Tag: Budget Travel

Nikki’s Nest: Athens Gate Hotel (Athens, Greece)

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Athens Gate Hotel (Athens, Greece)

I had the pleasure to stay 8 nights at The Athens Gate hotel which is in central Athens, Greece with a fabulous view of the Temple of Zeus & the Acropolis. The area around the hotel is so neat.  The hotel was renovated in 2007 and has a very modern & classic look.  Athens Gate has 7 floors, a rooftop garden restaurant, and a cozy lobby (which includes a bar, fireplace and business center).

Location

The Athens Gate Hotel is  located in the historic district of Athens, exactly opposite the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Gate which was constructed by the Athenians to welcome the Roman emperor Hadrian.  The hotel entrance is at the beginning of Syngrou Avenue just opposite the Temple of Olympian Zeus.  Its excellent location in the heart of the historical center of Athens makes it an ideal choice for travellers.

You are within easy walking distance to Syntagma Square (where I saw several demonstrations/strikes), the commercial shopping district, the Acropolis, and right next to the new Acropolis Museum and the Plaka area.  All you have to do is walk right outside and you have Athens at your feet.  No need for a taxi!

If you want to travel a little further to the north of Athens or down to the port, the hotel is steps away from the Athens Metro (the “Acropolis” Athens Metro Station).  The Metro is super easy to use as I took it for 6 days back and forth to work.

Rooms

View of Temple of Olympian Zeus from my room

Athens Gate has 99 rooms (60 are Queen bed rooms, 38 are twin bed rooms and 1 junior suite with a jacuzzi bath tub and shower).  There are 7 classes of rooms:  Standard Double, Double Superior, Double Executive, Twin Standard, Twin Superior, Twin Executive and Suites.  The Superior & Executive rooms along with the Suites have views of either the Temple of Olympian Zeus (which are front rooms) or the Parthenon at the Acropolis (which are the back rooms).  Most rooms have balconies and all rooms are equipped with a 27” flat-screen LCD tv, mini bar, safe, hair dryer, AC/heat, internet (for a fee) and bathrooms (either shower or tubs).  WiFi connection is available in public areas (i.e. lobby).

I stayed in a Twin Superior room and had a fabulous view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus!  The room was very comfortable.  I was a little concerned about noise from the street after reading a few of the reviews on Trip Advisor.  However, my room (which was on busy Syngrou Avenue) was very quiet.  It was spacious (for European standards) and I loved being able to go out on the balcony and look at the ruins.

Athens Gate Rooftop Garden Restaurant

Rooftop Garden Restaurant

The view of central Athens (especially the Acropolis) from this rooftop has to be one of the best in the city!  Imagine eating breakfast while staring at the amazing Parthenon?  What could be better?  Athens Gate offers an American breakfast each morning.  I would drink coffee and eat while gazing at the ruins.  I tried the restaurant for breakfast and dinner.  My recommendation is to definitely do breakfast and 1 night of dinner (if you are in town for more than a couple of days).  Since you are in a great location, there are so many wonderful restaurants nearby and it would be a shame not to check them out.  Most of the restaurants have a great view of the Acropolis at night.  And let me tell you…I never got tired of looking at the Acropolis.  It is just that amazing.  Here is a picture I took from my table during breakfast.

View from breakfast

Amenities

Unfortunately, the hotel does not have a gym.  The “business center” consists of 2 computers and a printer located next to the elevators.  Normally, I prefer to stay in hotels that have a gym but with the great location, you can easily run/walk outside and sightsee while working out.

Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the Athens Gate hotel and would definitely stay there again.  You cannot beat the comfort, location or price.  I recommend pre-booking via their website (I found they offered the best deals directly).  Breakfast is included in the rate.  If you ever visit Athens, I highly recommend this hotel.  What is better than eating breakfast while looking at the Acropolis from their rooftop restaurant?  Want to know more about Athens?  Check out the review of my trip here.

Nikki’s Rating: 4 (Fabulous)

Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)

Travel Tip #2: Champagne Vacations on a Boones Farm Budget

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Have you been dreaming about a destination that seems out of reach financially? Where there is a will, there is a way. With smart research & proper planning, you can save a ton of money on your dream vacation. Here are few things to consider:

1. Plan ahead. Know your destination, approximate dates of travel (even if it’s just a preferred month) and your budget. This will allow you to take advantage of a great deal when the opportunity is presented.

2. Airline tickets — When should you buy airline tickets?
    a. For domestic & off-peak international travel, I recommend booking 3 months to 14 days prior. If you are flying international during peak season, you should be prepared to buy your ticket 4-9 months before your trip. I’ve noticed a trend of discounted airfares offered late summer for fall & winter travel to Europe.

    b. DO’s & DONT’s

        i. DO be flexible. You can save a couple of hundred dollars by being able to move your departure or return date by 1 or 2 days.
       ii. DON’T buy a ticket on the weekends. Ticket prices are highest during this time. 
       iii. DO buy your ticket on a Tuesday around 3pm. Pricing trends have shown that many sales are launched on Monday nights which offer discounts of 15%-25%. Competitors tend to match these offers on Tuesday morning. By 3pm, fares are as cheap as they are going to get for the week. Deals usually expire by Thursday or Friday so snap up a good deal no later than Thursday.
      iv. DON’T fly on a Monday, Friday or Sunday as these are the most expensive tickets.
       v. DO fly on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday to get the cheapest flight.

    c. Get the social media edge by “liking” (on Facebook) or following (on Twitter) airlines. They have started to tweet & post hour-long airfare sales which can be to your advantage.

    d. Available resources: Check out Bing Travel
        i. This site aggregates information from online travel sites (Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, Hotwire and BookingBuddy).
       ii. It also has Price Predictor — a tool that is based on historical pricing trends. Has a green, yellow, red stoplight theme which will recommend to either buy now or wait.
      iii. It posts last minute deals. You can get a good deal with last minute deals but it’s a huge gamble. This is really for those who decide today they want to go someplace this weekend.

3. Hotel or Vacation Rental? You can generally save a ton of money by renting an apartment, flat, house of villa. Vacation Rentals typically require you book for a minimum number of nights. You can purchase food & make your own breakfast & lunch (which will save you a ton). Most usually have washers & dryers so you can do a load of laundry which will keep your luggage lighter (and guarantees no over-the-limit baggage fees). I’ve booked a flat in London for 5 people for New Years Eve and we are paying only $250 per person for 5 nights. I will cover the ins and outs of vacation rentals in Tip #5.

4. Buy train tickets in advance. You can take advantage of great deals which can save you up to 50%.

5. Dining. Eat at local Mom & Pop restaurants in non-touristy parts of the city. The food is phenomenal and 1/3 of the price you will pay for average fare next to a famous monument.

6. Tours. Check out last-minute tours on Viator. This site is great and they usually have tours that are 20% off the day before or of.

7. Consider a cruise. It’s an all-inclusive which makes it cheaper than doing a land-only vacation. Plus, it allows you to hit several locations in a short amount of time.

Bottom line…organization & planning will save you a good amount of money. Money that you can spend on your next vacation!