Hotel Tempi

Hotel Tempi is dead smack in the middle of the action, about 2 blocks from the Monastraki metro station. This is a very basic and simple 1* star hotel ... clean, and cheap. The hotel owners are always on hand Yannis and Katrina... we paid 40 Euro's for a room with 2 single beds and private bathroom and shower. Be forwarned the shower and toilet are all cramped into the same space, so the entire floor gets wet, but that's basic European.

Definite stay here again if staying with buddies.

We got a room facing the pedestrian street so we had a side view of the Acropolis...

Me and my mother stayed in this hotel for one night. We had booked it two nights but couldn´t stand it. The place was a joke!! We are not the comfy types and like unusual places, but this was too much even for us! The room was tiny, with tinytiny shower + wc (you almost needed to stand on the toilet seat to make room), with a small window facing a dirty alley/back yard, the blind wouldn´t open, and that was almost lucky, so depressing was the view. The floor was all cracked , probably due to water-damage from the shower. The beds were so uncomfortable they seemed to have no mattress. The place was noisy, you heard steps in the stairs (no elevator) and doors slamming all night. The air condition was noisy too, and when you turned it off you heard the ones in the other rooms, humming like a slow, but steady, highway. No terrace or balcony in the room made it a craustropfobic stay. Maybe the hotel have other, nicer, rooms, but I wouldn´t take the chance to find out. The only thing good was the nice and helpful female staff in the "lobby".

Unique Quality: The location is super if you want to see the Acropolis 24-7. But, I would recommend other travellers to find accomodation a little off the very city centre, in a calm area where locals live. Everything is more expensive around the sights, and when the places close there isn´t any normal daily life going on around you. Hotel Tempi is cheap, in every meaning of the word. I would go for a hostel instead if on a tight budget.

Directions: Close to Acropolis and the Forum

After doing a bit of a research, we`ve come to learn that finding a good and cheap hotel in Athens is quiet a predicament. Tempi had OK reviews, so we decided to give it a try.

The room was small, dark and quiet. The shower was in the same room with a toilet without any doors or screens. The sink had only cold water. But.. we did not come all the way to Athens to sit in our room, so it worked out just fine, especially since it was centrally located.

NOTES:
1) If your windows face the main street, you may be bothered by noise from the outside gay-friendly cafe which stays opened till late (see my pic#2).
2) Water, juices, soda can be bought in the hotel (1 big water bottle=1 euro).
3) Outside area seems to be favored by local bums who randomly lay (and ***) there, hence the smell.
4) You can have a breakfast in the nearby cafe. Its tasty but not cheap. For example, 12 euro will only buy you 2 latte coffees, a pie and a small pizza. You may be better off buying a gyro sandwich for 1.70 euro at nearby markets.

PRICE: In May, 08 we payed 65 euro per night for a private room with double bed, TV with BBC channel.

I recommend this hotel for people who do not have high expectations and are on a tight budget.

Unique Quality: Discovered a free WiFi (AR7WRD) in our room even though the receptionist said there is none. :)

Directions: Located not far from the Monastiraki subway stop (almost all lines go through there - red, green and blue line). You can see Acropolis on your right as soon as you leave the hotel.

Location is the best thing about this place. Otherwise, it is more like a hostel, except that you have the room all for yourself. Good bargain for 40 euros a day. And it has a TV too, with Greek channels!!

This was my cheapest option for a central hotel in Athens and it certainly served it's purpose. Although the room was the smallest I've ever staying in, and the walk up 5 flights of marble stairs was exhausting, it was a bargain compared to most hotels. The people at the front desk are pleasant and helpful.
I would only recommend this hotel for people who expect no luxuries.

Directions: One and a half blocks off Ermou - very close to the Monastiraki metro

We arrived around 10.30 at night, the taxi driver from the airport did not know the hotel but with Lonely Planet's maps we managed to find it. It is very centrally located with lots of cheap restaurants nearby. We were on the fourth floor and the stairs might be a problem if you are not fit as there is no lift. Only stayed three nights but it was perfectly adequate for our needs with en suite and air conditioning.

Unique Quality: Takes credit cards

This place was pretty good. It's like a really nice, 'grown up' hostel. We got a double room with a shared bathroom for 40 Euros a night. The bathroom/shower was just like a hostel. Clean. We had a/c which was fantastic, esp. on high heat - it dried everything overnight (my soaking shoes, you name it). There was a TV too, all in Greek tho. The man at the desk was nice - gave us some tips etc. for sights and pronounciation. I think there is a little kitchen on the first floor for making tea etc..

Unique Quality: 1) mini kitchen for drinks
2) very close to Plaka and Markets
3) on a quiet street (no traffic allowed)
4) can store luggage

I arrived in Athens in October 2005 with nowhere to stay. After dragging my luggage through the city centre for an hour or so (and failing to flag down a taxi) I eventually located the Plaka district of the city.

Walking down Eolou, and with a great view of the Acropolis straight ahead, I came across the Hotel Tempi. It didn’t look anything special from the outside but I thought its ideal location would mean that the price was extortionate. In the event, I was wrong.

The owner was standing outside the front entrance and could see that I was clearly looking for a room. I took a business card from him (and ascertained that rooms are priced 50 Euros per night with private bathroom or 35 Euros per night without) and went about pricing up other options in the area. After being quoted much higher prices at some of the surrounding hotels, I was soon back at the Tempi checking in.

I opted for a room with private bathroom at 50 Euros. The room was small, with a tiny bathroom (literally just big enough to stand in!), but it was clean and well furnished. It had a good air conditioning system and satellite TV. Free luggage storage is available in the hotel’s reception. No breakfast was included in the price.

I was staying in Athens for 5 nights but unfortunately the room that I was in was already booked for the following nights. The manager offered me a room with shared facilities (for 35 Euros per night) for the remainder of my stay, but I decided to check out and find somewhere else. If the en-suite room had been available for the remainder of my stay, I would have been more than happy to stay.

Unique Quality: For me, the two major pluses of this hotel are:

1. Its location:

Located in the bustling Plaka district and just a few minutes walk from the train and metro stations at Monastiraki. Standing outside the hotel’s front entrance, you can see the Acropolis at the end of the road.

2. Friendly management:

The hotel’s manager can commonly be seen standing out front of the hotel welcoming new arrivals. He is very friendly and is happy to dispense information and advice on the city and its sights. This is probably the only hotel I’ve ever stayed at where, upon returning to the hotel after a day’s sightseeing, the manager greeted me with “Welcome back, Jonathan”, rather than merely enquiring after my room number.

An excellent, value-for-money hotel in a great location.

Directions: On Eolou street, practically in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Hotel Tempi according to our Lonely Planet guide book mentioned it was rated world's top 50 budget hotels by Britain's independent newspaper.

The hotel reception was also very polite. I had a good impression of the hotel and its staff.

Unique Quality: Our room overlooked the Acropolis from the side.

We paid €37 for a Double room.