HotelChandris Metropolitan Athens

[cam3lot, 22.10.2006] The reason of being there: on 26 September me and my husband we made 2 years since we are together, not so long time, but for us it was a big day, and we wanted to celebrate as we felt it will the best. So we took a trip on the internet hotels offers, we analyzed, and we got to a conclusion, because we love each other so much, we should treat us with what is the best in our anniversary day.

Ok, all this was happening at the beginning of September, because again, we wouldnt have free time to be there on the 26th. Each period, from what I understood, has a different charge, but this depends on how booked is the hotel. Mainly being a business clientele that will check in, is always busy, but not full booked al the time. We can consider ourselves very lucky to find a corner suite, because these kinds of rooms are the most wanted, you really have to book one with 15 days before to be sure youll find one free.

You can ask for a car to come to pick you up from the airport. We didnt do this; we took a taxi from the airport. We made something between 40 and 50 minutes, I cant tell exactly, because I was not paying attention to the time, I was amassed about the surroundings, by the buildings, streets, shops, about how mush traffic can be and how many people they are allover. Ok maybe like this are all the capitals, but frankly Nicosia, where I live, is not like this, we dont have sidewalks, in Athens they are.

The Metropolitan Hotel

Driving towards to main entrance to the hotel, is difficult to understand the real size of the Metropolitan, as you get near of it, from a side street, not Syngrou Avenue. But if you walk on Syngrou Avenue and you look up, youll face the hall and actual size of Metropolitan which has a beautiful stainless steel appearance in a model minimalist design.
When we arrived to the hotel, a butler came out and took our luggage and we went to the reception to check in. Now I have to say that it was the nicest reception I ever seen, besides another one, pretty much the same, but now we are speaking about Metropolitans one. If Ill start to make now a description, maybe Ill not cover all the beauties I saw and this reception has, but how can you imagine a 5 stars hotel one to be? Frankly from the moment I got in, I was already asking my self how it will be the room. Yes, now youll say that I saw photos first, well photos are photos, they dont speak as much as the reality does. Ok, we got the keys, and we went to the elevator, the room was exactly on the top floor, can you imagine our luck? Lets say a disadvantage it was that when we got out of the elevator, the corridor was like taking a walk on the avenue, ok it is a joke, but our room was the last one, at the end of the corridor.

The Room

Our room was on the 7th floor, with a very beautifully panorama overview. On the right hand side we could see the Syngrou Avenue, leading into Athens, which is one of the principal arteries from Piraeus into the city. The best time to watch Syngrou Avenue is at night when it comes alive with all the bright lights on either side from restaurants, night clubs, discos, cafeterias, hotels and night spots. Although is one of the busiest roads in and out of Athens, because of the excellent sound proofing of the hotel, you can hardly hear anything. Now if you decide to take a walk on Syngrou Avenue at night it will be a great experience as youll meet all sorts of people from the rich coming out from them expensive cars going into fancy restaurants and night clubs, to simple people going into cafeterias or even street walkers trying to find a costumer. On the left hand side you can see the Olympic Stadium of basketball and indoor activities, the Piraeus Port and a bit further is visible the Flisvos Boat Marina. You can also see the remains of the old Athens Hippodrome. Looking over the horizon, there is Attika Mountain range, witch surrounds Athens.

The room was fantastic, beside the fact that it was a corner room and you could see many things from up there, inside was so nice that if it was after me, I would live there for ever, as this thing can not happen, Ill tell you now about the interior. As you get in the room, a big couch is saying hello to you, inviting you to sit on it; near the couch a small bar full with fruits, coffee, tea and many other delicious products. The small fridge has all you want and you dont want, from water to whiskey, and chocolate.

The bed, better say the king extra size bed, is something you dont sleep in every night, so huge, soft, nice smelling, so many pillows, nice color bed sheets it is promising you, a very nice comfy sleep. The bed is facing the window, at night if you still cant sleep (but is hard to believe you wouldnt in that kind of bed), you can see and count the stars.
The room has a separate dressing room, witch I consider a very good idea, maybe you like to make surprises, and you dont want to been seen, or to reveal the surprise, for me this was a great advantage. All the furniture is made from rustic color wood, giving you the slide impression of being in castle guest room.

The bathroom, my favorite, is amassing, has hi-fi system, you can listen music during your bath, has towels all kind of sizes, two bath robes, slippers and all the products you need to use as long as you are a guest in the hotel. The bubble bath, aroma therapy kind, make you relax in the bath tub, taking you with your thoughts on places that makes your mind get relaxed and makes you enjoy each moment that you are going to stay in the bath tub. But if you are in a hurry to get down to dinner or to go out to discover all the beauties around, you are free to take a shower, which I have to warn you has a very powerful jet.

The Trocadero Restaurant

Breakfast is being served at the Trocadero Restaurant, which offers a self service or a waiter service facility and has an excellent selection of Greek and Continental breakfast, for both: cold and warm dishes. Even in the choice of self-service, waiter service is on hand for hot and cold beverages. The waiter service is of the highest standards as you may find at all times staff available to cater for your needs. The decoration of Trocadero its kept to simple and practical basis and for those who dont smoke there is a non-smoking reception. The Trocadero restaurant is situated on the ground level of the hotel and on the one side you may look out on the Syngrou Avenue, and the other side looks into part of the lobby and part of The La Veranda Restaurants, which are all separated by windows.

La Veranda Restaurant

La Veranda is an out door restaurant, situated on the top of the hotel, from where you can see a big part of Athens. In the night, as I said at the beginning, the view is astonishing. The rich menu youll find in this restaurant, if you are not a gourmand youll become one, has all the categories food you can imagine. Us when we went to eat we ordered piper steak, both rare, the dish decoration, makes you to look at the food, to saturate it with the eyes first and after to taste. Its a very nice place to sit and look at the city in the late summer nights, lets say very romantic, because is more appropriate the word.

Room Service

If you are not in the mood to go at the restaurant to eat, you can order room service. You can choose from the menu that is in the room, call to order and youll have it as quick as possible. As long we staid there (not so long) we ordered a quick snack that came in 10 minutes. The personnel is very pleasant and polite.

Hotel Facilities

Maybe you are not such an active person, but the high quality of the fitness centre is somehow asking you to get in, now youll really say that Im taking advantages, maybe so, but the dream anniversary I lived made me be like this. The fitness center has everything for everybody, from bicycles to roads, and a very well trained staff that will assist you and supervise your exercises. From fitness you can get out to the swimming pool that looks very exotic and very fancy, lets say a metropolitan look. But us because we wanted to see so many more other places and things, we didnt had the time to stay by the pool, but Im not sorry because I saw it, and maybe next year Ill try it.

You have so many other options if you dont want the swimming pool or to go to fitness; you can go to play tennis, or to sail, or even to horse ridings, what can I tell they have the hall menu, you just have to say your wish and the fairy will make it to come true.

The hotel has many other services for the costumers, especially for the business people, they have meeting rooms, business meeting equipment, ball room, and gala dinner room. This one I could just see, as much as I wanted for somebody to give me a tour of the hotel (and I think Im not the only one who wants this, and Im sure they have the appropriate staff for this) my husband is not such a patient guy, so we had to take a morning walk just before getting to check out. Not that this was making me happy, but as every nice dream, has to end at one point and you have to walk up. The good thing though is that you can feel the sweet taste that this dream let it you.

This time it was a car from the hotel that took us to the airport, the driver, was a very polite one and he was smiling all the time, even when I stepped on his foot, he was acting as nothing did happen, even if I apologized. Once I got into the airplane I knew that was a fantastic 2 days holiday and Ill always remember it. Thanks to those from Metropolitan who made my dream nicer than I ever imagined.

Do I recommend it?

For sure yes! This hotel is fantastic, has everything you need and you dont need. If is only for one night or for a holiday, for sure the time spend it as a guest in this hotel it will be more than pleasant. I know I did have a very good time, pity that it had to end so soon, but always is next year, or lets hope it will be.
Metropolitan hotel staff is so friendly that makes your holiday more enjoyable, makes you feel like you were born for this kind of treatment (if not for a lifetime at least for a few days).
So, if you are a business man/woman, just married and you want a place to spend your honeymoon, in love and you want to make a surprise for your partner, or pure and simple you want to escape for a few days, here to Metropolitan Hotel you will find everything you need for a good time.