Its often the people
running the hotels who make your stay.
Some put themselves out for you, so fall over themselves for you but some are just genuinely interested in you. And that is what I got from the vibes from those running Hotel Filoxenia in central Athens. The three multilingual guys on the desk had one hell of a job running a budget hotel during peak season but they always stopped what they were doing to talk to me - Are you OK? What did you see today? Are you enjoying Athens?
And Filoxenia is a budget hotel housing the thousands of tourists who descend on Athens each summer before heading for the islands. Its main attraction is that is midway between Omonia Square and Larisa Station in a prime spot. Both destinations are a ten minute walk away. The hotel itself is a eight story building with 51 rooms that looks like it was built in the fifties. It makes an effort with its foyer sprinkled with couches, a TV and a small gurgling fountain. It has eight floors of rooms including double rooms with ensuite bathrooms for £20 and single ensuites for about £25. The rooms are fine and feel secure, they contain clean linen, walk-in shower, a small writing desk and very important in Athens - a strong air-conditioning unit.
Some put themselves out for you, so fall over themselves for you but some are just genuinely interested in you. And that is what I got from the vibes from those running Hotel Filoxenia in central Athens. The three multilingual guys on the desk had one hell of a job running a budget hotel during peak season but they always stopped what they were doing to talk to me - Are you OK? What did you see today? Are you enjoying Athens?
And Filoxenia is a budget hotel housing the thousands of tourists who descend on Athens each summer before heading for the islands. Its main attraction is that is midway between Omonia Square and Larisa Station in a prime spot. Both destinations are a ten minute walk away. The hotel itself is a eight story building with 51 rooms that looks like it was built in the fifties. It makes an effort with its foyer sprinkled with couches, a TV and a small gurgling fountain. It has eight floors of rooms including double rooms with ensuite bathrooms for £20 and single ensuites for about £25. The rooms are fine and feel secure, they contain clean linen, walk-in shower, a small writing desk and very important in Athens - a strong air-conditioning unit.
Breakfast is included in the price and a small buffet is put on in the restaurant from about 7.30am. And the views of the surrounding cityscape is quite impressive from the top floor. It does seem to be in a genuine Athenian neighbourhood and a Muslim cafe is next door where backgammon goes on into the night. Its prime attraction is that it is in walking distance from Omonia Square and the National Archaeological Museum. Omonia Square will be your main focus as that's where the nearest restaurants, bureau de changes and transport links are. Filoxenia has a sister hotel, La Mirage, which fills much the same purpose and is actually on Omonia Square and a few steps from the METRO entrance.
To get there from Omonia METRO take the escalator to the 3 September exit. Five minutes down 3 September then a third left down a narrow street until you hit a junction. This is Vathis Square, a confusing jumble of roads so make sure you get the right one heading north called Aharnon. The hotel is another five minutes along a bumpy pavement on the right. The journey can be a little unnerving at night so try to arrive during the daytime.
For the price its a nice central hotel whose workers, harassed though they are, try to bend over backwards for you. And you can't ask better then that?
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