IAN-UK

Acceptable indeed have fun!
(but it's NOT out of town, just in a miserable area of town...)

GordonGordon

I stayed 4 nights about a week ago. Booked the cheapest room and got upgrade to a suite as usual (I had numerous stays at this hotel). Usually as RA, I get upgraded to a full size suite (without Acropolis view) with dining area with a round table and 4 chairs. This time the suite I got was slightly smaller without the dining area since they gave me the options of bigger suite (not renovated) or a smaller renovated corner suite (room # x01), so I chose the newly renovated one.

The whole floor was renovated with new colorful carpet and wallpaper on the hallway. What I mean colorful is they divided the hallway to couple of sections, and each section has its own color, so when I look through the hallway, it looks very colorful and chic. Only suites have door bell with a word "suite" under the bell button, and the rest of the regular rooms do not have door bells, so they have to knock on the door.

The suite is newly renovated with dark wood furniture, 2 plasma TVs (1 in living room and 1 in bedroom), 2 bathrooms (1 in living room an 1 in bedroom). The both bathrooms used to have bathtub, but now only the one in the living room has bathtub. The one in the bedroom has a standing shower cubical with 3 vertical jacuzzi shower heads, a fixed rainfall shower head and a detachable shower head.

The coner suite used to have 2 mini-bars, but now it has only one. Items in mini-bar were replaced everyday during my 4 nights stay. The snacks are no longer free for RA (used to be complimentary as well), but anything you can drink including alcoholic beverages (my favorite moet champagne^) is free. Fruit plate, a bottle of water and Ambassador gift (Greek candy, not a bottle of olive oil this time) was delivered to my room couple hours after my arrival as usual without asking. This time they didn't give me a bottle of red wine as they usually did in my past stays, but I didn't ask and bother.

They were still fixing and renovating the pool area when I was there, and it should be opened shortly for the summer.

Btw, SQ Airlines crews stay there as well. I bumped into the flight attendants who happened to serve at my cabin.

Overall the stay was pretty good.

IAN-UK

I couldn't quite understand this excercise in meanness.

It follows the T&C to the letter, restoring the consistency to the RA benefits that some call for. But an endearing characteristic of Greece and Greeks is a resistance to rules that get in the way of convenience or pleasure.

GordonGordon

I was told by the guest relations manager that IHG informed her couple month ago every IC hotel had to standardize the RA benifits. That means the hotel cannot give more than what the T & C stated. No complaints for this since we had never been entitled for free snacks since the RA program first started.

IAN-UK

That's my point. The programme is more attractive when hotels use the IC conditions as a floor, rather than a ceiling.

Claiming hands are tied over offering complimentary peanuts is a bit lame. It makes the occasional generosity with Club access look even more remote

docklander

Well when i book this IC on the cheapest best flex i usually get the 'back street view' suite. Now booked this weekend for 3nights on a rather pricier 250 euro exec room rate(plus imminently expiring bogof) -so hopes are high for rather more Parthenonesque ambience.They removed the booking from the PC website so i can't check what the upgrade is online.....but could be 4th time lucky

GordonGordon

Actually I prefer the suites with the view of pool downstairs than with the view of Acropolis hill. When I book exec. room, they always put me to the suite with the view of acropolis hill, but it also overlooks the ugly commercial office buidling with glass wall in a very close distance, so you can picture the contrast between the ugly office building and the Parthenon. Besides, the big balcony is useless although it has 2 sun loungers and couple of chairs and a table; I feel like I am being watched by the office workers in that office building, so I will just get down to the pool if I want sunbath. In addition, it is such a long walk from the elavator to those suites. It is a kind of trouble to carry the heavy luggages when I check out. I usually call the porter to take my luggages instead of carrying them myself.

docklander

I see...well in the end i got a pool view suite which undoubtedly inspired my weekend of poolside laziness.Oh yes...plus a bottle of Cretian olive oil (which comme d'habitude had to be left behind due to thosse eternally tiresome carry-on restrictions).Well at least it was sunny.

AHN

Does anyone have experience with the family rooms at this property?

We are a couple and adult son. Any advice about rooms (or suites which) could comfortably house us all in a single room is welcome.

Internaut

FYI, I've just had a very agreeable stay at this property on points. I got the standard Ambassador upgrade to a king room (bland view) which was spacious, comfortable but otherwise nothing special. An amenity of fruit and water was refreshed daily. I used the lobby cafe for a salad on the ground floor my first night there and the top floor Premier Bar/Restaurant on my second night. Food was of a high standard.

At this time of the year, the shuttle bus into town is hourly and you should bear in mind that it's a good twenty minutes walk to Hadrians Gate (bottom of the hill that goes up to the Acropolis) and a further 10 minutes to the Parliament building in Syntagma Square. This walk includes one busy/dangerous slip road crossing with no traffic lights. Either get the hotel's shuttle or get a taxi and save your energy for the things that are actually worth seeing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason_h...7622978949299/

WilcoRoger

I've booked a "Luxury weekend, Family room" for March. The family room says "50 sqm" which is definitely larger than the other options. As a Plat Amb, what are the upgrade options from here? Suite?

Also the last night is a separate reward booking for a standard room. Will they kick us out or let us keep our spacious room? This is the actual night when there would actually be 3 people using the room.

hindukid

This hotel seems to commonly come up on priceline. I got this for only $71. This was for July too.

GordonGordon

Just curious to know if full RA benefits are given if room is booked through Priceline.

antonius66

I wanted to stay here in May, but the price was 150+ euro a night. I would love to see it for $70. Was priceline the name your own price option or just listed as that price for this hotel?

hindukid

name your own price. For July of 2010. Current rate on priorityclub.com is approx. 140 euros.