Lonely Planet Review

This rambling family-run hotel is as far from the concrete-box Athens standard as you could hope to find and boasts a location right at the entrance to Plaka. It's run in personable and personal fashion and has bags of character.

The main part of the hotel is an intriguing 19th-century Athenian townhouse with fabulous painted ceilings and ornate wallpaper. Needless to say, no two rooms are alike, but impossibly high ceilings, curious furniture, eucalyptus-fragrant balconies and quirky shapes all feature. Other rooms are in another section and are also characterful, if not quite as much. All rooms are nonsmoking. Throughout, there's a communal feel - a book-swap shelf, a shared 'pharmacie' cabinet, and stately old fridges in the corridors. There's a fiendishly complex series of prices, but it's always very good value. Breakfast is included, and is a sociable, tasty affair. If you prefer well loved to brand new, this is a great budget choice.