This page is written from the companion’s side of the taxi. Our Athens companions spend a good part of every evening crossing the city, and the hotel you choose decides how long that takes and how the evening starts. Athens short-stay hotels, the ones rented by the hour with a reception that does not ask, are in every district; here they are by area, with the travel time from the centre and what to expect.
Centre and near-centre, ten minutes from anywhere
Metaxourgeio has the most: Prive Athens if you want the smart one, Castle De Paris for the themed rooms from the same group, Bill Hotel for plain and cheap. Priamos Erato in Gazi is the companions’ favourite in the centre because the taxi rank is outside and the bars are next door. Attiki Evans in Exarchia is basic; Lydia Hotel on Liosion is basic and on a street our companions prefer not to walk alone at night. Priamos Hotel Pagrati is the quiet eastern option, and Ruby Rooms Athens in Neos Kosmos is five minutes down Syngrou from the centre.
The coast, twenty to thirty minutes
Glyfada and Alimos are the pleasant end of the map and a companion coming from the centre needs half an hour. Crystal Blue Hotel at the far end of Glyfada’s main road has the biggest rooms; Mirada and Kreoli are the two Glyfada standbys; Zen Hotel on Poseidonos in Alimos is the calm one by the beach; Salem Hotel in Argyroupoli is the Xcite group’s coastal house. Moschato and Kallithea, on the way, have Priamos GLS, Platon, Mary Plaza and Lacoba, all reachable by tram.
North, thirty to forty minutes
Kifissia is where the best houses are and the longest drive. Ruby Rooms Kifisia, between Kifissia and Nea Erythraia, is the finest short-stay hotel in the city. Pines Hotel and Chris Hotel are the Kifissia regulars and Lida Hotel, the Xcite house in Nea Erythraia, the modern one. Further out, Hotel Maroussi by the stadium, Hotel Cybele in Pefki, Priamos Cinema and Iviskos in Metamorphosi and Bora Bora in Nea Filadelfeia are cheaper and quieter. Priamos Boutique in Agios Dimitrios sits on the metro line south-east of the centre and is quicker than it looks.
Piraeus, twenty minutes
For a ferry morning. Port Tower Piraeus and The Alex in Kastella are proper hotels, luxury and boutique respectively, and treat a guest’s guest as none of their business. Piraeus Port Hotel is the practical choice by the harbour. Carol Hotel at Mikrolimano is charming, Scorpios Sea Side and Queen Leriotis sit on the coast road, Olympic Hotel is in Neo Faliro by the tram, and Lux Hotel is the no-frills room in the centre of Piraeus.
West, forty minutes and mostly for locals
Skaramagas has Alfa, Crystal Blue, Prive and Glaros; Nikaia has the second Alfa; Chaidari has Markos Hotel on Iera Odos. Perfectly decent, and a long way from everything a visitor wants.
What the chains mean
Priamos is the largest group and the most consistent: clean, mid-priced, identical standards. Prive and Castle De Paris are one company at the smarter end. Xcite (Lida, Salem) and Alfa are reliable mid-market. Crystal Blue and Ruby Rooms are the two names our companions mention first when asked where they would rather be sent. Booking details, verification and payment are on how it works; the roster shows who is available on Mykonos and in Athens this week.
Common questions
Which area is fastest for a companion to reach?
The centre and Neos Kosmos. Kifissia and the west take longest.
Which two would you avoid at night?
Lydia Hotel on Liosion and the Skaramagas cluster, for the streets rather than the rooms.
Do these hotels exist on Mykonos?
No. On the island you book a normal hotel and she comes to your room.
Does the hotel change the rate?
No. Her rate is on her profile; the room is yours to pay.