Hotel Arion is one of the many hotels that opened in Athens in time for the big 2004 Olympics rush, and it perfectly expresses that Athenian affordable boutique impulse also on display at
Hotel Hermes and
Hotel Niki. Arion's crowd has a distinctly hipster cast. This is all well, considering that Arion is situated in Psyrri, which at night morphs from funky retail district into clubland.
First you'll note the utterly swank reception. Wonderfully lighted and outfitted in beiges and faint yellows, it's a clear cut above most mid-range hotel reception areas. You could be forgiven for thinking that you'd accidentally stumbled into a decidedly non-Cheapo hotel.
Rooms facing the street have floor-to-ceiling windows, which suffuse rooms with an inviting brightness. Rooms have a dramatic, bold modern atmosphere. Elaborate bed units combine padded headboards with attached lighting and bedside tables. Exciting bed units aside, many of Arion's 51 rooms feel quite sparsely decorated and fit into the overall minimalist-modern feel of the place. Bathrooms completely fit the hipster mould: wide mirrors, marble tiling, and cute free-standing half-globe sinks. Bathroom details are all well done, from knobs to faucets to toilet brush holders.
If you want lots of light in your room, be sure to request a room in the front or the back of the hotel. The rooms on the interior are particularly dark. We saw one at midday and had to bolt for a coffee, so sleepy did its dusky vibe make us.
A final highlight is the roof garden. In a city chockablock full of stunning roof garden views, Arion's roof garden with its translucent sky blue railing is quite remarkable.
