At the beginning of December, we decided to fly from Istanbul to Athens for a long weekend—both to celebrate my wife’s birthday and to get a firsthand feel for how Athens looks just before the new season begins.

As you may know, there are plenty of daily flights between the two cities. Since we live on the Asian side of Istanbul, we opted for an early morning departure from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, flying with Pegasus Airlines at 08:05 a.m. Thanks to the time difference, we landed in Athens at 08:30 local time. After months of long-haul flights to China, Sri Lanka, Cuba, and Africa, often lasting 10 to 12 hours, this short 1.5-hour journey felt like a snack rather than a flight. In fact, I barely had time to fasten my seatbelt and lean back before waking up to the pilot’s landing announcement.

With the season winding down and the excellent support of our local partner, AfterYou Tours, we enjoyed a truly wonderful weekend in Athens. I’ll be sharing more detailed blog posts about the city and our experiences very soon, but this time I wanted to focus specifically on our stay at the Amalia Hotel.

In general, I genuinely like many hotels in Athens. When you combine service quality, professional staff, and excellent locations, they meet—and often exceed—my expectations as a travel professional. And of course, I always enjoy sharing these experiences with my guests. This time, we stayed at one of the Amalia Hotels Group’s 4-star properties in Athens, and it did not disappoint.

 

The location is simply outstanding. Almost everything is within walking distance, and the famous changing of the guards can be reached in just two or three minutes. With a tram stop right in front of the hotel, getting around the city is effortless. Breakfast is rich and generous, offering an impressive variety, and the staff are invaluable and genuinely friendly.

The hotel also features a rooftop restaurant called “Whispers.” Like many restaurants in Athens, it boasts a spectacular view of the Acropolis. Having a good sense of the city’s food scene and price-quality balance, I would say the dining experience here doesn’t fully match the price level, but it’s still worth trying at least once for the atmosphere and the view.

The rooms at the Amalia Hotel are spacious and very comfortable, making them especially suitable for families traveling with children. The front-facing rooms with balconies are charming. I was also impressed by the décor on the hotel floors—something that really caught my eye. In fact, I must say I absolutely love the design style of the same hotel group’s property in Delphi.

If I had to mention one drawback, it would be the hotel’s popularity. During busy periods, finding availability for FIT reservations can be a bit challenging. Other than that, we truly loved the Amalia Hotel as a family, and it’s a property I would confidently recommend.