jdrtahoe

Good Day Mod.

Any recient stay info would be well received.
Last post the Mod. indicated to go to a link for
Astir Palace Complex, however this link does not work.

Understand things have improved at the Astir Palace in
recient months, a Lux Collection Hotel.

chanp

Im thinking of heading to athens. The Westin and the Arion seem like they are in the same place. Are they two seperate properties or one connected together? Need to requal for plt so thought about one night at each, if its not too much hassle? Any recent experiences? Or should I just stay in the city?

gaidamak

I am planning a stay there next August. Does anyone know of any restaurants nearby and how is public transportation from/to the hotel?

yashan

Any recents stays to report or updated information? Thanks.

CaptainG

Sorry I don't have time for a full review:

Outstanding service, great property, plat upgrade to amazing suite and the Westin included a full buffet breakfast every morning that was to die for. Good local scuba shop and there is a shuttle to Athens.

In the top 15 of the 500 hotels I've stayed at. One of the best Westin's by amenities, service and location.

Taxi is about 20 Euro to downtown, or you can take short hop to the center of the city and take the train in from there.

I plan to return in 2010 to check out the W once it's re-furbished!

-- Captaing

peteropny

We're considering this property for a pre-cruise stay and am quite confused about the location - is the complex closer to Piraeus than "downtown" Athens? Thanks!!!

FlyingOnceMore

It's not closer but it's easy to get to Piraeus without going through the centre of Athens. Take a 10 minute cab ride, or the hotel minibus, into Glyfada and then the tram (45 minutes, €1) along the coast to Piraeus Port.

The true location of the hotel.

Westin Athens Google Map

peteropny

Wow - Thank you for the quick information FlyingOnceMore!!!

sc flier

Does anyone have feedback regarding the Westin vs. Arion? I'm looking to book a couple award nights there later this month. I'm leaning toward Arion based on the limited info that I have so far.

Are there any special Platinum perks on award stays? Lounge access? Breakfast? Airport transfers?

Can Plats get upgraded into Arion's bungalows?

Any firsthand details regarding the scuba diving from this resort?

sc flier

To follow up on my earlier questions about which hotel to book, my leaning is now toward the Westin. Arion's standard room is the "Deluxe Garden View," and it appears that there is very limited availability of this room type. The more common rooms are the "Grand Deluxe" rooms, and these are not considered "standard."

Since my Platinum Year End free night can't get a room at Arion, I've used it to reserve one at the Westin. My email confirmation for that reservation included an offer to upgrade to Executive Club for €35.

Arion is offering C&P awards in multiple room types -- all for the same C&P price! So I've booked C&P awards into Excelsior Club (Arion) rooms for other nights that I needed. A perk of these rooms, IIUC, is that roundtrip transportation to/from the airport is included. Has anyone taken advantage of that offer?

DJC

Just thought I would build up the intel on the Westin as I had a two night stay there this past weekend.

This is an excellent property and I would have no qualms about returning there. I was upgraded to a huge and very comfortable suite with a terrace overlooking the pool and sea that was just a joy to sit out on and read, work on the laptop and soak up the sun (or what there was of the sun this past weekend).

Breakfast was included in my rate and I get the sense that breakfast was included in all rates on offer right now as no one asked me for my room number when I went down each morning. The breakfast buffet is very extensive and has a huge variety of options that would be sure to suit almost every taste.

The public rooms are all very nice and comfortable with excellent views over the water and the facilities top notch. The free shuttle to Glyfada (for connections to the Athens tram) and central Athens is a fantastic service and ideal for a full day's sightseeing. There are a few restaurants in Vouliagmeni, which is the town closest to the hotel and a 20 minute walk away (I particularly recommend the Taverna Lazaridis just off the main square for simple but well prepared food in a very relaxed atmosphere. I get the impression that Glyfada has wider restaurant options (I ate the second night in Athens) and the shuttle is timed to run people there for an early (by Greek standards) dinner and then back again although taxis are also available.

This property has shot very high up my list of preferred *wood properties (although who knows whether I would get a similar upgrade on the next visit) and I look forward to spending some more time there.

sc flier

DJC, thanks for the info!

We've shuffled nearly our entire schedule to take advantage of some Q2 Promo free weekend nights. We're now planning a full day and just one night at Arion at the end of our trip on a C&P Excelsior Club reservation. Our first night in Greece will now have us at the Grand Bretagne so that we will be in central Athens for a day of sightseeing before our evening flight to Santorini to stay at Vedema.

LilZeppelin

We are considering Vougliameni for the Labor Day weekend. Any insights into which of the two properties to use free weekend award. Sadly, Grande Bretagne does not show award availability on any of the three nights.

Guava

I stayed at Arion L&C just over a year ago. My impression is that service delivery was excellent. I did get comp breakfast, which was not included in the rate. However, I had to ask for it but the hotel was quick to say yes, it was quite painless. Yes, I was upgraded to one of those Grande Deluxe room with view of the sea. The room is fairly spacious, some would say bigger than most Suites at other SPG hotels. The key thing about Arion is its Spa and gym facility. It had a huge spa complex, which was quite enjoyable. Breakfast was also of very high quality, I am saying this as well travelled FTer. Examples of some items include fresh honey comb, smoked halibut - those items are rare. The breakfast at Arion L&C is better than the Grande Bretagne hotel in central Athens even though a sous-chef in GB who asked me about the quality of food in their hotel was surprised to find me rating Arion higher than GB. I also had dinner at Arion, can't say it was that memorable however except one of their waitress, who looked no more than 19 or 20, was surprisingly multi-lingual - I heard at least 4 different languages she used with various guests, some of which I speak and she speaks them well.

Personaly, I recommend the Arion L&C over the GB in central Athens. The latter has good service delivery and attitude but its rooms are not comparable whatsoever to what you'll get in Arion. In comparison, the rooms in GB felt like prison cells because they are so tiny. Also, GB refused to give comp breakfast at first, they seem to apply SPG rules to the letter but also come across as not very generous. You can stay in Arion complex and take their complimentary shuttle to central Athens and back.

The next time I return to Athens as a tourist, I'll most likely stay with Arion L&C again or if central Athens, I'll go with Hilton Athens. I booked my sister on points with Hilton Athens last year, she reported that they treated her literaly like a royalty. They refused to check her in at the lobby because they saw my status on file, and walked her up to the Executive floor for check-in and then gave her a luxurious suite as upgrade with of course, comp breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres and other amenities without her asking. The GB Hotel is way over-rated, it's one of those SPG properties that I won't miss at all. By the way, as a non-smoker, while I understand Greeks have a habit for cigarettes, the fact the GB hotel lobby is as smoky as a smokers' party is unacceptable to me. The air was barely breathable when crowded.

Guava

You are not missing anything, trust me. stick with the Vougliameni properties and you won't go wrong.