Trip Report: Athens and a Mediterranean Cruise
Lounge Reviews: The Club CLT and Centurion Lounge Charlotte Airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A340-600 Charlotte-Munich
Lodging Review: Academias Hotel, Autograph Collection, Athens
Our Time in Athens, Part I (Acropolis and Museum)
Our Time in Athens, Part II (Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Ancient Agora)
Our Time in Athens, Part III (Kerameikos, Temple of Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium)
Our Time in Athens, Part IV (Restaurants and Observations)
Ship Review: Viking Neptune
Our Time in Ancient Olympia (Katakalon, Greece)
Our Time in Corfu, Greece
Our Time in Kotor, Montenegro
Our Time in Dubrovnik, Croatia
Our Time in Zadar, Croatia
Our Time in Venice, Italy
Flight Review: Iberia A330-300 Madrid-Chicago
For our three-night stay in Athens we chose the Academias Athens, Marriott Autograph Collection due to its location and the fact that we could get a twin room using points. While I didn’t check to see the going rate in cash at the time we booked, I believe it to be around 364 EUR per night before taxes. Instead we opted to pay 45,000 Bonvoy points per night. Using a valuation of 0.7 cents per point (based on the figures provided by One Mile At A Time) that means we spent about $315 in points per night, which was a better deal than paying cash. We booked a 2 Twin/Single Beds, Deluxe Guest room as that was the only type of room with two beds that was available on points. The view didn’t matter a whole lot to us as we planned to be out and about most of the day.
Getting to the hotel
We took the Metro from the airport to Syntagma Square for 9 EUR. If you have heavy luggage, even if it’s on rollers, be aware that you can take an elevator and avoid one set of steps up from the train level to the square but there is another giant set of steps required to get up to Vasilissis Sofias Avenue unless you take the long way around. It is then about a 650 meter walk to the hotel. Under normal conditions Google Maps thinks that’s about a 9-minute walk but let me tell you that when you’re lugging a 45-pound suitcase and a backpack and the temperature is over 70 degrees with humidity, it sure feels a lot longer. Were I doing this trip again, I’d take the Metro from the airport to Syntagma station but then change from the blue line to the red line and go on to the Panepistimio station, which is only 270 meters away, or a 4-minute walk without luggage. There is an elevator in Korai Square which is across the street from the main Panepistimio station entrances that will take you down to the train level. While I would certainly be fine with taking the Metro from the airport again, if I was returning to the airport I would only take the Metro if the temperature was cooler. We worked up quite the sweat hauling our large luggage around in the Athens heat, even in mid-to-late October and I would not want to be that sticky and then have to get on a plane.
Hotel Exterior
The hotel is at the corner of Akadimias and Omirou Streets. As we wheeled our luggage up, the bellman, who was standing outside, jumped to attention and took our large bags while holding the door open for us.
Academias Hotel, Autograph Collection, Athens
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