This was our first Airbnb experience. Angeliki was very communicative, sweet, and ensured that we have all the required information to make this work. At the time of our trip we mostly communicated with co-host Yianna, who met us for the check-in and was super friendly, welcoming and hospitable.
This place is simply amazing. It has a cozy room that is perfect for a couple. Bed was very comfortable. There was a kettle and hot plate in the kitchen which can be useful for making breakfast/lunch, although we ate out during our stay. Bathroom is nice. Shower is a different experience entirely and is alone worth the stay. You can see entirety of Athens while showering! Once Yianna lead us upstairs and we got to the terrace, the view took my breath away. Terrace is huge and is perfect for having food or drink and simply appreciating the view of Athens & neighbourhood of Exarcheia. In order to get to this place, there are plenty of stairs starting on the street level that lead to the entrance. This was always a challenge on hot days and kept us nicely exhausted at end of each day when coming back, but also made sure to keep us in shape! Be sure to know this if you're not good with climbing some stairs each day or simply have a bad knee! :)
We stayed mid-August and even though we were initially worried about heat, there was actually nothing to be ever worried about. We didn't even use aircon inside the room for the first few days, and only when it got to 36-38 C outside during daytime, we started using it at night to get a better sleep. Everything was squeaky clean. We packed lightly (only two backpacks to carry inside the plane) for a week and simply washed what we had used daily in the kitchen sink that you can plug, and then dried clothes outside on the terrace where sun quickly dries everything and there's even a small hanger that you can also take inside and put on top of chairs in case it's too windy. Pictures really don't do this place justice, when we got to see it in reality, it exceeded all expectations.
We had breakfast prepared for us in the fridge which was first introduction to Greek cuisine and was absolutely delicious (grapes, watermelon, cheese from islands, yoghurt, figs) as well as tea and coffee in addition to all that. This was a kind gesture. There's great WiFi as well as instructions/info on the table for everything you'd need. There were plenty of little things that made our stay feel more authentic and comfortable. We found sunscreen, painkillers, anti mosquito spray and plenty of other little things which you'd never imagine even the best hotel to provide to you. That says a lot about how much host cares about their guests.
Neighbourhood is an experience in itself. It's a historically left-wing/anarchist area that, during our stay, had big police presence due to metro constructions that is not welcomed by some locals. It's a diverse area where both locals and refugees live together, and we found it to be very peaceful. There is absolutely nothing to worry about for you as a tourist. There are plenty of amazing restaurants to be found around, where staff are very friendly and food is awesome. There is also a great amount of vegan options as well. Just like in other areas of Athens & Greece in general, there are lots of cute cats everywhere around and locals put extra effort to make sure their well fed. At night, the area is very lively with plenty of cocktail bars and cafes to hang out at - lots of those were full even as midnight came close. There were lots of tourists in the area also, we ended up hearing more French than Greek throughout the stay!
Check-out was super easy, there is a convenient place to leave the key and instructions are very clear. We didn't meet hosts during this process, however we hope to meet again in the future!
In summary, the place is amazing and the stay was an experience that will forever stay in our memories and is absolutely worth it. Especially if you're first time Airbnb user, you can be confident that this would be the right choice to pick for your trip. Hosts are incredibly friendly and we are grateful for everything. There is nothing to worry about. Go ahead and enjoy your vacation in Exarcheia!