The Herodion Hotel is the perfect Athens hotel if you plan to visit the Acropolis during your stay in the Greek capital. And who visits Athens without visiting one of the world’s most iconic sites?
Athens is a city for dreamers. From ancient philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle to modern-day travelers starting or ending their romantic Greek vacation, the Athens lifestyle encourages people to slow down and contemplate the meaning of life, preferably with a drink in hand.
We’re part of the second category of dreamers. Though we spent over five weeks exploring Greece, including a full month in Athens, we never tired of the Acropolis and its famous design elements.
As we traversed the city in search of the best restaurants in Athens, it seemed as if the Acropolis was always behind our shoulders or in the corner of our eyes. Its mere presence provided a constant reminder of the city’s epic history as well as numerous photo opportunities.
However, except when we actually made our inevitable trek up the hill to experience the Parthenon in person, we never felt closer to the Acropolis than when we stayed in historical Athens at the Herodion Hotel Athens. How could we? This Athens hotel is literally a hop, skip and a jump from Athens’ epic contribution to western history.
Herodion Hotel Review
The Herodion Hotel is located in the heart of historic Athens near the Acropolis in the convenient and archaeologically rich Plaka neighborhood. Its proximity to the Acropolis (400 meters) and the new Acropolis Museum (100 meters) places the hotel close to the city’s most popular areas for restaurants, bars and tourist attractions.
On the surface, this prime location is the main draw for people who want to visit the best archaeological sites and museums in Athens. But once we walked through the doors and into the hotel’s well-appointed lobby, we knew that the boutique hotel offered more than a prime location.
As avid food travelers, the hotel’s food program impressed us, starting with our breakfast, continuing with lunch and ending at the bar. When it comes to hotel food, we have learned to manage our expectations. The food at the Herodion exceeded them.
Equally important, the second-generation, family-owned hotel delivered when it came to service. Despite having 90 rooms and a popular rooftop bar, the urban hotel maintains an intimate feeling where service rules the day. We experienced this level of service when we checked in and every time we sat down to eat or drink.
Our Room
Simple and comfortable, our hotel room provided an ideal respite from the busy Athens streets. Decorated with colorful accessories and stocked with modern amenities like free WiFi and a flat-screen television, we could have happily camped out in our room to work.
Who are we kidding? We didn’t get any work done during our two-day stay at the Herodion Hotel. It wasn’t the hotel’s fault. We blame Athens for having so many amazing sites and fun things to do.
Facilities
If you’re wondering what could be better than taking a dip in a jacuzzi after a day of touring in Athens, the answer is taking a dip with a view of the Acropolis in your sight. The Herodion provides this opportunity for its guest in two-fold. Yes, they have two jacuzzis on their fourth-floor deck, each with a stunning view that’s not to be missed.
The Herodion Hotel offers other charming features like a cozy fireplace, plenty of communal spaces for guests to socialize and wafting scents from fresh lavender. However, the jacuzzis with a view are the amenities not to miss when you stay at this hotel.
Food
If you think that all Greek food is the same, think again.
During our stay, young chefs Chefs Marios Pirpiridis and Manolis Mavrigiannakis cooked Mediterranean food classics with modern twists. Their results went beyond souvlaki and are definitely worth a visit whether you stay at the hotel or go to the hotel just for the food.
Hotel Breakfast
The Hotel Herodion breakfast is a great start to the day as well as a fitting introduction to Greek food in Greece. Breakfast starts at 7 am daily and goes for three hours during the week and four hours on the weekends.
For our most important meal of the day, we enjoyed local favorites like olives, feta cheese and strained yogurt. We skipped more filling offerings like spinach pie and pork shoulder so that we could save room for lunch.
Lunch at Atrium Greek Bistro
Chefs Marios Pirpiridis & Manolis Mavrigiannakis may work in a hotel, but they don’t let their kitchen’s location stunt their creativity. Sourcing quality ingredients from around the country, they let their imaginations run wild with their creations.
Though we enjoyed a varied selection of dishes at our lunch at the Herodion Hotel’s Atrium Greek Bistro, our favorite dish was the chefs’ unique take on loukoumades. Typically sweet and soaked in honey, these savory donuts were filled with Manouri cheese from Elassona in Thessaly. Similar to feta but creamier, the tangy cheese addition was a fun surprise.
Pro Tip
Be sure to order wine with your lunch. Herodion Hotel has an eclectic selection of Greek wine plus a few Italian varietals.
Drinks at Point A
Point A is not an average hotel bar.
At Point A, mixologists create drinks to order like the Greek Smash we enjoyed with Ouzo 12, basil leaves, lemon and lavender syrup. In addition to drinking, visitors can enjoy equally creative dishes prepared by the hotel’s young culinary team. In another hotel, the quality of the drinks and food would be enough to make us happy.
Point A takes the hotel bar experience to a higher level with its fifth-floor, front-row view of the Acropolis. From this vista, both Herodion Hotel guests and other visitors enjoy a magical sunset over the Parthenon in a relaxed atmosphere and with a drink or two.
Pro Tip
Make an advance reservation when Point A is open from mid-May to mid-October. Reservations are necessary since the word is out about Point A’s trifecta of great drinks, great food and great view.
Nearby Attractions
It’s a no-brainer to visit both the ancient Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum when you stay at the Herodion Hotel. Both sites are easily accessible from the hotel and are musts for any Athens itinerary.
Beyond these two destinations, other museums and hip Athens neighborhoods are within walking distance of the hotel. You can also take a food tour if that’s your thing.
Pro Tip
Visit the Acropolis in the early morning before crowds arrive in buses to tour the city’s jewel. Since the hotel is so centrally positioned, you can spend the rest of the day visiting the city’s other attractions and sites.
Transportation and Logistics
Michalis Tsimidopoulos opened the Herodion Hotel in 1976. All these years later, the locally-owned hotel remains well-positioned for families and couples who visit from various countries including the US, UK, France, Australia and Cyprus.
Getting to the Herodion Hotel
The Herodion Hotel is located 30 kilometers from the Athens International Airport. Travelers have a few options when transferring from the airport to the hotel.
Pro Tip
Contact Manolis Lepiroglou, a reliable taxi driver who drove us to the airport, if you want to pre-arrange your own transfer. You can call him at 30-6984000898 or email him at info@taxitransferathens.gr.
Room Cost
The hotel cost varies based on room type, date and availability.
When to Visit
Athens is a year-round travel destination though most travelers visit during the summer months. We suggest visiting in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn to take advantage of pleasant weather and smaller crowds.
Book Your Athens Hotel
We recommend the Herodion Hotel for its location, service and food program. Click here to find a great rate for this 2foodtrippers-approved hotel in Athens Greece.
Hungry for More in Athens?
Check out our Athens Food Guide with the best places to eat and drink in the city.
About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: September 4, 2018