Just back from three nights at the Fresh Hotel and felt compelled to leave a review.
This is a really fantastic hotel and brilliant value for money, the staff cannot do enough to help you.
We arrived during what was clearly one of their quieter weekends and were upgraded to an executive room with a 'zen garden' - a small balcony area with bamboo and pebbles for those not with the zen. Was pleased to see Korres products in the bathroom and the entire suite was spotlessly clean. There was even a welcome bottle of water and raisins soaked in honey as a snack.
When we checked in we were given a voucher complimentary cocktail each at the rooftop bar so headed up there, it's a really beautiful bar with stunning views across the city. It was too cold to use the pool on the roof but it was a lovely area and would be a great sunning spot in the summer months.
As a former bartender in a cocktail bar I was pleasantly surprised with the bar staffs knowledge and abilty - the drinks were lovely and despite the steep price (11 euros for a cocktail) we returned another night for more.
The hotel gym was well equipted with modern cardio and decent weights etc. The steam room was out of order and the sauna was closed when we were the mega helpful concierge offered to turn it on for us and explained it was only turned off because the hotel was quiet.
Much has been made on Tripadvisor about the dodgy area the hotel in situated in but we had no problems at all. Yeah, the area isn't brilliant but it is less than a five minute walk to Monasarnaki Square which is a real tourist hub and only a few minutes more to Plaka and the ancient city of a Agora. Teh only downside I found to the location is that there is a pet shop right beside the hotel, with puppies in the window 24 hours a day. It angered me to see them in small glass cages with idiots tapping the glass constantly. We even saw an idiot tapping on the glass at the sleeping pups at 2 a.m.
Athens is a pretty expensive city, food prices are on a par with London or Edinburgh and drinks even more pricey. Expect to pay about 8 Euros for a spirit and around 5-6 Euros for a beer but like every city if you hunt you'll get cheaper prices off the beaten track.
We found the best nightlife was in Psyrri but Plaka and Thisio are well worth a look too. Also, just off Monastarnaki Square there are some lovely Greek cafes on the pavement. Great for lunch even in January thanks to the mild weather and patio heaters.
Don't hesitate to book the Fresh Hotel, great hotel, great staff and great value for money.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC