Novotel Athenes

"Worst hotel I have ever stayed in. Front desk staff were so unhelpful and unsmiling. The area was so shady with junkies and homeless people. Reached out to Accor to assist in moving however they were unresponsive. There was no recognition of my gold status, no upgrade, no thank you no nothing. The staff in The restaurant were so rude that I refused to even get a glass of water there. All their business went to the lovely cafe directly next door. Reasonably priced and very tasty. The rooms were dated and old and the shower screens need replacing. Water bottle provided in the first day and nothing after that’s Severely let down the Accor brand and I would list it as a 2 star hotel at best. Shout out to the only friendly customer service focussed guy upstairs"

"This hotel is somewhere you only stay for one night on your way to somewhere. The area is very average.. the hotel itself is also average but fine for a night.. we asked reception to bring us an iron & half an hour went by so called again.. instead of saying “sorry I’ll follow up for you” he simply says I told them.. so another half hour passes & reception call us wanting to know when we’re checking out! Seriously all I wanted to do was iron a dress so I could leave & waited over 1 hour & several phone calls later & it NEVER TURNED UP! Terrible service. Rooms are very average. Hole in our sheet etc. Glad to be checking out! Pool area was nice enough but they close it at 6pm.. so no night view of the Acropolis!"

"I'm taking the time to warn you against staying in a place that dares to call itself a 4-star hotel – Novotel Athens, Accor group. It doesn't matter that, as a status customer, I've received early check-in, late check-out and a free upgrade to an executive room on the 5th floor. Why? I encourage you to read about my experiences during my stay at this establishment and my experiences with Accor Customer Care. Of course, it is difficult to blame the hotel for its surroundings, but the view from the small balcony on the 5th floor (as a reminder, executive rooms #513 and #514 – received as part of a free upgrade for Gold members) is not very optimistic and can even be depressing. But this is only the beginning of this detailed review. 1. When you have spent over 1,000 nights in various hotels, you can be prepared for almost anything. Nevertheless, I have never experienced anything even remotely similar to what I experienced in this case. 2. Despite such extensive experience, I have never, ever been robbed in a hotel! At the Novotel Athens, it happened twice. The hotel staff stole my personalised luggage tag from room 513. According to Accor Customer Care, it was allegedly a mistake... (you can compare my luggage tag vs room key card in the pics attached.) A packet of plastic toothpicks I brought back from China was stolen from room 514. What is Accor Customer Care's position on this matter? The room is equipped with a safe... 3. So, remember to keep everything in the safe, including your toothbrush, because it may disappear! Now, analysing the attitude of the hotel staff and Accor Customer Care, I wanted to express my gratitude to them for stealing a packet of plastic toothpicks only, rather than an iPad or an electric toothbrush, which they could just as easily have taken from my room. 4. The condition of the room and its cleanliness are below any standards. But since a picture is worth a thousand words, I recommend that everyone reading this review form their own opinion. 5. For the sake of formality, I will add that when reading reviews from other travellers, I often did not believe their stories about being robbed, but this stay changed my mind on the subject because, unfortunately, I experienced it myself! 6. Not only did the hotel management not deign to meet with me for two days, but they did not even contact me by phone. And that is still the case today... A typical avoidance strategy... 7. The biggest disappointment is Accor Customer Care. I choose international chain hotels because, as I say, ‘if there are any issues, at least there is someone who is interested in solving them’. Unfortunately, this was not the case. 8. The Accor Group holds its Gold status customers in high regard, however not in this case, so I can’t imagine their attitude towards less frequent travellers, after the stay like this at Novotel Athens. 9. Looking at the attached photos, I think you will agree with me that this establishment, which considers itself a hotel, a 4-star one!, should be inspected and then closed down by the relevant Greek health authorities, because staying in such a room full of dust mites, for which dust is a breeding ground, poses a serious health risk to anyone staying in such conditions. 10. I am sorry to say that the hotel staff focus on stealing items belonging to hotel guests instead of cleaning, because, unfortunately, they have no idea how to do that. They probably don't want to either... To sum up, and to paraphrase the warnings on cigarette packets, staying at this hotel poses a serious threat to your health and carries a serious risk of being robbed. Do not count on Accor Customer Care for help either..."