Poseidon Athens

“"We felt like home, Professionalism, Amazing views!!"”

greekcypriot 29 contributions

Cyprus, Greece

Jan 22, 2012

"We felt like home, Professionalism, Amazing views!!"
Reviewed January 30, 2012 NEW We spent two nights here even though comments on the hotel were not the best but it was a challenge for me. I know well by now that some people are exaggerating in their reviews while others don't really know what they want. Many will book a 3* hotel and expect or demand services and facilities of a 5*. Before I go further I want to write that Poseidon can be considered a 4* hotel. Of course there were neither pens, a memo pad, a shower cap or a shoe polish sponge -all these can be found in 4 stars but in reality how much do these count...I just wonder!!!

The fact that we parked the car in the small hotel's car park was the first positive. The moment we stepped in we were made welcome and in all I was impressed with the quality of service. The ladies at the reception were all warm and kind and they impressed me on how well they were dealing with the guests and giving info. It is a hotel that makes you feel like at home.

We had room #604 on the 6th floor (a suite) just below the restaurant. The highlight of this room was its bathroom. Instead of a wall there was a huge glass window and door with access to the balcony. The room was spotlessly clean with nice finishing touches, beds comfortable, and towels bright white.
There was a very small old fashioned TV set but with such beautiful views who would want to watch the telly -other than the news!!!
We had a surprise indulgence with fruit and a bottle of water upon arriving. The mini bar helped to keep water cool, the desk in the corner next to the balcony had become my favourite spot as I was there working on my laptop when I was not out.
Internet is not free but I found the internet fee extremely reasonable compared to other hotels in Athens. The hotel provides a Wi Plus card (prepaid) for 5 euro that lasts 90 minutes. 10 euro for 200 minutes and a day card for 15 euro which is not bad at all.

Breakfast was more than adequate. I was happily surprised to find home-made spinach pie in the morning, three kinds of cheese, ham, boiled eggs and omelette, sausages, croissant, apple pies, honey and jam, cereals, yoghurt, orange and grapefruit juice, coffee and tea, and all these in a 3* hotel!! What more can one expect!! Or were we in a 4* hotel instead!!

Buffet lunch and dinners at the roof garden were plentiful as well and always included soup besides the main dish which to my surprise had both fish and chicken the first day, veggies and roast lamb the second, along with salad, fruit and dessert. Seeing many locals enjoying a culinary dinner the first night we decided to do the same as I wanted to test the culinary skills of the chef and we were not disappointed at all. Whatever we were brought was delicious providing a wide selection of Mediterranean and International fare.

The enchanting views of the Saronic Gulf and the Attic sky from the restaurant are breathtaking. With every moment that went by there was a change in colour of the sky. In other words this hotel is ideal for people who love capturing the morning sunrise and sunsets. We spent two nights here and what my camera captured was totally different from the previous. Besides the good chef, the roof garden restaurant attracts many locals who drop by for an afternoon coffee, dinner or a business meeting. The hotel's conference halls are fully equipped ideal for business forums.

During the summer months the beach bar & café opposite the hotel offers refreshing beverages and the traditional tavern serves seafood and Greek delicacies. The roof top bar and swimming pool were also closed at this time of year but out of curiosity I climbed up to the top for some amazing views of Athens and the sea as far as the eye can see. This is another spot I have to experience on my second visit, and of course I cannot comment on the sea or the beach at this point.

I am finishing my review on the hotel commenting on the location. It is the ideal spot for public transportation. The street below is really busy all the time and it might be a bit noisy I can admit, but the tram stops right across the street with multiple bus lines for Athens, Piraeus and the Airport. The bus stop opposite is called Edem. Take bus B2 from Akadimia or the tram from Syntagma and bus A1 from the main port of Piraeus. The Airport bus X96 will drop you just outside the hotel. If this is not wonderful then what!

The beachfront, ideal for a stroll, becomes crowded on weekends. Families with children, people jogging, bicycle riders, is a daily scene. Not ideal area for shopping. There are some café restaurants in the area but I don't see the reason to leave the hotel if what is offered here is really good and the service exceptional. I want to thank the people at the restaurant who were doing a good job even though very busy since the hotel was almost full.
I highly recommend it. I shall surely be back and comment on the top beach bar swimming area, the restaurant opposite the hotel and the beach -things that I missed this time!

Room Tip: Pick a corner suite, or a room in the higher floors for less traffic noise.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TravelPod member and not of TravelPod.com.