Royal Olympic

"The main attraction of this hotel, beside being very centrally located, is that it has both a swimming pool and a glorious rooftop bar with superb views of the Acropolis. That is why, as a group of friends travelling from the UK, we chose it. However we were only able to access the rooftop bar for cocktails on one evening out of three. We were told we could only go in there for a sit-down restaurant meal and not for drinks on the other two nights. The pool was also not available throughout. This was a shame. One morning we had an early tour and asked for breakfast boxes but were told they would cost us an extra 15 Euro each! This is not normal for a 5-star hotel where guests are already paying over the odds. Similarly, on enquiring about having a kettle in the room (there are no kettles and no coffee machines) we were brusquely told this was not possible and that if we wanted a hot drink in the morning we should order room service. Coffee at breakfast was filter coffee, although there are barista machines at the bar - again, we were told that if we wanted eg a latte or cappuccino at breakfast, we would be charged extra. On one morning the spoon that was on my place setting was used - it had chocolate mousse smears on it. So while this is a fine old hotel with lovely bars, (by the way the plumbing is quite old - shower curtain by the bath, idiosyncratic toilet flush mechanism requiring strength in the arm) and lovely waiting staff, we weren't made to feel looked after or particularly welcome."

"Disappointing Experience for a Hotel Rated Five Stars The Royal Olympic Hotel has an excellent location in Athens, close to major historical attractions. Unfortunately, our experience did not live up to the expectations of a five-star hotel. The room and bathroom facilities were outdated. There was no coffee or tea maker in the room, the television was old, and both the easy chair and carpet were dirty. The bathroom also had dated fixtures and an old-fashioned wall-mounted hair dryer. The room had two old telephones, but neither could connect to anywhere, making them essentially useless. What disappointed us most was the service upon arrival. The concierge staff member was rude because we had not parked directly in front of the hotel. As a result, we had to bring our own luggage inside rather than receiving the welcoming assistance we expected from a hotel of this category. Although the location is excellent, the outdated facilities, lack of basic in-room amenities, cleanliness issues, nonfunctional telephones, and unwelcoming service made our stay disappointing. For a hotel advertised as five-star, I expected cleaner furnishings, more modern facilities, functioning equipment, and much more professional hospitality. The hotel needs significant improvement in both room maintenance and guest service to justify its rating. Great location, but unfortunately not the five-star experience we expected."

"Location great, but air con not working and when queried with reception told “fresh air only option, maybe work tomorrow”, shower alternates between extremely hot and icy cold without warning and without touching taps, no tea or coffee making facilities in the room. Overall a disappointing experience and not what one would expect from a “5 star hotel”."