Different people have different definitions of what an inferior hotel location is. While being a five-minute walk from the Acropolis or the Plaka is desirable, so is being a five-minute Uber ride from them while being a five-minute walk from neighborhood tavernas that are frequented primarily by locals. I would consider eating at those tavernas and chatting with their owners to be a more authentic Athenian experience than going to crowded restaurants in the more touristy areas. Again, each traveler has to decide what's best for them.