a violin and sang opera to us.  Very romantic.

My friend and I live in the UK and decided to go anywhere for a cheap weekend break. i noticed the flights to Athens were fairly cheap and saw your site.

I am so glad i did............ the weather was warm for November, we stayed at the hotel attalos ( really really friendly and cheap) and walked round athens, acropolis, flea market etc. we had a marvellous time and completely chilled out. many thanks for your guide- this was invaluable and definately helped us have one of the best weekends away ever.

We had never been to Athens before and have decided we are going again soon ( and of course back to the same hotel- the views are just stunning)

Thanks once again. elaine

hello Matt,

congrats for your brilliant website, what a fabulous way to portray Greece! Though being a Greek myself (from Herakleion, Crete) I have to confess I've used your page many times, one of them was before my last visit to Athens and the 'Attalos' hotel was simply excellent! Thank you for all the time and effort it you've put into this lovely snapshot of my home-country.

best to Andrea and Amarandi, too!:-)

Maria.

Giday mate,

Mat, just felt like dropping you a line to say thanks.  

April of this year, I surfed around on the web looking for info on Athens. Where to stay, what to see, etc, etc. Read many reviews, wasn't impressed, until I read all your stuff.

To cut a long story short, I had to go to Athens, then on to Santorini for my daughter's wedding, Emma, in Oia. She married a Greek fella, Frank. A really good bloke, drinks VB's, the best bloody beer in the world.

I really didn't want to go, "who's gunna look after the dog", "what if the plane crashes", "what about work", fuck work, & so on & so on. On your advice, I booked into the Attalos Hotel.

Mate, what a fantastic place. My room, 503, with balcony, looked out over Athina St, the main drag, with fabulous views of the Acropolis to the south. I was rapped.

By comparison, my ex wife & her partner, "serves them right", stayed in a sleezy joint near Omonia Square. They paid about 60 euros a night, it was the pits, shitfull, even my dog would have hated it.

The Attalos by comparison, was 5 star. I was impressed the moment I stepped out of the cab. Not a wide entrance, but the beautiful maroon entrance door, with brass fittings, suggested quality.  

The staff were really friendly, especially the bar staff on top. We stayed 4 nights, & every night returned to the garden top bar for a drink or 100. We had a ball, we met people from all over the world including the US.

The view of the Acropolis is unreal, especially at night. 

I am currently writing up my impressions of Greece, adding to it every day. If you are interested in reading other people's impressions of Athens, I woud be pleased to send them to you with a few snaps.

The language is a bit colourful, but that's my style, honesty.

Thanks for your great info on Athens,

Regards,
Ken J
Australia  

Dear Mr Barrett,

I have your website on Greece bookmarked on my computer, and even when I'm
not involved in a trip to Greece, I peruse it just for the thrill of "being
there." I wanted to write to say that your recommendation of the Attalos
Hotel in Monastiraki was a good idea for a reasonable stay in Athens. My
wife and I found it very clean, friendly, central to most things and of
course, equipped with AC for those 40-degree summers! We enjoyed it as our
base between island stops.

Also, the ouzeri Brettos is still operating, judging by the people who
crowded into it while we were in Plaka. We spent three evenings there before
or after dinner and enjoyed the ambience. Of course, we were amused by the
crowds of people who paused outside to look, take a photo, and move on.
Their loss, to be sure.

One thing I didn't find too annoying was getting to and from the new
airport. The bus to Syntagma was convenient, but we took taxis most of the
time, averaging 5-6,000 Drs. per trip, including luggage and pre-arranged
call. All in all, a vast improvement over Hellenikon Airport.

Cheers, and kali mera,

Peter Antipas
Stamford CT

Thanks!
We arrived at 3 am from London and I was VERY worried by the "hardware" storefront.  When inside we had WONDERFUL rooms with views that were beyond expectations.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Robert & Lee Anne Miller

Matt,
 
I want to thank you for you help. Our three week visit to Greece and the Islands was wonderful.  The Atalos was one of the highlights of our trip.  We followed many of your suggestions and had a wonderful time.  Could not have been better.  Thanks many times over.  By the way do you know anything about Portugal?
 
Thanks,
 
 
Wm. H. 'Bill' Burkett, Ph.D.

dates of visit:month/day/year: last year

Number in party: one

Found by: Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Page

Type: Solo

Comment: Hello to the Attalos Hotel staff: I stayed with you on three different occasions in May of 2001, and enjoyed my visit in such a wonderful city, because your hotel was central, very accomodating, and helpful. Thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness to me. Russ Michaelsen.

Hi Matt

Just to let you know I used ur site for info on Athens and actually stayed
in the Attalos hotel which was just the way you described it and a perfect
location.
Your information made our holiday so much easier to organise
Thank you and let me know what other countries you cover please
best regards
Mary

Matt,

Could you help us book 2 double rooms, side by side with breakfast,at the Attalos for the 21st and 22nd of this month....March, 2003.  We may be staying longer.  We stayed at the Attalos a year ago last November for 10 days and thought it was the best ever.  The people were so friendly and accomodating and we were so close to everything.  We can't say enough good things.  We have an opportunity to come to Greece again and we were treated so well by the folks at the Attalos.  We have been singing their praises since the last time we were there.  I had difficulty last time with the email from Fantasy Travel when we were booking our rooms, so thought this time I would start with you since we need to know as soon as possible. 

I found the Attalos, the restaurants we dined at and other great things from you website.....Thank you.  It's a great site.  You are in my "favorites".

Hi!

Have just been to Athen an Hydra following your advice. Everything was just great! Stayed at Attalos in Athen and Bratsera on Hydra. Very good value both of them. Thanks for the tips!

Hans Bellander

Sweden

Matt... My wife (who is of Greek descent) and I have traveled to Greece
twice before our 2 week visit this last month - so we are veterans of
the experience.  We still found much to gain from your web site and
particularly want to thank you for your recommendation of the Hotel
Attalos in Athens.  It is everything you say and more.  We found the
staff there to be the most helpful of any place we've ever stayed in
Greece and the location is exactly where the action is.  By the way, we
would also like to recommend the web page of Lica Catsakis
(lica@licacatsakis.com) for anyone who is doing Greek family history.
Cheers!

Dick and Judy Winwood

Just a word of thanks again for being our first "guide" to travelling in Greece.  We have just returned and have wonderful memories to savor for a long time -- or until we return!

I particularly appreciate your note (somewhere on the site) about what to read while in Greece.  We picked up an anthology of authors writing about their travels, and a used copy of one of Mary Renault's books which was a perfect introduction to the ancient life of Crete. Then we went to the Planet bookstore in Iraklion and got a couple of others, including Farewell Anatolia which I read non-stop on the way home.  It has left me with a deep impression of the pain that Greeks have suffered over the last couple of centuries --

I think your website is a great hands-on resource for folks and will be sure to recommend it to others.

P.S. You were right about the Attalos and that area -- it was a fun mix and much more "real" as a starting point than some other neighborhoods might be.  We also enjoyed the King Thira in Fira -- a very good class C, but again with genuine folks who took very good care of us.  Not a typical "tourist" place at all...

Sarah Bentley

Comment: I just wanted to let everyone at the Attalos Hotel that we arrived safe in California. Also, say hello and thank you to Kostocs and Maria. You are both wonderful people and we were glad to meet you. We will send you some pictures from our trip. We look forward to talking to you again soon. Have a great winter. I hope thos Nicoderm patches are working for you, Kostocs.

Ken Franklin

Hi Matt,

 

We just returned from our first trip to Greece and thanks to your website, we had a great trip. We live and work in Cairo Egypt (for the past 3 years) and are originally from the USA. We took a 7 day Greek Island/Amalfi coast cruise with Windstar but used info from your website for our shore excursions.

 

Thanks to your info for the subway and the Attalos Hotel, we saved quite a bit in our first few hours of leaving Cairo. The Attalos staff was quite helpful and allowed us to check in by 10:00 a.m.(incredible). We enjoyed the Central market, walking through the Plaka and also the Psiri area that night. We found Byzantino and managed to acquire more Byzantine jewelry than I should have through the help of Laura. We also stopped in the Brettos ouzo shop and enjoyed our first shots of ouzo. The place was full of tourists so we did not have a chance to chat with the owner but did enjoy the atmosphere for a while.

 

Throughout various port of call I relied on your website info I had brought with me which really made the trip special as we opted to not take the cruise ship excursions.  Notably the Diros caves though we decided to take the long way back to Gythios (rental car) after seeing the caves south around the shoreline and the road (without ANY guardrails) scared the heck out of me. Ermoupolis, Nafplio and Gythios will not soon be forgotten.

 

Happy Travels,

Paula

Matt,

Thanks again for helping us enjoy Athens!  Our last visit was in 1998, so we were curious to see how much had changed.  Your site, for one thing, has grown with leaps and bounds!!

As to our visit, we stayed at the Hotel Attalos.........(which scared my husband at first).  However, the interior was clean and adequate as you had stated (the sidewalks were in the process of making an appearance.....SLOWLY!!!!!)  My husband REALLY loved the view of the Acropolis. 

Kostas Zissos informed us that you were an every other year visitor, but he very much appreciated your encouragement to all the unsure Americans who happened upon your site (or something like that).  He gave us a four person room on our last night and informed my husband that he would send along two young girls for the other bed!!!  (I wasn't nearly as excited about that as my husband!!)

We encountered no difficulties......we were in Athens on May Day and were in Rhodes when the three bombs went off in Athens.  We quickly called our daughters to inform them that all was well only to learn that they knew nothing about it.  (I realize that the locals were trying to keep all negative publicity to a minimum.)

We did buy a few Olymipic souvenirs and told everyone that we would be watching and REALLY hoped that all would go well............which, of course, they assured us that it would!!

That's probably all (or maybe too much) that you want to read.  However, I just had to say THANKS again!  Without your site...........what would "we" do???

Linda Vestal

Nashville, TN 

Your recommendation for the Hotel Attalos was excellant.

Great location, prices, people were very helpful, deck was chilly but view of Acropolis at night was worth it.

We totally enjoyed our visit to Greece.

Thanks again!!

Ron and Pat Moline

HI, Matt-I just wanted to thank you so much for the recommendation of the Hotel Attalos-it was just perfect for our needs-the central location was excellent and the roof top bar... just amazing!!  We enjoyed Greece immensely and will undoubtedly use your site again.

The new metro was awesome and how convenient to the hotel-definitely the perfect time of year to visit as the crowds were just arriving for Easter as we were leaving.

 Thanks again, and kudos to you for a terrific site!

Mette R

Dear Karadima,


We have been home for a week now, since our trip to Greece and Turkey, and have had time to reflect on the things we saw, the people we met, and the places we stayed.

We originally decided to stay at the Attalos Hotel while in Athens because of the reference on Matt Barrett's web site.

We would stay with you on any future trips to Athens, and will recommend the Attalos to anyone that we know is traveling to Athens, because you have a great hotel.

The hotel location is perfect, the breakfast was as good or better than any we had on our trip, our room was very clean and comfortable, and all of the hotel staff that we encountered were extremely friendly and most helpful to us.

Thank you for helping to make our stay in Athens so enjoyable.

Best regards,

Ken and Sandra Taylor

Canada

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