Hotel Cecil in Athens, GreeceHotels in Athens come in several categories with 5-star being the most luxurious. 4-star corresponds to A-Category, 3-star to B-Category and so on. But the difference in categories does not always have to mean that a hotel is better than another. That is because there are different degrees within a category. Not officially but this is how it works. A travel agency will describe a hotel as a high C-Category or B-superior. That is because you can have a C-Category that is a better quality than a B. (In some of the Greek islands you can find C-Category hotels that are as good or better than A). So what are the categories for? I don't know. I think it has to do with a number of variables such as size of the lobby, breakfast room, maybe room size too. Of course the price depends on the category but you can find B hotels that are cheaper than the most expensive C hotel. All this does not matter really because what you are looking for is something clean, friendly, centrally located and with AC should you need it, and you want the best hotel for the price. The hotels on this page are the ones that I have stayed at that I think are the best. You can book on this page or by following the links to the hotel or booking through one of the travel agents. I recommend the agency because you are not going to get any better deal booking directly with the hotel and chances are you are going to need to at least speak with an agency at some point, if not rely on one for hotels on the islands and ferry schedules. But if you are a backpacker on a budget and winging it then book directly with one of the C-category hotels I list. I strongly suggest booking your Athens hotel even if you are not planning to book any hotels until you get to Greece. Why not book in advance and stay in a pretty decent economy hotel rather then arrive in Athens, wander around for a couple hours and end up in a dump or at the mercy of a taxi driver who takes you from the airport to a hotel where he gets a commission?
Anyway if you are like me, the older you get, the less you feel like wandering around looking for a hotel after you have just gotten off a 10 hour flight. When I get off the plane I want to know that there is a bed somewhere with my name on it. Also I have info from reliable sources (the hotels and travel agents), that hotels fill up fast in Athens. Even now the Adonis, Attalos and the Electra Palace are booked full many nights during periods you might not expect because there are times when people from the islands and villages or other cities in Greece, come to Athens to do business, see relatives or have a holiday themselves. So if you are planning on getting off the plane and wandering around until you find something you may want to reconsider, especially if you are going in July, August and September.
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