My family and I sailed on a Mediterranean cruise aboard Sun Princess this past summer that ended in Athens. I’ve been to the city multiple times but my kids hadn’t and I wanted them to experience one of the world’s most iconic landmarks: the Parthenon. I had originally planned to stay just one night but extended it to two since using miles to fly home on Monday was a third of the price compared to Saturday. (Here’s that American Airlines trip report.)
As I mentioned in my report about our Sun Princess cruise, getting to the Grand Hyatt from the Piraeus Port was easy. Athens and the cruise lines make sure there are plenty of taxis. We walked off the ship with the crowd of over 5,000 passengers and it took just 30 minutes from our cabin to hopping into an Uber. And we weren’t even rushing.
The ride to the Grand Hyatt Athens took 22 minutes according to my photo timestamps. Our driver was friendly, didn’t speak English and seemed to be quite sick. It was hot out so I asked him to unlock the windows so I could “take pictures” but really, I just wanted fresh air inside the car. He probably thought I was another clueless tourist as I snapped photos of nothing in particular. Most of the drive wasn’t scenic but at least we didn’t get sick.
The hotel lobby was bustling with cruise passengers checking in and out. I had tried to book the hotel for last year’s cruise but it sold out months in advance. This time, I booked early using Hotels.com and Expedia’s OneKeyCash credit. Two nights cost $1,001.71 prepaid and $34.09 in taxes at checkout. Although Athens is generally affordable, nice hotels are not.
Some online reviews complained about the location saying it’s on the outskirts of Athens across from a six-lane highway and next to a strip club and erotic opera. While technically true, it didn’t bother me. I found the area to be local, quiet and more authentic. There were two excellent restaurants a block away (in the opposite direction of the strip club) and a supermarket two blocks out. More on those below.
Check-in was a bit rough. The front desk staff wasn’t particularly friendly, their English wasn’t great and no one answered the phone when I tried calling from the lobby. Our room wasn’t going to be ready until 3pm but the bellman stored our bags and we were allowed to use the Club Room, pool and day room with showers.
We had a lot of bags so we ducked into a vacant area of the hotel (it’s popular with business travelers and has lots of conference space) to dig out the kids’ bathing suits.
First stop: the Club Room, which offers drinks and snacks throughout the day and breakfast from 8am to 11am. We grabbed a bottle of water and iced tea before heading to the pool.
The hotel has three pools not including the rooms with plunge pools. We didn’t check out the ground floor pool even though it looked nice.
Instead, we opted for the family rooftop pool, which offers an incredible view of the Parthenon. It’s the place to be and daybeds fill up fast. The pool is 1.25 meters deep (about 4.1 feet).
There’s also a rooftop Adults-Only pool, though I didn’t see anyone swimming in it.
There were never enough towels for the number of guests using the pool and the staff wasn’t the friendliest. Also, the pool closes at 7pm even though the sun doesn’t set until 10pm and it was still scorching out. They do let guests lounge poolside until 11pm to enjoy the view. One afternoon, a friendly lifeguard closed the pool early when thunderstorms rolled in, which was a smart move.
Our Junior Suite was spacious with a king bed and …
… a pullout couch that was already made up.
The bathroom was clean with decent water pressure.
We had a large balcony but no view of the Parthenon from our side of the building. It was too hot to spend any time out there but it was great for drying swimsuits quickly.
I prefer total darkness when I sleep and this hotel had the best nightlight I’ve ever seen. A soft green light from the ceiling just inside the bathroom that was not too bright and not too dim.
We were on the top (eighth) floor, which was a little confusing to access. The elevators are slow and drop you off inside the hotel restaurant.
From there, turn right through a hallway and go through what looks like an emergency door to reach the rooms. It feels strange at first but becomes second nature once you know.
The worst part of staying on the top floor was the loud AC generators. They sit right above and sound like a washing machine on a never-ending spin cycle. It took me a while to figure out what it was but the noise was definitely annoying.
Breakfast was above average and included in most room rates.
A wide range of food like eggs, bacon, sausage, pastries, yogurt …
… fresh honeycomb and …
… a pancake machine. The first morning, the fresh-squeezed orange juice was fantastic. The second morning, it was sour. I told a waiter who looked at me like I was crazy. Then I told him to look around because no one else was drinking it either and he said, “you’re right.”
If you don’t want to eat at the hotel there are two great local restaurants just behind it: Naif and Yellow Oven Pizza. The food was about a third the price of room service.
I ordered takeout from Yellow Oven, a Margherita pizza (10 euros) and a large salad (5 euros) both delicious. The guy at the counter spoke English and asked if I wanted to leave a tip. “For takeout?” I asked. He replied, “sure, everyone loves a tip.” It was preset to 15 percent. I changed it to 10 so he didn’t mess with our order. From what I’ve heard, tipping 10 to 15 percent is common in restaurants but not typically for takeout.
The local supermarket, Galaxias Athina, is a short walk away. Exit the hotel, turn left, take the next left and walk three to four blocks. It’s on the right. Like many shops in Europe, it’s closed on Sundays.
I used Google Translate to figure out store hours and some ingredients. Bring your own bag or you’ll be charged for one. You also bag your own groceries. I always travel with a reusable folding bag and leave it by the hotel door to remind myself to bring it.
Good to know: Small dogs up to 13 pounds (6 kg) are welcome. One pet per room. Pets are not allowed in the hotel’s restaurants.
The hotel offers a free hourly shuttle into the city center. We used it on the return trip, which was tricky since we didn’t know the exact pick-up spot in front of the Gardens. It worked out though. It’s only a 10-minute ride to the Acropolis and Old Town.
We booked the Skip-the-Line Acropolis and Parthenon Tour With Guided Museum Visit through The Tour Guy. To beat the heat, we chose the 8am time slot.
It gets hot fast. The meeting point listed on the Tour Guy itinerary had a note on the door redirecting us to another office down the street. Since it was Sunday and most stores were closed, it was easy to spot as the only place with a line out the door.
Check-in took a while since one person was handling everything and distributing listening devices for the guide. But don’t worry if you miss your time slot as they can assign you to the next available tour.
Our guide was very knowledgeable though the tour was a bit slow for younger kids. Speaking of kids, bring a copy of their passport to verify their age as children under a certain age get in free. And bring your own water bottle and handheld fan.
Athens in the summer is hot, hot, hot but we loved our stay at the Grand Hyatt Athens, especially cooling off in the rooftop pool with that incredible view of the Parthenon.
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