OVERVIEW:
We had an amazing stay at Stylianos’ Kolonaki apartment! While the stay easily deserves the 5-star rating, I’d like to clarify that it’s 5-star in location, size, amenities/accessories, and host communication, but the apartment itself would receive 4-starts if we were rating pieces separately, just because the bathrooms could use an update. With that said, the host is obviously aware (as this apartment would be pretty expensive to update correctly due to it’s size and status) and has priced it right compared to other 3-4 bedroom properties you might find nearby on AirBnB or Booking.
While the entire apartment may seem a little dated, it has so much charm, so much space, great views from the large front balcony, lots of light, plenty of special design and architectural touches, and was easily able to be kept cool in the July heatwave. For a family trip to Athens, this home has so much to offer, and my wife and I enjoyed hosting our parents here for a wonderful Athenian vacation.
LOCATION:
This was the top requirement for this trip to Athens (in addition to ample space for 6 adults). Kolonaki is our favorite central Athenian neighborhood, with lots of great restaurants, boutiques, and bakeries, as well as being close to Syntagma Square and a < 20-minute walk to Plaka and the Acropolis. Stylianos’ apartment is at the lower part of the hill that leads up to Mt. Lycabettus, which is an attraction in it’s own right. Kolonaki is the neighborhood on the south side of this mountain/hill.
We wanted our parents to have an easier time on the hilly walks (all of Athens and the Cyclades islands could be considered hilly), and this apartment is only one street up the hill from the main road and from access to the Evangelismos train station. If you make a left at the corner at the top of the street when exiting the apartment, there is a level walk to great restaurants and shopping near Kolonkai Square. If you go up the hill two more blocks, you’ll find the strip of Patriarchou Ioakim with lots of boutiques and bakeries. It’s easy to get taxis (with Uber or Beat apps) right in front of the building.
APARTMENT:
This apartment is large! There are 4 bedrooms (two large and two small), 2 bathrooms (one large, and one smaller), a giant living room, a good sized sitting room, a large formal dining room, a little bar nook, a laundry room (with washer and dryer), a large foyer/entranceway, and a large kitchen with full-sized refrigerator and all the preparation tools you would need to reheat your leftovers, cook breakfast, make drinks, and even serve a big meal. The only things I would’ve added is a Nespresso machine (personal preference), but there is a coffee maker, a traditional espresso machine, and instant coffee was in the cupboard.
All rooms (except the bar nook and foyer) have windows or balcony access. The front balcony is large and has great views of Mt. Lycabettus to the north and Mt. Koutalas to the southeast. It gets a lot of sun in the morning and afternoon. Of the 4 bedrooms, only the two large bedrooms at the rear of the apartment have individual A/C units. Both of the smaller bedrooms have a ceiling fan. The living room has a powerful A/C that did a great job, even with the sun spilling in, and the dining room has another unit that kept the kitchen and sitting room cool as well. We never ran them on high, and we never thought the apartment was too warm, despite 90ºF+ outside everyday.
We were able to find a few extra pillows and sheets/blankets in the closets, but if you have more than 5 or 6 people staying with you, there may not be enough extras for everyone who likes two pillows. There was a closet full of towels.
The WiFi worked great, but didn’t reach the bedrooms at the rear of the apartment. There is one TV in the main living room, which we used sparingly, but when we did, it was nice that they had an account already signed in for Netflix and Amazon Prime.
There were beach bags in a closet with beach blankets ready to go, which we thought was a nice touch on the day we went to the beach.
There is access to a parking spot nearby, and Stylianos was very helpful in helping me find it and using it. However, make sure you get a small vehicle, because it is tight! You can also park on the street around the apartment using the MyAthens app for payment. The app was great about locating you and telling you if payment is needed on that day, and for how long.
CONCLUSION:
For what we wanted, a comfortable place to sleep and recover, with easy access to our itinerary locations for our parents (who are in their 70s), at a fair price, this apartment was perfect for our needs! I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again if I was traveling with a family-size that warrants such a space!