My wife and I stayed at the Athens Gate for one night stays on both ends of our vacation to Greece... once on Sept 7 and the other Sept 15.

After a long flight from the US (via Frankfurt)... we arrived at the Athens airport around 1 PM. We took the Metro from the airport to the Akropoli station (with a transfer at Syntagma Square). Just a quick tip about the Metro... make sure you validate your ticket in the machine before going down the stairs to the trains... there are police who check tickets every so often on the trains. Also... instead of buying 2 individual tickets (6 Euro each)... you can get a ticket for 2 (10 Euro). The hotel is located about 2 blocks from the Metro station... which was very convenient. Upon arrival at the Athens Gate... check-in was very easy... and took no more than 5 minutes. We were given a map and "tour guide" of the area... which ended up being very helpful. Our room was number 703 (after I requested a view of The Temple of Zeus on their website when booking the room). The 2 elevators are rather tiny... but also quite interesting.

Upon arrival to our room... we could not figure out how to turn the air-conditioner on. After a call down to the front desk... they let us know that the room key needed to be in a slot next to the door in order for it to work. Also... if you open the door to the balcony... it automatically shuts the air-conditioner off. Since temperatures in Athens were in the 90s... it was nice to cool off... and the air-conditioner really got things comfortable... rather quickly!

The decor was simple but very nice... while the room was small but very adequate. There were some photos of Athens above the bed... and a small flat-panel TV hanging on the wall opposite the bed. One entire wall was windows with a door to the balcony. The bathroom was a nice size... with a combination shower/bathtub. The balcony was large... to say the least... with planters separating the balconies of other rooms. The view from the balcony was just amazing... with The Temple of Zeus just across the main thoroughfare. The views of Athens were also beautiful as well. The hotel restaurant was just above the 7th floor... and was also the location of the continental breakfast served each morning.

That afternoon and evening... my wife and I walked to Syntagma Square (about a 10 minute walk)... and took in the sites. Then we wandered a short distance to the Plaka... a collection of smaller streets and pedestrian malls that have a number of shops and restaurants. This area was very beautiful... and quite busy (even for a Sunday). We decided to enjoy the weather and dine at a small restaurant serving traditional Greek food. Afterwards... we strolled around the area a bit more before heading back to the hotel. This area is a must-see if staying at the Athens Gate.

In terms of noise... we did not have any issues at all trying to sleep... even though the hotel is on a busy street. I am sure the fact that my wife and I aren't light sleepers... plus just got done flying helped us sleep well.

The next morning we headed back to the Athens airport via the Metro... for our flight to Santorini. Another word of advice about the Metro... not every train goes all the way to the airport... so don't be alarmed when you need to get off the train a few stops before the airport. You will just need to wait for one that does go all the way to the airport. Just pay attention to the sign stating how long until the next train arrives... and what its final destination.

For our second stay at the Athens Gate... we arrived at the hotel from the airport via the X95 bus (which is an express bus from the airport to Syntagma Square) at approximately 11 AM. Our room wasn't ready yet... which we expected. We were planning on a day of sightseeing... but they still gave us a coupon for 2 free drinks at the restaurant bar on the roof-top. The rest of the day was busy visiting the Acropolis... The Temple of Zeus... Olympic Stadium... and some of the government houses. These sites were just amazing... and must not be missed if going to Athens for any period of time. That evening... it was back to the Plaka for dinner.

Our room this time was number 701. We were pleasantly surprised that we were upgraded to a suite... and our luggage was waiting for us in our room. The suite consisted of a sitting room and a bedroom... both a decent size. There was a flat-panel TV in each of the rooms. The bathroom was also a bit larger than the previous room we were in at the beginning of our trip. There is a separate jacuzzi tub... and shower. The balcony of the suite is just gigantic! It wrapped around one entire side of the building... with awesome views of the Acropolis and The Temple of Zeus.

Unfortunately... we could not enjoy the suite longer because we had an early flight out the next day to head home. The hotel front desk reserved a taxi for us at 4 AM to Syntagma Square... where we caught the X95 bus back to the airport. This bus runs 24 hours a day.

Overall... we were very impressed with the Athens Gate... and would stay here next time.