Greece is one of the major travel destinations in Europe. Most people travel to the Greek Islands but the historic city of Athens is also one of the best places to visit in Greece. During COVID-19 I took my chance to visit Athens for four nights to admire Athens ancient treasures and explore Europe's oldest capital city!
Athens has a few nice areas to stay! I chose to stay in a comfortable and trendy Boutique hotel close to the city center, in Psirri neighborhood: Athenian Residences. It offers all the luxury of a hotel including the feeling of being home away from home in your own apartment! In this article, I will share 10 reasons why I think Athenian Residences is the perfect place to stay in Athens.
1. The delight of huge comfortable apartments with courtyard and balcony
Athenian Residences offers two types of (family) apartments, two modernized ‘traditional’ residences from the 1920’s and three spacious luxury suites. These apartments can accommodate up to 6 people. I was given one of the spacious luxury suites.
The design is modern and practical. I really loved the high ceilings for an extra spacious feeling. The apartments are light, clean and the bed was comfortable.
The only flaw is the view from the apartment, but on the other hand. Does it matter? During the day I was only in the apartment to have breakfast and to sleep. Apart from that the building with apartments can be a bit noisy during the night depending on your neighbors from upstairs. This might be different at the modernized traditional residences because they are free-standing.
Note: My room was located at the first floor and you need to use a steep spiral stair to get there. In case you have mobility problems, it might be helpful to discuss it on forehand. The two modernized traditional residences are located on the ground floor.
2. à la carte breakfast box of 9 different choices and a complimentary fruit basket
Guests staying at Athenian Residences will receive a breakfast box of their own choice. There’s a breakfast menu inside the apartment and you are able to choose your own breakfast every day, including the time you want to have breakfast.
You can choose for example for a continental, protein, English, vegan, gluten-free or Greek breakfast option. It will be delivered at your room at the time you prefer, accompanied with coffee or tea and a fresh juice. Apart from that, Athenian Residences offers a complementary fruit basket with grapes, bananas, apples, avocado, mango and more.
The breakfast box also includes plastic cutlery (made of 100% compostable re-usable materials), which makes it easy to take the box for a breakfast picnic, for example to the top of Areopagus- or Filopappou Hill with views of the Acropolis.
Most breakfast boxes include pastries and others sweets. If you like a savory breakfast, I would recommend to take the Greek option including a Greek salad and the lovely Greek Bougatsa; a phyllo pastry filed with cheese (I love it!). A big plus it that all ingredients are organic and everything is home-made.
3. All apartment and property amenities you need, including Netflix!
The suites of Athenian Residences are well-equipped with air conditioning in the living room and in the bedroom, a kitchenette, minibar and Nespresso coffee machine (What else?).
They offer a high-speed WIFI connection and all apartments include a dining area and a comfy seating area with a flat screen TV and Netflix. I really prefer Netflix instead of ordinary TV, so it’s a great benefit for adults and children.
Apart from that you can find an ironing board, hairdryer, walk in closet, pool/beach towels, bathrobes, a safe and, hotel amenities like shampoo, conditioner and body lotion in the two bathrooms (with a shower and bathtub).
4. Reliable communication and Super easy Check-in
As we arrived at Athenian Residences almost at midnight, we got a code (through WhatsApp) to enter the property including directions to our apartment. The driver, who picked us up from the airport, waited until we opened the gate and entered the property.
I got in touch by email, shared my flight details and passport number, and we had quick and reliable communications before and during our night stay.
5. Perfectly located in the charismatic town of Psirri
Athenian Residences is located in the charming, hip and bustling town called Psirri, close to all famous historical attractions of Athens. Psirri is a creative town full of fancy stores, street art, small cafés, bars, trendy restaurants and traditional Greek taverns.
Athenian Residences is situated just outside the main streets for Greek dining and nightlife, what makes it easy to get to the bustling center of Psirri and avoid the noise pollution.
Within 5 minutes, you will reach the following places to visit in Athens:
- Monastiraki square
- Emou Street which is considered to be the main shopping street in central Athens,
- Adrianou street, one of the main streets in Plaka
- The Ancient Agora.
The historic center is also easily reachable by foot. To reach the Acropolis you have to walk 20 minutes.
We barely used public transport, because everything is in walking distance and there’s lot to see while wandering through the streets of Athens.
6. The convenience of a transfer after arriving in Athens at night
The fastest way to get to Athenian Residences from the airport is by using the airport transfer arranged by the hotel. The route from the Airport in Athens to Athenian Residences takes about 45 minutes. Transfer from the port of Piraeus is also available.
Booking a transfer through Athenian Residences is an absolute benefit when you arrive in the late evening, because most public transport options do not operate at night. However, there is a shuttle bus driving at night every hour or so, but it drops you at Syntagma Square, what means you have to walk for 15 minutes with your luggage after a long drive by bus.
If you would like to use the transfer arranged by Athenian Residences, I would recommend to make a reservation in advance. Obviously, this airport transfer is only available for guests staying at Athenian Residences, subject to availability. You can also take a taxi, but this is more expensive.
7. Athenian Residences is a child-friendly boutique hotel
I don’t have kids of my own, but there are a few things that make Athenian Residences a family-friendly accommodation. Apart from the kids-friendly courtyard and the swimming pool, your children can enjoy Netflix as much as you do! Some suites even offer two flat-screen TVs including Netflix.
8. Complementary car park available
Guest staying at Athenian Residences can use the free parking lot. There’s a parking place nearby the hotel. The only thing you have to do is ask to use it in advance to avoid disappointments. If you choose to arrive by car, be aware of the narrow streets in Psirri. Especially at night it might be a challenge to drive if you’re not familiar in the narrow streets.
9. Great Service from the lovely host Maria
A good service and hospitality are essential for a pleasant stay at a hotel. Athenian Residence’s host Maria makes sure to satisfy your needs. She offers an excellent customer service and is willing to help with all your questions, about things to do in Athens, where to eat, make reservations for boat tickets, etc. Her communication is great, quick and reliable.
Upon arrival we got treated with a huge fruit basket and some delicious Kalamata olives with ouzo. The days after, Maria treated us with homemade cake, Greek Bougatsa as well as aperitives like Masticha and a chewy dessert from the island of Chios, called Mastiha ‘Submarine’. These small gestures really made our stay.
You can also opt for a beauty treatment or massage and if you don’t feel like going out for dinner in one of the many Greek taverna’s and restaurants, Athenian Residences arranges a special dinner with a personal cook in your suite.
10. Plunge Pool at the Courtyard to cool off during the hot summer days
Athenian Residences offers a nice, small ground pool in their garden. It’s a perfect pool to plunge, soak or float after a long day exploring Athens.
Check out the latest prices for Athenian Residences in Athens here or try below the exact dates you are looking for.
This article is written bytravel photographer Kim Paffen, part of the Traveltomtom team. Check out here page to get to know more about her. She also wrote amazing Africa articles about Uganda, Madagascar and South Africa.