Best Western Elysium Design Hotel - Athens

Average rating:  7.8

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Mar 2008

Good location close to Omonia Sq. easy access to all major attraction via metro, taxi, bus. 20 min. walk to Plaka. Surroundings not fantastic, quite dirty and strange faces around but not worse than anywhere else in Athens, no trouble whatsoever coming home also at night. Room was nice and clean, quite small but newly refurnished, rather noisy both because of busy street outside and lack of isolation indoor. The whole hotel has a certain enjoyable design kind of style, not the exterior though. Breakfast essential but enough. Parking close by at 10 EUR per night. Not a memorable hotel but a fair one for holiday on a budget, at 63 EUR per night quite unbeatable, makes it worth coming again.

Guest name: Diego Lucchesi, Norway

Average rating:  6.1

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Jan 2008

the hotel located not so far from city center, no public area available only a small restaurant for breakfast quality/price fair

Guest name: GD, Italy

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Oct 2007

All hotel staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful

Guest name: TL, Spain

Average rating:  5.9

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Oct 2007

Not a bad hotel considering the price and central location. A rather rundown area but taxis are cheap and available right by the hotel entrance. A GREAT value for single travellers. NOT a family hotel.

Guest name: Solomon Ioannou, Cyprus

Average rating:  9.0

Guest type: Group

stayed in Oct 2007

The location was easy to find. The hotel was great quality for the price. Everything was very clean and the staff were friendly. The hotel is a bit noisy, but not so much so that we didn't sleep. The area is a bit rough at night, but not if you are in a group. These were the only two cons. Otherwise, it is a good hotel.

Guest name: JF, USA

Average rating:  4.6

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Oct 2007

Not a 3* hotel. Small but clean rooms, poor breakfast, no public areas at all. The area where the hotel's located is vey dirty. Too expensive for the service provided. For the same price you have much better choices 300m further on the same West Bestern brand. The employeess, though, where vey kind.

Guest name: IM, Spain

Average rating:  4.7

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Sep 2007

The boy in reception hardly spoke English, so it was really difficult to understand anything.

Guest name: MP, Spain

Average rating:  6.7

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Sep 2007

A step up from some other 3 star hotels in Greek. Okay, the neighbourhood isn't exactly salubrious - the ladies of the night seemed to start around tea-time - but it was handy for the metro, unthreatening and the breakfast, although basic, was a touch better too. I liked the 'design' touches - why I booked it - and would stay there again.

Guest name: JS, United Kingdom

Average rating:  6.6

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jul 2007

A nice small hotel,clean,the only problem but not so big is the area

Guest name: AR, Romania

Average rating:  8.8

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jul 2007

The staff is really kind and willing to solve any circumstance you may have.

Guest name: EC, Netherlands

Average rating:  9.4

Guest type: Family with older children

stayed in Jul 2007

Very well place

Guest name: FM, France

Average rating:  8.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jun 2007

THe hotel is so well located!! Omonia sqr. is near and there you can take the subway anywhere.

Guest name: CS, Spain

Average rating:  5.6

Guest type: Family with young children

stayed in Dec 2006

When I booked the hotel, the photographs on the internetsite made me believe we would see a very modern hotel. The bed of our rooms must have been 20 years! The heating needed to come from a noisy airconditioning. The breakfast was simple. After 2 nights in a non smoking room all our cloths smellt like being 3 full days in a Athens restaurant! The hotel is very noisy. The cleaning takes care for your wake up call (at 6.00am). Every floor has a public area (reading corner, playground, bar) in front of the rooms, this cares for noise until late in the evening beacuse of the bad accoustic of the building. The nightshift at the reception did not speak English. The surrounding of the hotel are ugly office buildings, you get a nice view on them from the breakfast area on the 5th floor. It is close to Omnia square which is good. We asked for 2 adjacent rooms for our kids, and this was settled OK via a simple mail.

Guest name: Jan Vyncke, Belgium

Average rating:  4.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jul 2006

Problems with the payment with credit card. They had the authorization from my credit card company (shown with a SMS on my mobile) but they weren't able to cash it! The public areas, are very ugly and the surraundigs look horrible. The air conditioning is open only when you are in, so you stay hours at 32 C° before the temperature will go down!!

Guest name: Mario Lozar, Italy

Average rating:  6.0

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Aug 2006

les chambres sont propres et très jolies, elles sont assez fonctionnelles mais très très petites... Mention spéciale pour le roof garden sur le toit de l'hôtel dans lequel est servi le petit déjeuner, très agréable dans Athènes. En résumé un petit hôtel un peu cher par rapport à la taille des chambres mais très sympa par sa déco.

Guest name: DS, France

Average rating:  9.4

Guest type: Family with older children

stayed in Aug 2006

The hotel is is in the working part of Athens but this makes for a more interesting stay. With instrument and dive shops next door and a wonderful cake cafe 2 mins away. You get the real Athens here and the hotel is excellent value for money with clean modern rooms( very Danish in style. The underground is 2 blocks away and for 80cents gets to to the tourist and eating areas. You are also only 10min walk from the National Musieum, main market etc.. Although the streets are a bit grimmy this is not down town Chicago or Joburg, you always feel safe even with the "girls" working their corner. If coming to Athens then stay here.

Guest name: Tim Pugh, United Kingdom

Average rating:  6.9

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Jul 2006

hotel is clean and friendly staff. rooms smaller than expected. Area OK. roof garden for breakfast a nice idea but some basic essentials food wise not available on our stay.

Guest name: Brian Tidman, United Kingdom

Average rating:  7.2

Guest type: Family Group

stayed in May 2006

L'albergo è abbastanza confortevole, ma la zona circostante è molto brutta e mal frequentata

Guest name: MARIA LUISA DEMAGISTRIS, Italy

Average rating:  9.6

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in May 2006

We have been warned about the general location of the hotel multiple times prior to arriving the hotel by the taxi drivers and the hotel staff but we found after the trip that the hotel was safe and were priced well. The location was also very convenient for the price we paid. Decor was also very interesting comparing to other hotels. The breakfast that was included is an additional nice touch, none of the more expensive hotels offered any breakfast as nice as the ones provided here at Elysium Design Hotel. Overall, I guess I would recommend this hotel for couples travelling together but not single ladies.

Guest name: Chan Claudia, Canada

Average rating:  9.7

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Oct 2005

The hotel was very pleasant to stay at. The room was small but comfortable. We were so pleased with it we booked a room for our return leg of the trip. The staff were VERY helpful (we were looking for the new Benaki Museum that wasn't on the tourist maps and the reception staff actually called around to find out the address and directions! wow!)polite and friendly. staff and hotel much nicer than at Attalos Hotel (we also stayed there for 2 nights).

Guest name: Michelle Tan, Singapore

Average rating:  9.1

Guest type: Single leisure traveller

stayed in Oct 2005

A few minutes walk from Omonia square, I enjoyed 3 nights stay in this hotel. Breakfast is served in a roof terrase, Concerning the price you stay, it's very good. I would come back again if I could travel Athens sometime.

Guest name: MM, Japan

Average rating:  8.9

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Oct 2005

Nice friendly employees. We had breakfast in terrasse which was very nice.

Guest name: MM, Japan

Average rating:  9.0

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jun 2005

"Does what it says on the tin" is what comes to mind - the hotel was just as advertised (better, if anything). The area it's in looks slightly rough, with some red light activity evident at night, but unthreatening - no-one seems to bother bypassers. There are quite nice things close by - a good takeaway kebab shop and a cute cobbled street with several nice, affordable, authentic looking Greek restaurants. In daytime, the roughness becomes a likeable city bustle, with interesting local shops. Metro close by, city centre not far away. Inside, the hotel is better than you'd expect. Rooms are small, but clean, good value for money. Hotel staff, like all Athenians in our experience, are remarkably friendly and helpful. In-room Internet access is fast and reliable. The rooftop breakfast patio has views that are ... striking; nice breakfasts though. OK, it's not the Ritz, but it's great for a city centre holiday, and more than you'd expect for the money. Recommended.

Guest name: RD, United Kingdom

Average rating:  8.4

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jul 2005

The staff was awesome, the rooms are small but for a brief visit OK. Need to walk a bit to get food or see locations but for the price it was more then reasonable. The showers in the bathroom were great.

Guest name: Alen Alempijevic, Australia

Average rating:  9.5

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jun 2005

Really liked this hotel - great very modern bathroom, comfortable beds - soundproofing & aircon were excellent and design and colours of room & hotel were very good. Very good breakfast. Staff friendly and helpful. Area is still "interesting" with some colourful characters but we felt completely safe - and its ver convenient for metro. Price was great - would definitely stay there again

Guest name: Sue Waterman, Canada

Average rating:  7.0

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Dec 2004

Un apprezzamento al personale molto disponibile e competente. Stanze non insonorizzate per una citta' trafficata e caotica come Atene. A soli 300 metri dalla fermata metro di Piazza Omonia.

Guest name: Valter De Vercelli, Italy

Average rating:  9.8

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Dec 2004

Un simpatico hotel con un buon rapporto qualità prezzo pulito e ben gestito da cordiali ragazzi lo consiglierei a chiunque

Guest name: PF, Italy

Average rating:  6.4

Guest type: Family Group

stayed in Nov 2004

The hotel is quite small, only a few rooms and the room we stayed in was not very spacy but clean and with a fresh bathroom. The hotel location is exellent near the Omonia square in the city area of Athens and near sub-way stations and other transport facilities. The surrounding streets however are not the most safe area of the city in the evenings.

Guest name: Keith Hellstrom, Sweden