Athineon

Before booking either the Athineon Hotel or it’s sister hotel the Athena in Rhodes town, you might be interested in reading of our recent experience.

On 22nd April I made two bookings at the Athineon Hotel, one for two nights, 27th-29th May, and one night, 9th June. Both rooms were paid for in full the same day We arrived at the Athineon Hotel at 22.45 pm on the 27th May after flying in from Cardiff. We were met by the Hotel receptionist who abruptly told us that we weren’t staying at the Athineon but were being transferred to another hotel. We were then put in a taxi, for which the Athineon paid (we later found out that they claimed this was a ‘goodwill gesture’) and transported to the Athena Hotel, which is located on the other side of Rhodes Town, some distance from the Athineon.

We had chosen the Athineon hotel specifically due to its proximity to the Medieval Old Town which is within walking distance. It immediately became apparent that we would need to use taxis to visit the Old Town, an additional cost.

The Athena is a reasonable 3 star hotel, the Athineon is 4 star, so we had been downgraded. Subsequent research revealed that the Athena’s average nightly rate is significantly cheaper than the Athineon’s. We discovered that the Athena did not have a restaurant offering evening meals and did not appear to offer any food other than breakfast.

We decided not to complain to either of the hotels but instead complained to Algotels as we had booked through them and felt they should tackle the hotel on our behalf. The complaint was sent on 28th May and acknowledged by Algotels the same day.

On 9th June we returned to the Athineon Hotel to be told that we had been allocated ‘the best room in the hotel’. This turned out to be a pretty ordinary apartment with a view over the harbour. The over bath shower was a challenge for us elderly folks but we didn’t need to use the bath itself which was no more than 4 foot long. And in a 4 star hotel!

On 15th June, just 2 days short of 4 weeks since our experience we received a response from Algotels. It seems that the Athineon/Athena hotels believed that we had expressed our satisfaction with the service offered and said that we had said that we were happy to return. We apparently had made a ‘special request for a high floor room’ (this would be the ‘best room in the hotel) on our return on June 9th. None of this is true.

No offer of compensation for the downgrading, no offer to pay for the taxi fares. With regards to the Athineon and Athena hotels they are pretty typical hotels that you find on the Greek Islands although calling the Athineon 4 star is pushing it a bit. We think that what our experience does show is an attitude towards customers that is pretty dismissive and offhand to say the least. I believe it’s usually called Customer Service although ‘Customer get lost’ seems to be what we experienced Subsequently Algotels appear to have made several efforts to get the Athineon Hotel to accept some responsibility for what happened without success. The hotel also clearly lied to Algotels about our interactions with them.

Our advice would be to bear in mind our experience when thinking about booking the Athineon and Athena hotels lest you get a similar experience to ourselves.

We had a wonderful 10-night stay at The Athineon Hotel and would happily return if we visit Rhodes again.

One of the biggest highlights was the hotel’s excellent location. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Old Town was less than a five-minute walk away, making it incredibly easy to explore the historic centre whenever we wanted. The hotel was also conveniently close to the harbours, where several of our excursions departed, meaning we didn’t need to arrange any transport.

The only minor drawback was that there were no main bus stops within the Old Town itself. However, Rhodes Town was only around a 20-minute walk away, allowing us to easily access the bus network and save money on taxi fares. We also visited Faliraki Water Park and were pleased to find a free shuttle bus available from a nearby bus stop.

From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel extremely welcome. The reception team provided useful information about the area, including maps and recommendations for local restaurants, which was greatly appreciated.

We stayed in Room 501. Although the lift only goes up to the fourth floor and there was a short flight of stairs to reach the room, this was no issue for us. In fact, the stunning balcony view made it more than worthwhile. We could see the Old Town, the harbours, and many other beautiful sights, and watching the sunset from the balcony on our final evening was a perfect way to end the holiday.

The room itself had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The air conditioning worked very well, and the kitchenette was equipped with two electric cooking rings, a kettle, cutlery, and basic cooking utensils. We chose the self-catering option, although breakfast was available on-site for those who preferred it.

There was a supermarket around a 5–10 minute walk away (Pappou, if we remember correctly), which stocked everything we needed during our stay. The hotel also had a small on-site shop, which proved very useful for picking up any bits and pieces we had forgotten from the supermarket.

Housekeeping was excellent. Our room was cleaned daily, bins were emptied, and towels were refreshed regularly, helping to keep everything clean and comfortable throughout our stay.

We also tried food from the hotel bar, which was very reasonably priced and served until 9pm. Although we only ate there once, the food was good quality and the staff were exceptionally friendly.

We visited in early June and were delighted by how peaceful the pool area was. There was never any need to rush for sunbeds, as plenty were always available, including the comfortable bed-style loungers at the back of the pool area. The pool itself was very clean and wonderfully quiet. It felt a little chilly when first getting in, but was perfectly enjoyable once you were swimming.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with our stay. The combination of the fantastic location, friendly staff, comfortable accommodation, and relaxing atmosphere made for a wonderful holiday. We would definitely recommend The Athineon Hotel and would be very happy to stay there again on a future visit to Rhodes.