mario33

Is there any major landmark before the "Hilton stop" that one can watch out for so as not to miss the Hilton ?

Travel The World

That's the same room as I was in .... room 1218. I too am a Diamond. Has anyone else managed to get upgraded to a suite at this hotel? It appears that getting a suite, althouogh not strictly entitled for a Diamond, is fairly common. Indeed I was upgraded to a suite at the Noga Hilton Cannes last weekend.
Great views though from good old room 1218

An alternative to the bus is the underground. Easier as you're looking for a station rather than a landmark.

Super Larry

You gotta be kidding me??? What would have been the odds that two FT'ers would have the exact same room at the Hilton Athens?

The view is just fabulous isn't it?

Super Larry

I don't know if you can call it a landmark, but right across the street from the hotel, there is a tall sculpture, stylish man "running in the wind" all made out of broken green/blue glass. It must be 30-40 feet tall. It's spectacular! You also have the National Art Gallery that could also be considered as a landmark...

Kiwi Flyer

Great hotel. Golds & Diamonds can check in at the exec lounge (when open).

mario33

Thanks Super Larry, I will certainly lookout for the "stylish man' in green/blue . As a first time visitor to Athens I would prefer to travel "aboveground" even if it means I might miss the "Hilton stop".

Kiwi Flyer

Be warned it comes up quickly. If wanting landmark further up the road there is art gallery (RHS) and hospital (LHS) - but I didnt find them too obvious either (apart from being big squat buildings).

Flyguy1971

If you stay at the Hilton Athens (or visit the Greek capital), you MUST try Estiatorio Milos in the hotel. I was there in June and my colleague organised dinner there for a few visiting journalists. (none of us were hotel residents; I was privilieged to be my colleague's guest at her penthouse in Kolonaki, facing the equally spectacular Lycabettus Hill)

Through her contacts, and especially because we were going to interview the resto's chef-owner, my colleague managed to get us the "chef's table", a private space for six facing the open concept kitchen. We were served by two dedicated wait staff and the maitre d' and sommelier were on hand to suggest dishes and wine pairings.

The maitre d' (Dimitri, formerly from New York) invited us to view the fresh produce and seafood, telling us where they had sourced the mostly organic ingredients. We toured the kitchen, had a hand in cooking a simple dish and when we returned to the table, a complimentary platter of Greek appetizers and champagne were laid out for us.

We were wow-ed.

We dutifuly studied the menu and ordered modestly. But through the course of the evening, the kitchen brought dishes we did not ask for! The restaurant introduced us to dishes "you have to try", such as milk-fed baby lamb from Naxos and stewed cock (yes, not rooster but cock) from another part of Greece. Needless to say, everyone was well fed.

When we were done (so we thought!), the maitre d' and sommelier invited us to the bar to try different types of ouzos and snack accompaniments (like tapas). Following the sampling, we settled back at the table and the chef-owner Costas Spiliadis joined us for coffee, dessert - and the interview.

Spiliadis returned to Greece after being away for more than 20 years, setting up successful restaurants in Montreal and New York. He turned down an invitation to open a restaurant at the AOL-Time Warner building in Manhattan so he could return to his homeland and introduce greek food to the natives!

We estimated that the meal would come up to about 600 euros but the restaurant refused to give us the bill. Due to the need for journalistic integrity, we left an equal amount as "tip" for a great dining experience.

All in all, even if you do not get an experience like we had, Milos serves superb, simple cooking beyond the usual Greek fare tourists know (e.g souvlaki, moussaka, tzartiki, calamari, etc.). The restaurant uses organic produce and seafood from the Aegen Sea. With two food critics on the table and others who claim to be connoisseurs of fine cuisine, we left with nothing but praise. The restaurant is good for a small party or an intimate dinner with a loved one. Service was knowledgable and attentive without being intrusive.

A highly recommended dining experience in Athens.

srk123

Just returned from a 3-day award stay at the Athens Hilton. It was a great value as it only required 25,000 HH points a night (level 3). As a HH Gold, I was given a 10th floor room with a view of the Acropolis, which looks nice at night all lit up. And during the day you get a great view of the smog and haze of Athens. The room was apparently the same as 1218 described above, but only two floors lower. The hotel went through a major remodeling the last few years and looks very basic, but modern, and is very comfortable. The lounge was terrific, with a hot breakfast every morning and light snacks all day until 10 pm. We had dinner at the hotel's Byzantine Restaurant the first night because we were too tired to go out--it was good but way overpriced, so I would definitely avoid it next time. The hotel is well located, only about a mile from the city center and 1½ miles from the "Plaka" tourist area--it's a nice walk if you enjoy walking, or a 3-Euro cab ride. Yeah, I'd go back.

mario33

Just got back from a trip to Greece which included 2 stays at the Hilton Athens.

Took the airport bus E95 which was great value at only Euro 2.90 and included all the metro rides for the next 24 hrs. Unlike the "Roissy Bus" in Paris, this is not an "express" bus service as it made numerous stops along the way and caters to both tourists as well as locals.

I spotted the Hilton building but thought it couldnt be the Hilton since the actual building was shaped like an arc unlike the pictures of the Hilton building which I remembered as a distinct "Y" or "V" shape. As the bus passed by the "stylish man" in green/blue glass, I realised that it was indeed the Hilton and I managed to get off the bus intime. Thanks again Super Larry .

What I fail to understand was the absence of a Hilton name or logo on the main building for the Hilton was supposed to be a major landmark in the vicinity with the E95 bus stop referenced as "Hilton". I thought that perhaps local laws prohibitted the use of promenient signage on buildings but by looking around at other buildings this could not be true

On both stays I was not given a room on the Executive Floor ( I am Gold) but was allowed Club Lounge access. My requests for Acropolis view room were granted without any fuss .

The room was nice and modern, but not as nice as the premier rooms at the former Westin Plaza in SIN which also adopted the modern and high-tech look.The TV unit was of the "old" type and not flat screen or plasma. The work area was also very "ikea" like and I found the plastic folders on the desk to be very flimsy and tacky. The bathroom ,however, was very nice and fully clad in white/grey marble. There was also a complimentary bottle of drinking water on the mini bar counter.

I found a guest comment sheet on the desk which was left behind by the previous guest but was not removed by housekeeping or replaced with a fresh one. Although written in Greek by the previous guest, I could read the phrase "Do Not Disturb" . I soon realised that the previous guest had commented that the "Do Not Disturb" sign was missing from the room when I wanted to use the sign for the door ! I handed over the guest comment sheet to the Club Lounge and informed them of the missing sign .

When I returned to the hotel after exploring the city, I found that although there was coffee making facility in the room the cups/mugs were missing. I called housekeeping for the mugs but no one turned up. After half an hour I couldnt wait further and had coffee in the Club Lounge instead and informed the staff there of the missing mugs in the room. The mugs were eventually delivered to my room.

There was no evening turn-down service for the room which I was expecting. BTW the complimentary chocolate drink in the room mini bar counter tasted horrible !

The staff at the Club Lounge were very friendly and food was very good as well. Breakfast was quite good which included hard boil eggs apart from the usual hot and cold spread. Evening cocktail included 2 different hot dishes which were very good and I ate so much that I didnt have dinner on my first night !

The conceirge desk in the main lobby was never manned and there was only one overworked staff at the hotel entrance. Surprising for a hotel with 500 rooms and normally charged around Euro 200 a night.

In summary, it wasnt a bad hotel. Rooms were fairly nice and adequate (bathroom very nice) but service was a let down. However, the staff at the Club Lounge were very nice and friendly, and food was great.

I paid only Euro103 per night for my first stay (3 week advance booking) and 25,000 HHonors points for my second stay which were great value. Its fairly good value at Category 3 but it would be a major disappointment if I had paid the Euro200 rates that I frequently see in the website.

BumpMe!

We're talking Evangelismos and Akropoli, yes?

mario33

The "Evangelismos" station is a 5min walk from the hotel and I think is the closest station.

The "Akropoli" station is nowhere near the Hilton, and as its name suggests its near the Acropolis.

I used the airport bus, but if I remember correctly the airport train costs something like Euro9 (??)

JDiver

Thanks for the reports, FT friends! We've got an award stay here in early June 2005, and are looking forward to it (en route to Istanbul via the Greek isles and a bit of Turkish coast on the MSY Wind Spirit.) Very helpful, and I will keep an eye here for any updates... efharisto!

BumpMe!

Thank you.

MissBumpMe! had heard some stations might be closed after the olympics, any reports?

mario33

I was there middle of November (a month ago) and I used the 2 stations that you mentioned. I also visited the Olympics stadium using the train. No sign of any station being closed when I left 3 weeks ago.