Agree with many of the other reviews, that the Attalos is a good choice for the bargain-minded, great location and clean with a friendly rooftop bar where you get fabulous views of the Acropolis. (In fact, when we came back to Athens from Crete and other islands we stayed at another hotel but came back to the Attalos' roof for late drinks!)

However, the Attalos has some very small interior rooms with no view except through a tiny window while the rest are larger doubles with good-sized balconies and no view. I got the former, my friend got the latter and we paid the same price! Was it because I was a woman or he arrived first?

And yes, re Athens cab-drivers. Twenty years ago, most would play games with the meter. This trip, 9 out of 10 were great but there are a few of the (mostly) older guys who will still try to rip tourists off every time! Ask your hotel to help sort it. They don't like the bad reputation it gives Athens either.

If you are looking for a good value, with basic, clean amenities in a great location, Attalos Hotel is a great choice. With public transportation and a love of walking you'll never need a cab.

The Staff is very helpful and will make you feel welcome and at home. They were also very gracious in helping me when one of the B&B's I stayed at forgot to give me my passport back!

During a recent visit to Greece, Attalos became my home base. They are very gracious about storing your luggage, so if you want to venture out into Greece without lugging all your luggage, they can accommodate you beautifully. I packed an extra sling bag with me and was able to venture out for a week at a time with very little to burden me for all the train and buses I would be taking. From Attalos it's just a hop skip and a jump directly to the Metro to and from the Airport.

If you are going off season, check out HotelConnect, a UK site that offered an amazing deal for the off season month of January.

If you are visiting Athens for the first time, see if you can get one of the 6th floor rooms with a balcony. Your view of the Acropolis will be one you will always remember. (And given it's current state of reconstruction, it's much more fascinating from a distance)

Every time I go to Athens, I always want to stay in Attalos - it's just such a welcoming place. It's not a luxury hotel, but all you need is there and the location is great. It's clean, comfortable and spacious enough. The rooms are pretty, bathrooms are modern, balconies have a wonderful view. Do try the roof garden and the cocktails, which - priced at 4,50 euros - are simply a treat!

Spent 6 nights in December at this simple, clean, centrally located "budget travellers'" hotel with my extended family. We had 4 rooms for the 9 of us. Rooms are similar in size to a midtown Manhattan hotel meaning "compact", however the beds were very comfortable, maid service was quite good, water pressure was great, heating was new with wireless remote and the front desk personnel were pleasant and spoke English well.

The view of the Acropolis from our own tiny balcony was great. They also have an incredible view from their roof garden. They provide internet access on two computers in their small lounge for free which was very convenient. No kleenex, but they did have hair dryers and a fridge in our room. For a clean, smallish, budget travellers hotel, the only negative was that we had to put our bath mat under our door at bedtime to keep the smell of cigarette smoke from creeping in (which worked). Athens is tough on the non-smokers as is much of Europe. The only common area to lounge around in was the computer room or the roof garden so this isn't the place to hang in if you want large rooms to lounge in. This was not a problem for us because our goal was to be out and about .

The neighborhood is definitely urban but it is "in the action" meaning there are tons of restaurants and bars and clubs within a couple of minutes walk. If it's physical beauty you want you'll have to walk to the park at Syntagma square or over to the Acropolis (a 10 min. walk), however the neighborhood is perfectly located for walking everywhere. Perhaps because December is offseason there weren't lots of Americans around which was very refreshing. The neighborhood was full of Athenians which added to the flavor.

It was a close, 5 min. walk to the subway (which was a clean, efficient, hassle free, TIMELY way to get to the airport or to Piraeus [the port]). If being out and about is your goal and you aren't looking to for luxury, this is the place for you.