There are many positives about Eleni's place as well as some things to consider when booking. Eleni was a warm, welcoming hostess, providing hot tea, homemade cake and cookies upon arrival. The refigerator also had bottles of water. Eleni's apartment was fully stocked with cleaners, toilet paper, bags, etc. The kitchen had a full complement of dishes, utensils, and pots and pans (most of which had no lids however). Having a washing machine was a real plus. She was also responsive to the need for a microwave and was kind enough to extend the check out time.
The house appeared clean, although there were drain flies in the apartment that Eleni stated could be ignored because they didn't bite and were of no harm to humans. The location is ideal in many ways, just across from the Athens Concert Hall, very close to the Megaron Mousikis metro stop and chock full of other transportation options available (bus, tram). There are grocery stores within walking distance. If you enjoy walking, it is close to Sytagma Square and Monastiraki. I always felt safe there.
The down side to the location is that there are at least 7 lanes of traffic outside of the basement level apartment with noise that appears to reverberate through the ground and is present 24/7. The fact that there is a traffic light and an intersection nearby means that cars and motorcycles can be heard screeching to a halt or revving up as they race by. If you are not bothered by noise levels this could be a good choice for you. However, if you need a quieter stay, I would not recommend this place. I found it difficult to sleep or relax even with earplugs and music.
The drain flies started to multiply as the weather became warmer and were quite the nuisance, numbering close to 200 per day. The owner stated that she had not taken care of the drain fly problem ostensibly because she didn't want to use harmful toxins which could aggravate my allergies. When the problem worsened and I reported it, suggesting an eco friendly approach, Eleni stated that she did in fact, use such products. Subsequently, I requested that the eco friendly products be used and Eleni's response was that she couldn't get someone out for another five days. I doubted the sincerity of her response as the purported date of service was set for after my departure and on the 25th of March, Independence Day in Greece, and traditionally a day when no one works.
She later contradicted her earlier statement by saying that she had, in fact, sterilized for drain flies just before I arrived. This statement was made in response to my complaint that she had ample time to rid the apartment of flies prior to my arrival since I had booked more than three weeks previous to my arrival date. The contradictory statements seemed disingenuous.
When the internet service went down Eleni asked that I contact the service. The service asked for a 4 hour availability to the apartment to check out the problem. Eleni's response to this was that I should be available because it impacted me. She stated that she did not have sufficient notice to take time off from work and also mentioned that it would be a waste of her time to wait for a service person. From this point of view, I felt that she was trying to off load her responsibilities as a host to the guest.
Eleni's initial response time to questions or requests was adequate. However, her ability to act on such information was subject to a demanding work schedule which crippled her ability for efficient/effective follow through.
Despite all of this, Athens had many positive and engaging activities! Enjoy your trip and plan wisely!