Review: Sofitel Athens Airport

Review: Sofitel Athens Airport

18


After an incredible four days at Amanzoe, our vacation was coming to an end. We had an early morning flight out of Athens Airport, so decided to book the Sofitel Athens Airport for our one night in Athens, given that it’s across the street from the airport terminal. We would have preferred to stay in the city, but Athens is a haul from the airport, so this just seemed like the easiest option.

The Sofitel Athens Airport isn’t cheap for an airport hotel. I guess that’s not too surprising — there are tons of people traveling to & from Greece in summer, and many people have to connect in Athens, with overnights required. The Sofitel is the only hotel connected to the airport. For our one night stay the rate was around 200EUR.

We arrived at the Sofitel at around 4PM. The hotel is on the airport’s premises, so that’s convenient.


Sofitel Athens Airport exterior

I found the hotel’s lobby to be sleek. However, it was a bit of a zoo, and it took about five minutes before we were helped at check-in.


Sofitel Athens Airport lobby


Sofitel Athens Airport lobby

I guess I had booked a room without a specific bed type confirmed. They assigned us a room with two beds, and I asked if they had any rooms with one queen or king bed. After checking the associate said that the only option for that would be if we upgraded to a club room.

He really tried to sell it, and explained that the room we would be assigned was renovated just a month ago, and would be much nicer than the other rooms. He also said that this would entitle us to breakfast in the lounge from 6AM until 11AM, and to drinks and snacks in the evening from 7PM until 11PM.

The cost was 63EUR plus tax. Against my better judgment I agreed, figuring that if nothing else it would allow me to review the club and what their renovated rooms are like.

So within a few minutes we had a key to our sixth floor room.


Sofitel Athens Airport hallway

We were assigned room 630, located most of the way down the hall and on the left.


Sofitel Athens Airport room exterior


Sofitel Athens Airport floorplan

The room was indeed pretty nice, at least for an airport hotel. It wasn’t huge, but was more than sufficient for a quick overnight.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room entryway

The room featured an entryway with the bathroom to the right, and then the rest of the room straight ahead. The room had a king size bed, and I thought the lighting and walls were sleek.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room

There was a wall-mounted TV across from the bed.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room

In the far right corner of the room was a chair and a desk, which had a bottle of water, a kettle, and a Nespresso machine.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room


Sofitel Athens Airport club room coffee machine

Underneath the TV was the minibar.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room minibar

On the left of the room was yet another desk.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room

There was complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and it was reasonably fast.

I found the bathroom setup to be a bit odd. There was an area that had a sink, a walk-in shower, and then a bathtub. Personally I’d rather have double sinks and either a shower or bathtub, but…


Sofitel Athens Airport club room bathroom


Sofitel Athens Airport club room bathtub


Sofitel Athens Airport club room shower

Toiletries were from Les Notes De Lanvin.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room toiletries

Then the toilet was in a separate room near the entrance to the room.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room toilet

The room faced in the direction of the parking lot and the runway. The room only had a fairly small window, and it had blackout shades, so the room got nice and dark.


Sofitel Athens Airport club room view

Shortly after checking in we visited the club lounge, located on the eighth floor. After how much the front office associate hyped the lounge, I was curious to check it out.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge entrance

The lounge was tiny and had no natural light. In the main room there were three tables that were uncomfortably close to one another, and then a couple of couches.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge seating


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge seating

Off to the side was another room with a few couches.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge seating

Then there was a small business center with a computer and printer.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge computer

The buffet area was back towards the entrance.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge

Even though it was outside the evening and breakfast hours, there were some sweets as well as a selection of non-alcoholic drinks, including soda, water, and two coffee machines.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge daytime snacks


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge coffee machine


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge drinks

Then at 7PM the evening selection was brought out, which was… not great. It consisted of a few cold cuts, some stale sandwiches, and some whole fruit.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge evening snacks

There were also alcoholic drinks, including wine and liquor, though we passed on that.


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge evening drinks


Sofitel Athens Airport club lounge evening drinks

We were hoping that the club lounge spread would be a dinner substitute, but it wasn’t, so we ended up ordering room service pizzas, which were alright, though a bit greasy.


Sofitel Athens Airport room service

For reference, the room service menu read as follows:

I was hopeful that the breakfast selection would be better, but it wasn’t great either.


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection

Breakfast included some pastries, cheese, cereal, sausage, yogurt, and very runny eggs. There was no sliced fresh fruit, but rather just whole fruit.


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection


Sofitel Athens Airport executive lounge breakfast selection

Perhaps worst of all was that there was no lounge attendant in the morning, and both of the coffee machines were broken. So we didn’t even get coffee.

While we didn’t use either of the facilities, the ninth floor had both the gym and pool. The indoor pool was a pleasant surprise.


Sofitel Athens Airport pool


Sofitel Athens Airport pool

The gym, on the other hand, was tiny and had outdated equipment.


Sofitel Athens Airport gym

We got a good night of sleep, and the next morning we just had to walk across the street to catch our flight. That convenience is the reason you stay here, after all.


Walk from Athens Airport to Sofitel

Sofitel Athens Airport bottom line

The Sofitel is a great option for anyone looking for the most convenient place to stay before or after a flight from Athens Airport. Our renovated room was nice, though I found the club lounge to be disappointing.

So I recommend this hotel if you do want the most convenient option for staying near Athens Airport, though it comes at a price.

Conversations (18)
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  1. Rick Guest

    Nothing like no competition. My wife and I will most likely be staying here only because we have an 08:00 flight the next day (boarding starts at 7:30), check-in, security, on and on. We're coming in from Santorini, late afternoon the day before departure and will skip the trip back into Athens, where we would have stayed when we first entered the country three weeks earlier. The room reviewed here compares to the one we...

    Nothing like no competition. My wife and I will most likely be staying here only because we have an 08:00 flight the next day (boarding starts at 7:30), check-in, security, on and on. We're coming in from Santorini, late afternoon the day before departure and will skip the trip back into Athens, where we would have stayed when we first entered the country three weeks earlier. The room reviewed here compares to the one we had last week, when we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express at Dubai airport, the difference being about 100 euros (less for the HIE). We'll walk over to the departure hall around 6 AM and and hang at a Priority Pass lounge for an hour, pickup up some light breakfast maybe and move on. Thirty bucks for a burger? As an Accor member, I'm appalled by the greed and the lounge? What a rip.

  2. Marco Dupre Guest

    With just half an hour metro run you could be in the city center. The metro stations are just in front of the marvelous Hilton and Great Bretagne hotels. This hotel is very basic and so expensive for Athens. The club room is very sad... Service room is so overpriced. A full greek meal in Athens costs 20 euro... 14 euro for a defrost pizza.....

  3. 3M Guest

    I stayed at the hotel for one night in January 2017. I think it is an excellent property and a distinguishing feature of an otherwise unimpressive airport. I enjoy the Sofitel brand.

  4. Kostas Guest

    Theres also an express non stop bus to city centre, 6 euros one way, i think X56.

  5. Phillip Diamond

    I have to say, that for me, fresh fruit at a hotel breakfast is a good marker of quality!
    I will, however, disagree that getting into Athens is a slog! The metro makes it really easy and as others said, you can arrive directly at Syntagma Square. Aside from the King George and Grande Bretagne, the New Hotel is only a 5 minute stroll from there. Fresh hotel is one stop further on a different line while a number of other SPG properties are dotted around the centre.

  6. Michalis Guest

    Thank you for replying my comment. Let me remind you that with a 300 to 700% in taxation recent years (depents the ocassion) there is simply no tax evasion thing.

  7. Ngls Guest

    As a Greek who lives abroad, while I agree with Michalis' comment above regarding the prices and the quality of the Athens Sofitel, I am totally against the practices of "negotiating a better price" with cash. This is a blatant suggestion to support tax evading businesses who despite being the most (only?) profitable part of the Greek economy, want to avoid paying their (un)fair share of taxes like everyone else in the country. These businesses...

    As a Greek who lives abroad, while I agree with Michalis' comment above regarding the prices and the quality of the Athens Sofitel, I am totally against the practices of "negotiating a better price" with cash. This is a blatant suggestion to support tax evading businesses who despite being the most (only?) profitable part of the Greek economy, want to avoid paying their (un)fair share of taxes like everyone else in the country. These businesses often don't pay their employees benefits and they make them work 7 days a week for the whole "season" as they call it in Greece (summer season). Thus, I would stick to paying with a credit card as per usual and asking for a receipt.

  8. Michalis Guest

    As an owner of a small hotel business in Cyclades i have to say that the rates of the hotel are terrible both for stay and food.
    This is due to the fact that leftist government had increased vat from 5% to 13%, and from 16 to 24% on dinning, plus 4 euros per night tourist tax plus upcoming property tax.
    You can use train for 10-12 euros roundtrip and book a place...

    As an owner of a small hotel business in Cyclades i have to say that the rates of the hotel are terrible both for stay and food.
    This is due to the fact that leftist government had increased vat from 5% to 13%, and from 16 to 24% on dinning, plus 4 euros per night tourist tax plus upcoming property tax.
    You can use train for 10-12 euros roundtrip and book a place nearby Syntagma square or other central area at a fraction of a cost. Airbnb is fine too. When in Greece, always use cash so you can negotiate a better price.

  9. Anastasia Member

    Lucky,
    I love your reviews, but I gotta say, in this one you seem picky. The breakfast looks perfectly fine to me. No fresh sliced fruit? Honestly not the end of the world. I can't speak to taste/quality, but base don the pictures at least, I'd be more than happy with a free breakfast as above.

  10. ChristianJ Guest

    We had a similar stay to Mark Martin in that we got a non-renovated room and my biggest gripe was the shabby nature of the furnishings and the quality of the bed and pillows as well. Service in the ground floor restaurant was not great and they seemed confused about everything. As most have stated, the only reason to stay at the hotel is due to an early morning departure. Sadly they get away with...

    We had a similar stay to Mark Martin in that we got a non-renovated room and my biggest gripe was the shabby nature of the furnishings and the quality of the bed and pillows as well. Service in the ground floor restaurant was not great and they seemed confused about everything. As most have stated, the only reason to stay at the hotel is due to an early morning departure. Sadly they get away with high rates, mediocre service and dated rooms since they are the only hotel right at the airport. On our last trip we stayed at the HIX "Airport" but it is about a 10-15 minute ride away down the highway on the way to central Athens. It was ok but also somewhat outdated and over priced. Not sure why they don't build anything else at the airport or close by since they definitely need it.

  11. Paolo Diamond

    It's not really that far to Athens central: the train takes you right to Syntagma Square , ie 20 metres to the K.George and the other SPG next door. I'd rather go into the city, although for a very short overnight perhaps the Sofitel makes sense. But for 16 or 18 hours or more, I'd go downtown.

  12. Joan New Member

    I'm pretty sure our airbnb in Athens' Koukaki neighborhood, just south of the Acropolis, was less than 40km from the airport.

    I think we paid less than 50 Euros for a daytime taxi to the airport.
    Those with more time than cash might choose the Metro. It is a longish haul.

    The 2 bedroom apt with full kitchen and full bath had a base rate under $75.
    Our hostess stocked it with bread,...

    I'm pretty sure our airbnb in Athens' Koukaki neighborhood, just south of the Acropolis, was less than 40km from the airport.

    I think we paid less than 50 Euros for a daytime taxi to the airport.
    Those with more time than cash might choose the Metro. It is a longish haul.

    The 2 bedroom apt with full kitchen and full bath had a base rate under $75.
    Our hostess stocked it with bread, cheese, cold cuts and yogurt for breakfast.

    We had a blast on our last night in Greece. Enjoyed a great dinner out, in that fantastic city.

    I don't think it was too much of a hassle.

  13. George Member

    Does anyone have other recommendations for a quick overnight near the Athens airport?

  14. JohnC Guest

    I stayed last year for one night about a year ago. My room was nice and no complaints. Also, it was pretty cheap to go into Athens itself from the hotel. And the convenience of the hotel to the airport is the best thing about it.

    I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

  15. memmie leblanc New Member

    I love this hotel because it means I'm in Greece on my way to my favorite island. I'm pretty sure club rooms come with Hermes toiletries. You might want to check that.

  16. Christian Guest

    You must have had a short connection. The rail link to the airport is great.

  17. Albert Stein Guest

    I've stayed there many times. But not really by choice. It's not horrible. The restaurants are OK and the bar is "airport bar plus" but I would never choose to stay there if I had the option of going into Athens.

  18. Mark Martin Gold

    I had a dismal stay there in June. My rate was much higher (250 Euros) and I was given a regular room. The room was not renovated with pretty torn up furniture.

    The worst part was the mattress. By far the thinnest, most wore out, uncomfortable mattress I have had in a hotel in a long time.

    Airport hotels really only can sell location and sleep quality. The location was amazing, but if you can't...

    I had a dismal stay there in June. My rate was much higher (250 Euros) and I was given a regular room. The room was not renovated with pretty torn up furniture.

    The worst part was the mattress. By far the thinnest, most wore out, uncomfortable mattress I have had in a hotel in a long time.

    Airport hotels really only can sell location and sleep quality. The location was amazing, but if you can't deliver on a good night's sleep, then why are you in business.

    I say skip this hotel unless you have the status to get into a renovated room. I gave it 2 of 5 on TripAdvisor

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Rick Guest

Nothing like no competition. My wife and I will most likely be staying here only because we have an 08:00 flight the next day (boarding starts at 7:30), check-in, security, on and on. We're coming in from Santorini, late afternoon the day before departure and will skip the trip back into Athens, where we would have stayed when we first entered the country three weeks earlier. The room reviewed here compares to the one we had last week, when we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express at Dubai airport, the difference being about 100 euros (less for the HIE). We'll walk over to the departure hall around 6 AM and and hang at a Priority Pass lounge for an hour, pickup up some light breakfast maybe and move on. Thirty bucks for a burger? As an Accor member, I'm appalled by the greed and the lounge? What a rip.

0
Marco Dupre Guest

With just half an hour metro run you could be in the city center. The metro stations are just in front of the marvelous Hilton and Great Bretagne hotels. This hotel is very basic and so expensive for Athens. The club room is very sad... Service room is so overpriced. A full greek meal in Athens costs 20 euro... 14 euro for a defrost pizza.....

0
3M Guest

I stayed at the hotel for one night in January 2017. I think it is an excellent property and a distinguishing feature of an otherwise unimpressive airport. I enjoy the Sofitel brand.

0
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