After waking up way too early for two days in a row, I made it to Soho Hotel . The 2.5 km walk in Athens , on a rather hot March morning, was both my fault – decided to take the bus not the metro from the airport – and a small demonstration of some kind in Syntagma Square which meant the bus (X95) stopped quite far from its regular stop. So, off I went with carry on luggage in hand all the way to Omonia Square and then the hotel.

Soho Hotel was easy to recognize (after I found the street number, that is) and Spiros was such a friendly person to meet after my unwanted long walk in Athens. He gave me a map of Athens (on which he highlighted the important sights), the room key, the AC and TV remotes and once I got up I was so happy to rush to a hot shower.

The hotel’s lobby is where you can get the free coffee (awesome!) and tea during your entire stay. And the internet works absolutely lovely. I’ve got Internet in the room, too , and cannot complain about the speed. It works good enough to handle a Skype call, so checking emails and posting on social media sites is not a problem, either.

The staff is very friendly and Spiros showed us the quickest way to the New Acropolis Museum (where I had to meet our guide for a walking tour of Athens). In fact, the easiest way to the Acropolis is via Monastiraki square, which can be reached in about 5-10 min walk.

During the entire stay, Spiros has helped with ideas for the sights to see , telling me the quickest way to certain places and insisting on taking the metro back to the airport (which I did!). So, don’t be afraid to ask questions. He is more than willing to answer and tell you more about Athens.

My room is very specious. I am traveling with a companion and we both loved the ensuite (big) bathroom with tub! Not to mention that we have hot water, AC, TV (with English-speaking channels), toiletries and internet in the room. In the lobby, there is a “games and books” corner. While I didn’t play anything, I found two guide books about Greece which were nice to read through while I was there.

We also chose the breakfast and was pleasantly surprised that for 4 euros each , it kept us full for the entire morning and early afternoon. They served a hot sandwich (ham and cheese), 2 slices of toast, butter, jam, cereals, milk, a hard boiled egg, orange juice and a cereal bar (which I ended up having as a snack late in the afternoon).

Some facts about Soho Hotel:

Address: 25th, Menandrou str., Athens

The hotel is located in the Psiri area of Athens, easily reachable via the Monastiraki metro station (which links directly to the airport) or Omonia metro station (but you need to change lines in Syntagma). It is close to the Ancient Agora and within a short walk of Plaka, the Flea Market, the Roman Agora and the Acropolis.

The hotel has 59 rooms (offering in total 220 beds), ranging from singles to 5-beds rooms. Soho Hotel caters to budget and mid-range travelers who want to stay close to the sights and enjoy large rooms with good facilities. It is a new hotel (open since August 2011) and backpackers will be happy to find the dorms, too (excellent option if you travel with a group of friends also).

Ideal tour of Athens

On one afternoon, I took the time to talk to Spiros about what he would suggest travelers to visit. His ideal tour of Athens includes: the Acropolis , the Temple of Zeus, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Forum and Keramikos (the necropolis of Athens). Plaka area – with its tavernas – and the Parliament – with the changing of the guards – are also a must-see. If you are interested in museums , then don’t miss the Acropolis Museum and the Archeological Museum. Ideally, allow for 3 days in Athens to visit at least some of the above mentioned sights.

>>also read about the Free Things to do in Athens

Disclaimer: although my stay at Soho Hotel was partly sponsored, my review of the place wasn’t influence by this fact. The statements above are true to my experiences during my stay.

Photo credits: Cristina Puscas and Soho Hotel