Meliá Athens

“Friendly central hotel with good facilities”

Melia Athens is a great hotel for an Athens stay. It has got facilities like the spa, where I had a great massage, and the rooftop terrace with a swimming pool, bar, and views over the city. The room was an upgraded one so it's pretty big and has a jacuzzi bath. The decor is quite plain and perha… more

Melia Athens is a great hotel for an Athens stay. It has got facilities like the spa, where I had a great massage, and the rooftop terrace with a swimming pool, bar, and views over the city. The room was an upgraded one so it's pretty big and has a jacuzzi bath. The decor is quite plain and perhaps a bit old-school (lots of wood panels) but well-maintained. The reception gave a warm welcome and since I was staying for the marathon they had made an information sheet and were starting breakfast extra-early on marathon day which was a great touch. The housekeeper came to the room in the evening to prepare the it for sleeping. I'd seen reviews about it being a sketchy location near Omonia square but this area is, I think, no more sketchy than most other neighbourhoods in central Athens so don't worry. It's a convenient location for the metro and a walk to some sights (Syntagma 20mins, Archeological Museum 5 mins). The area though isn't very touristy so there aren't too many restaurants or bars nearby.

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“Melia Good choice for tourists”

All in all very nice hotel close to all the major sites. We booked a junior executive room which was very clean and bathroom moder with jacuzzi and shower. Quiet and pillows were better than average. Breakfast was good but pretty much same fare each day. You can see the acropolis from rooftop and i… more

All in all very nice hotel close to all the major sites. We booked a junior executive room which was very clean and bathroom moder with jacuzzi and shower. Quiet and pillows were better than average. Breakfast was good but pretty much same fare each day. You can see the acropolis from rooftop and it is nice. Staff all spoke good english and very helpful for directions and information. Other reviews had commented on the 'sketchiness' of the area. We didn't encounter any of the things mentioned in those reviews -drugs and prostitutes- just not blatant if it was in the area. The university area near Omonia is full of students so I suppose protests could happen but nothing while we were there. Never felt unsafe. Walk to acropolis is about 5 miles one way (includes climb up the hill). There are two entrances - find the less crowded one (buses do not drop off there for tours - no better way to describe). Ours was a Costco tour and we picked this hotel as it seemed central and had a nice looking room for what we got. Costco booked rooms tend to be pretty frugal if you don't go up a level. Functional and clean just not a lot of things besides bed and bathroom. Melia junior executive room was reasonable and a good decision. There is a small minimart directly across from the hotel where you can get half liters of water for .50 Euro - in room water is double that.

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“Nice hotel a bit out of the way”

The hotel and staff are very nice but the location is a bit out of the way. Aside from the hotel restaurant, we didn't find any restaurants close by that were open at night for dinner. It was perfectly safe to walk to the metro station or Plaka area in the morning but we often ended our night early… more

The hotel and staff are very nice but the location is a bit out of the way. Aside from the hotel restaurant, we didn't find any restaurants close by that were open at night for dinner. It was perfectly safe to walk to the metro station or Plaka area in the morning but we often ended our night early to avoid walking back too late at night. A few times we used a taxi for the return trip. On the bright side the rooftop bar was a nice place to end our day with a glass of wine. Note the rooms with a jacuzzi tub double as the shower & it's a large step to get in or out.

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“Good location and pool. With some improvements this hotel would deserve a higher rating.”

A good location for walking to attractions or getting the metro. We felt safe in the area Cannot comment on breakfast as we booked room only and ate breakfast in various locations around the hotel (much cheaper!). We ate 2 lunches and dinner one evening by the pool and the food was delicious but a … more

A good location for walking to attractions or getting the metro. We felt safe in the area Cannot comment on breakfast as we booked room only and ate breakfast in various locations around the hotel (much cheaper!). We ate 2 lunches and dinner one evening by the pool and the food was delicious but a little over priced. The room was a good size (had superior) with blackout curtains and faced the street over the entrance. We had some street noise but this is to be expected. There are obscure windows in the bathroom which could wake up other occupants in the room at night when the light is switched as it shines brightly through. The bathroom, whilst a good size with lovely Rituals shower gel etc, needs a good clean/repair. The hose to the shower was black at the bottom - clearly not been cleaned in a long time and the whirl pool bath nozzles contained residue (perhaps mould or old soap). When you filled the bath (never did get the whirlpool to work), some of the contents around the nozzles, floated in the bath water - not pleasant! Also the wash basin had an odour and I wonder how often the drains are cleaned. I requested a kettle which was promptly delivered but without cups but these were quickly sourced. For the first 3 days the cups were not cleaned or renewed. On the 4th they were removed and not replaced. I requested new ones and eventually collected them myself as they were taking so long to arrive. Similarly my water glass was not washed all week! They tried to charge for an item from the minibar which we did not have. This was taken off the bill after a conversation and I had to sign something to say I hadn’t had it. Check in was more friendly than check out and we were not asked if we’d enjoyed our stay. I would stay here again for the convenience and the wonderful pool and view from the rooftop. However Inwould ask to see the room and especially the bathroom before unpacking!

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