Cecil Hotel is another of our fave Athens hotels. Located on busy Athinas, it maintains a charming, friendly Old World feel. This mood is expressed in, among other details, the hotel's antique Otis Elevator and its red insignia-emblazoned towels.
Rather atypically, the hotel's brochure, depicting awfully dull-looking rooms, undersells itself. In actuality, Cecil Hotel's rooms are pretty great. Rich, dark hardwood floors are the norm. Toasty deep red blankets are cozy, even folksy. One headboard we saw dates back to a just-past-midcentury modernism, and even the light fixtures are well detailed. We saw another room with matching wrought-iron bed frame, desk, and mirror. Each of these pieces are notable on their own; taken together, they give the impression of a thoughtfully tended hotel. Rooms tend to be painted in subtle hues. Even the more crowded triple rooms, with single beds lined up next to each other, are full of appealing touches.
Fussy prospective guests will be happy to hear that Cecil's bathrooms have all been recently renovated. They won't net any style prizes, but they're all spotless and fairly new. Cecil's location, not far from Monastiraki, is convenient. And the ground level bar lounge feels extremely private despite the fact that it's within earshot of the reception desk.
» Alex Robertson Textor
Note: This hotel was visited by a EuroCheapo editor and is recommended based on cleanliness, location, price and overall quality. EuroCheapo did not charge this hotel to be listed.
About the Cecil neighborhood
Surrounding Monastiraki Square, the neighborhood of Monastiraki ranks next to Plaka as a top tourist neighborhood. It spans the gamut from high-end international retail chains on Ermou to low-tech individual entrepreneurs selling their wares on Monastiraki Square. Monastiraki includes the last remaining mosque in Athens from Turkish times, Hadrian's Library, the bottom of Ermou Street, the Roman Agora, and Tower of the Winds. Charming alleyways cut across Monastiraki as well, providing a nice escape from the steady tourist traffic. Some of the best gyro and souvlaki joints in all of Athens can be found here. The neighborhood is served by the eponymous Monastiraki metro station.
more about Monastiraki