Hotel Orion

The 22-room Orion shares management and a reception area with Hotel Dryades. Among our listings, these two hotels are the furthest afield from central Athens, perched as they are at the top of a hill in Exarchia. Nonetheless, for their rates and vibe, they are logical EuroCheapo picks.

Orion's rooms are quite casual. We liked one small room with exposed brick walls and thick raspberry curtains. The rooms here are extremely basic, though not unappealingly so.

The Orion vibe is very relaxed. If you're a European university kid in Athens for a few nights, this is a great place to crash. We witnessed this vibe in action on Orion's chilled-out rooftop garden. During our visit, three lanky, languid kids relaxed in the roof's lounge, limbs akimbo. We could almost see clouds of cannibis floating above them. (We said almost.)

Note that the walk up the hill to Orion provides great exercise. In other words, you'll be out of breath when you arrive.