Athens Accommodation Overview - Lodging Guides
Whether you're looking for a room that's fit for the gods or are prepared for something a little more Spartan (if you'll pardon the pun) Athens has accommodation to suit every taste and budget. Thanks to the cash injection provided by the 2004 summer Olympics Athens now has a bigger and better selection of hotels then ever, which means that: except during the peak month of August, you should have few problems getting a room.
See - MQSEARCH for the latest advertised accommodation if based in the UK and here if you are based in the USA.
Still booking in advance makes financial sense (as you're more likely to get a better deal) and guarantees that your accommodation plans won't be dictated by the first taxi driver you meet. Fortunately the days when local travel agents had a stranglehold on Athens ' accommodation are long gone, and today you should be able to quickly find a good deal on the Internet without lining someone else's pockets. However, if you arrive in without any accommodation you'll find that most Athenian hoteliers speak some English, which takes the sting out of ringing round.
Making sure that you get a good night's sleep in the capital is something of an art form. Athenians have earned a reputation for being among the noisiest people on the planet, and city life is played out to a riotous soundtrack. As a rule of thumb: the further you travel from the city centre the quieter it gets. However, as most of the action is focused on the city centre it's understandably the most popular place to stay. To cut down on noise (and pollution) it's worth splashing out on air-conditioning, so that your windows can stay firmly closed.
Much has been made of Athens ' hotel rating system, which is admittedly about as understandable as ancient Greek. In the corridors of power there's talk of simplifying the current system (which uses half the letters of the alphabet) to a more user friendly five-star system. Hotels are legally obliged to publish official room rates (you'll usually find them pinned to the back of your room door) so you should be able to get a fair idea if you're paying over the odds.
During the low season rates drop dramatically and it's worth trying out your haggling skills (especially if you're intending to stay for more than two nights). Make sure that you have a look at your room before you hand over any Euros, as even within hotels standards vary enormously.
City Break
