You’re not wanting a alternative of motels for a metropolis break in Athens with youngsters, however in relation to discovering someplace family-friendly, cool and in an important location, as my Athens4 overview reveals, you need to positively preserve this lodge on the wishlist.
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Set in a transformed manufacturing facility, the lodge has been reworked with the sort of boutique décor you’d need from a trendy escape but additionally has two kinds of household rooms to make it sensible in case you’re travelling with youngsters.
Beginning our four-night keep within the Greek capital right here, right here’s the whole lot you could know in my overview of Athens4 with youngsters.
For extra ideas, take a look at my information to Greece with youngsters
Athens4 lodge overview: important statistics
Set down a pedestrian aspect road simply off one of many busier roads by Athens, you wouldn’t instantly guess that Athens4 is a transformed clothes manufacturing facility until you already knew.
Strolling in to the reception, with wallpaper that transports you straight to a jungle, that includes monkeys and brightly colored birds among the many foliage, it’s all much more eye-catching than industrial.
A part of the Athens City Motels group, Athens4 has 23 rooms, together with two-bedroom household suites, all adorned barely in a different way. And whereas there’s no restaurant on web site, there’s a buffet breakfast in reception each morning.
Round 5 minutes from Monastiraki Sq., in addition to quarter-hour from Syntagma, it’s a useful location for exploring, and there are eating places galore a stone’s throw away.
There are a number of Metro stations inside strolling distance, together with traces M1 and M3 at Monastiraki itself (which works on to the airport and the port at Piraeus) whereas Panepistimio is lower than 10 minutes away for line M2.
As we have been arriving comparatively late at evening, we selected to get a switch with Welcome Pickups (at 44 Euros, barely lower than a taxi from the airport), which dropped us moments away on the prime of the road, as there’s no by visitors previous the lodge.
Evaluation: Athens4 lodge with youngsters
Strolling into our household suite, my first thought was how massive it was – the primary part alone was larger than some lodge rooms I’ve stayed in and my daughter briefly thought there was no second room, and that we’d be sleeping within the bunk beds.
My second thought was how enjoyable it was for youthful youngsters, particularly. In addition to the double bunk mattress (which additionally had a 3rd pull out mattress within the base), there are just a few enjoyable touches in case you’re visiting with little ones – a small plastic rocking horse, and just a little tent crammed with plastic balls as a type of mini ball pit.
For barely older youngsters, there are additionally video games to play, together with Uno Deluxe, and we have been additionally welcomed with just a few candy treats, together with two chocolate ring doughnuts, which – frankly – works for any age.
Enjoyable although it is perhaps to relive my very own childhood and clamber into the bunks, fortunately that wasn’t important, with an excellent comfortable king-size mattress within the second room, separated by a glass sliding door – very helpful in case you’re travelling with youthful youngsters and don’t wish to have to take a seat quietly at the hours of darkness after their bedtime.
The cool décor continues right here too: every room is adorned barely in a different way, ours in deep inexperienced shades with extra jungle-themed wallpaper – this time birds of paradise flowers including a splash of pink to the inexperienced leaves.
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The ground is a stripped white wooden impact so it doesn’t appear too darkish, persevering with into the toilet (which has deep inexperienced tiles in addition to white ones, to proceed the color theme).
The toiletries are equally tempting: the natural Greek Apivita vary, with Inexperienced honey and orange shampoo and conditioner, Greek Honey and Mountain Tea bathe gel and physique lotion – all of them smelled completely divine.
There’s additionally a double sink within the rest room, with area round on your personal merchandise, which is beneficial for larger households, plus a separate rest room and an enormous walk-in moist room – the rainhead bathe was pleasingly highly effective after days of strolling miles round Athens.
It’s price realizing that the bathe ground does get slippery although: it’s high quality for adults, however youthful youngsters might need extra issues.
There are necessities like an honest hairdryer, and water supplied (one free bottle per particular person per day, in addition to water in reception) plus just a little minibar with delicate drinks and native beer, these candy treats (loukoumi in the future, candied nuts one other) and a Nespresso machine.
Once more, a observe mentioned a capsule can be supplied per particular person per day, though there have been by no means truly any within the room – I had introduced my very own, being fussy about my espresso, however I’m positive you would have requested them.
Add in just a few chairs and a giant inexperienced day mattress, which doubled as a settee (or would possibly come in useful in case you wished to remain within the youngsters’ a part of the room to start with) and it’s all very properly outfitted.
One of many few downsides was the shortage of storage. There have been some hooks, and a few hangers cleverly organized in a few locations across the rooms, however no drawers/cabinets.
The primary bed room did have a few inexperienced metallic cubes, the place you would put issues on prime, so with simply two of us staying for 2 nights, we might handle, however for an even bigger household, count on to be dwelling partly out of a suitcase or have garments piled up across the room.
The opposite draw back was the noise: ear plugs have been supplied, and it wasn’t as loud within the youngsters’ space (because it’s cushioned barely by the primary bed room, particularly in case you shut the sliding doorways) however you possibly can count on some music and noise till round midnight in addition to the sound of outlets and cafes opening at round 7am.
It didn’t truly trouble us significantly – my daughter slept by all of it, and other than one barely early awakening as a store’s shutters rolled up, so did I – nevertheless it would possibly properly be trickier throughout peak season, particularly when you have any gentle sleepers.
The trade-off, after all, is that you just’re proper within the coronary heart of issues – it took us lower than quarter-hour to walk to the Altering of the Guard on our first morning, with the Nationwide Gardens simply past.
Monastiraki Sq. is 5 minutes’ stroll away, the cafes and road artwork of Psirri are on the doorstep, and it takes lower than quarter-hour to succeed in Plaka on foot. Whereas it’s slightly below 20 minutes to the Acropolis, you possibly can simply take the Metro a cease or two if you wish to save your legs.
All fuelled by the nice breakfast buffet, after all, with just a few Greek specialities – spanakopita, scrumptious Greek yoghurt – alongside contemporary bread, jams, cereals, fruit, meat, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and fruit. You may even squeeze your personal contemporary orange juice in addition to having contemporary espresso.
The employees have been all the time beautiful too, whether or not you’re searching for tips about the place to go and the place to eat, or fortunately accepting a takeaway pizza for us, after we have been just too exhausted in spite of everything our exploring to eat out one night.
In case you are trying to self-cater, evidently you don’t have the amenities you’d discover in an residence – take a look at my overview of Acro City Suites aparthotel for another
Athens4 overview: the decision
Cool and family-friendly isn’t a mix you usually discover in motels, so Athens4 is already forward of the group – boutique sufficient for adults (or Insta-conscious tweens and youths), child-friendly sufficient for little ones, and ticking the sensible containers too.
After having spent loads of nights sitting quiet as a mouse in a darkened lodge room as my daughter slept, I do know that having the separate area actually makes a distinction with youthful youngsters too.
And I coveted the wallpaper (and that indulgently snug mattress) nearly as a lot because the scrumptious smelling toiletries. A correct slice of Greek type.
E-book straight at Athens4 or with free cancellation on Reserving.com
Disclosure: My keep at Athens4 lodge with youngsters was free for the needs of overview – all opinions are my very own and my daughter’s. This submit incorporates affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I’ll obtain a small fee
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