Moxy Athens City is my choice of hotel in Athens. I will be staying here during my visit to Athens for a total of 3 nights. The Moxy Athens City is a rather new addition to the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio in the city and just open this year. I felt that the hotel market in Athens is rather underwhelming. They are either too fancy or too out of the way. The remainings are rather dated. The Moxy Athens city just open this year and they have quite an amazing location in the heart of the city. They are just next to the Omonia station which is a good transportation hub. They have direct lines to the port and you can also reach the airport easily. The hotel is also within walking distance to most places in the city centre and just a short hop away from Monastiraki and Syntagma Square. I decided to just book something no-frills given how short the trip is and I will be mostly out checking out the city.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I book a special long-stay rate directly from Marriott for this stay, which weirdly only requires a min of 3 nights. It is also fully flexible which fits my needs given that I was flying on an error fare. This will be my first stay at a Moxy property. My rate is around 118 Euros including taxes a night for the Backstage room. Without saying, the rates shot up as it got nearer to the date of my stay. In winter, I can see rates going for only around 80 Euros which is very good. The Moxy Athens City is rather no frills, they feature 201 rooms spread across 4 categories. The rooms here do not come with a bathtub and they are on the smaller side.
| Rooms | Bathtub |
|---|---|
| Backstage | No |
| Centre Stage | No |
| Moxified Triple | No |
| Moxyfied Suite | No |
Checking In
I took the metro and arrive at the hotel at around 11am. It is super easy via the metro although do cater some additional time as the trains do not run frequently. They only run every 30 mins or so. The location of the hotel is great and it looks very new given that they only open 6 months back. There is a metro entrance just next to it. I was warmly welcomed in by the staff and shown towards the receptions.
This is one huge moot point about the property. While I get the concept and the Moxy idea of things but it is definitely impractical to have bartenders working as the reception as well. The reception is at the same place as the bar and there is a huge wait for both check-in and check-out. Together with all sorts of requests and question by hotel guests, you are in for a wait. Greek being greeks, they ain’t known for being especially efficient as well. I can’t say that this makes for a smooth arrival process. There is always a wait when I need the reception throughout my stay. Check-in was bad and unpolished. It was a huge mess. The staff basically had no knowledge and perhaps just a bartender. Despite it being only 11am, there is a huge crowd at the area, which isn’t spacious to begin with. There was no thank or anything. My room wasn’t ready at this time as well and she just gave the official 3pm check in timing. No upgrade was available due to the hotel being full. It is not efficient at all even when we came by in the late afternoon to get the keys.
I did love the seating and lazing area that they have on the other side of the ground floor which is meant to be like a little lounge for guests. This place was cute and spacious. It just makes me wonder, won’t this place be better for checking in?
Backstage Room
I was assigned a room on the fifth floor, room 521. It is a short walk away from the elevators. The backstage room is the lowest category room. The rooms here are small, they measure just 22 Sqm. This is tight, especially if you got one of those huge check-in baggage. It might just be fine if you are out of the room most of the time. Upon entering, You can find a bathroom to the left alongside the entryway before you enter the main space of the room itself which is in a rectangular configuration. The room had a minimalist setup, you can’t even find a proper wardrobe. Perhaps they wanted to make it more spacious by having an open concept. Instead, you can find some hanging racks between the entranceway and the room.
The bathroom is on the smaller side of things but comes with all that you might need for a stay. I did feel that it is well-designed. It comes with a toilet on the side, a single sink and a standing shower on the other side behind a glass door. You won’t get much space to twist and turn. Water pressure and temperature control are amazing and I had a good shower here. This is very much needed given Athens summer. You can also find a hairdryer under the sink. Toiletries are from Muk Haircare and located in large-size pump bottles. No other amenities such as dental kits are provided given that the Moxy is a lower-end brand. They might be available upon request.
As you enter the main space of the room you can find these sorts of industrial-looking grates mounted on the wall as well as a full-size mirror in the middle. It looks quite chic. It allows you to hang some items on them given the lack of storage space in the room.
A little panel flips out from the wall or hangs from it. Together with the stool, this acts as the working desk in the room.
I got a room with two twin beds and these take up most of the precious space. The mattress is on the firmer side and offers good support, probably since they are so new. On the sides of the bed, you can find nightstands which include power sockets and controls for the lighting. You can also find USB outlets installed which are commendable. Wi-Fi is fast and easy to connect. It is free for everyone and you don’t need a passcode or key in your room number. You have another stool in the middle of the two beds.
On the side nearer to the bathroom, the nightstand is built into the cabinet where below you can find a mini fridge which is left empty for your use. I felt like the fridge wasn’t cold. It took a long time to chill my drinks. The room simply faces the wall adjacent to it. I kept the curtains drawn most of the time. Here you can find a small coffee table. Left on the table were two bottles of water as well as two bottles of peach juice which I assume to be the welcome amenity for a Gold member. The water are not replenished daily.
The TV is the most impressive part of the room. It is mounted on the wall. The high-definition large Smart TV was huge for the room and in fact bigger than some TV in the suites that I stayed in. It was of high quality. It comes with a huge number of cable TV channels and you can also cast content from your device.
The TV and the standing shower is my favourite part of the room. I did wish that the room was a little brighter. It felt a little dark with just the lights in the room. This is not an issue during the day with the tons of sunlight shining in but a little depressing in the evening.
Fitness Centre
In the basement, you can find a fully equipped gym. It is open 24 hours and great for getting a workout done if you need to do so. I didn’t use it since the steps in Athens were already killing my legs. You can find all sorts of pieces of equipment from treadmills, bikes, weights to exercise balls and all.
Conclusion
The Moxy is simple. The main draw of this property will be its location. It will also be great for MB members who don’t wish to splurge out for the other 2 much more pricey options in town. The Marriott location takes it out of the equation. The tight quarters meant that this might not be the place for all travellers. I definitely did appreciate how new the place is. The bedding was good and the TV set-up was great too. I also appreciate the shower and hairdryer. It is what I expect from a Moxy. However, I do wish that they do something about the reception, that simply won’t work, especially during the peak summer months.
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