Greece was the last stop on our European adventure. We went for a couple of nights for a wedding. Trying to review a hotel when there is a wedding block is awkward and probably unfair.
We spent our last night in Greece at the Grand Hyatt Athens. I wanted to check out the hotel myself. You would think that the hotel is a bit less luxurious than the one at Gitmo Bay.
I had a different take on my stay. People say things about the hotel. Yes, mostly. The hotel is reasonably priced, and I think it offers good value for money.
Booking the Grand Hyatt Athens.
We paid cash for our stay at the Grand Hyatt Athens. The hotel we were staying in cost 125 euro, including taxes and fees. This hotel throws in a lot of stuff for World of Hyatt Globalist members, and it is cheap. The Marriott Luxury Collection properties in the city were retailing for over 600EUR per night, which is actually luxurious and well regarded.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is a Category 3 World of Hyatt property, meaning a free night redemption costs 12,000 World of Hyatt points. I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, so paying cash was the better value.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is located in Athens.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is located on a major road in Athens. This street is home to hotels, offices, and other businesses, but it isn't particularly fun to walk around.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is located in Athens.
The Grand Hyatt is close to most points in the city, and a 30 minute drive to the airport. Don't expect to be able to walk to the parts of the city you want to visit. The nearest subway stop is 1.2 kilometers away.
The exterior of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a lobby.
The hotel was packed when we arrived in the afternoon. The hotel seems to run very high in the summer, especially given the rates here. The lobby at the Grand Hyatts was pretty standard, with high ceilings and lots of seating.
The lobby of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The lobby of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The lobby of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
We only had to wait a few minutes. The employee that checked us in was friendly and showed us the hotel features. This hotel is great for elite recognition and I received a World of Hyatt Globalist status at it.
The junior suite has a terrace.
The hotel has a rooftop restaurant.
The hotel's Grand Club is closed, so a 20 euro per person credit is used to pay for food and drinks.
The hotel doesn't have to offer a replacement when the Grand Club is closed, as breakfast is being offered.
The front desk agents at the Grand Hyatt are very busy. During peak check-in and check-out times, there were two front desk agents who were also answering the phones. They did a great job of maintaining their calm.
We never visited the lobby bar, but I am not sure if it was open. I believe the Grand Club is on the ground floor, but it wasn't open during our stay.
The lobby bar of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The lobby bar of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The lobby bar of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The Hyatt Athens junior suite has a terrace.
We got the keys for room number 856 and headed up to the top floor.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has elevators.
The layout here is not very nice. You almost think you are in the wrong place when you exit the elevator and see the pool from the rooftop restaurant. We followed the signs to the guest rooms.
The hallway of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
We had a good view of the construction as we walked down the hall. I am not sure if that is part of a hotel expansion or a separate development, but there is a massive project right next to the hotel.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is under construction.
There was a fire exit at the end of the hall that I was confused about. We asked the bartender where the rooms were because we assumed we had gone the wrong way. He told us that the rooms were behind the doors. That is strange.
There are strange doors leading to a room.
Behind those doors was the hallway with guest rooms. The hallway was modern and luxurious.
The hallway of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
We found our room quickly.
The exterior of the Grand Hyatt Athens room.
The guest rooms here are new and modern, but still feel high-end. The junior suite had an entryway with a closet to the left and a bathroom to the right, with the rest of the room straight ahead.
The junior suite entryway of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The king size bed in the room was comfortable, but the pillows were a bit flat for my liking. Doesn't this room look better than you think? Look at the wall treatments.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a king bed.
There was a desk across from the bed.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a junior suite.
The desk was used for the minibar. The hotel charges for espresso capsule, but it is just coffee and tea that is free.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a junior suite.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a junior suite.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a junior suite.
There was a table and a chair in the far corner of the room.
The Grand Hyatt Athens junior suite has a sitting area.
The door to the terrace was near the sitting area. The terrace had a table with two chairs.
The junior suite at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The views of the immediate area were not inspiring, but the views in the distance were.
The Grand Hyatt Athens junior suite has a terrace.
The small bathroom had a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower.
The Grand Hyatt Athens junior suite has a bathroom.
The shower had a handheld shower head.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a junior suite.
The scent of the toiletries was pleasant. I think this is a good toiletry brand for mid-range hotels.
The junior suite at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The room had fast and free wi-fi. The room exceeded my expectations in terms of design. The air conditioning didn't work very well. We brought this to the attention of the hotel. They thought the system would be better. It got better, but still didn't work very well.
I assumed we would have the same issue in another room, so we didn't want to switch rooms. The air conditioning here was not very good in the peak of summer and I am not sure if anything was broken. I am curious if other people have had the same experience.
The Grand Hyatt Athens Grand is open for lunch.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has an all-day dining restaurant. It is on the roof of our room, and it is across from the pool. The main part of the restaurant is cool.
The Grand Hyatt Athens Grand is owned by Interni.
The Grand Hyatt Athens Grand is owned by Interni.
The Grand Hyatt Athens Grand is owned by Interni.
We decided to have lunch there since we had 40 euro credit to spend. The menu and drink list were reasonable.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a lunch menu.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a lunch menu.
The drink list of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The drink list of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
We ordered Greek salads and enjoyed them.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has lunch.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a room service.
We ordered delicious lentil salads late in the evening when we were still hungry, and they were brought to us quickly and on a proper room service cart.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a room service.
Breakfast at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The Grand Hyatt Athens serves breakfast from 7AM to 11AM. There is not enough seating in the main part of the restaurant to accommodate everyone. They have overspill seating. The chairs and tables are what you would expect in a hotel conference room, but the whole setup feels like an afterthought.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a breakfast room.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a breakfast room.
The buffet was decent. It wasn't the best breakfast spread I've had in Greece, but it was still pretty decent, with a selection of pastries, fruit, yogurt, cereals, cold cuts, juice, eggs, sausage, and more.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a breakfast room.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Athens.
When it opened, it was quiet and we could sit in the main part of the restaurant. I can't speak to the idea that it can be a total zoo later in the morning.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has pools.
There are two pools at the Grand Hyatt Athens. There is a rooftop pool with amazing views, including of the Acropolis.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a rooftop pool.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a rooftop pool.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool deck.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool deck.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool deck.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool deck.
The rooftop pool deck of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
There are many a few dozen seats at most, which is a popular feature with guests. I got pictures with the pool empty at sunrise, but it was as crowded as a Spirit Airlines plane the day before Thanksgiving.
The pool on the ground floor was not as busy.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool.
The Grand Hyatt Athens has a pool deck.
The views were not as good as from the rooftop.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is under construction.
The Grand Hyatt Athens is under construction.
The gym of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
There is a gym on the basement level of the Grand Hyatt Athens. The hotel has so many rooms that the gym can get busy.
The gym of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The gym of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The gym of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The gym of the Grand Hyatt Athens.
The Grand Hyatt Athens.
Everyone at the Grand Hyatt Athens was well intentioned, and way too busy. The hotel isn't staffed for the number of guests that stay here, so don't expect to get attentive service at this property
The bottom line.
If you are a Globalist member, you get even more at the Grand Hyatt Athens. The hotel exceeded my expectations based on some of the reviews I had read.
The Grand Hyatt is a modern and reasonably priced hotel with good employees and decent facilities. I would stay here again if I traveled through Athens and wanted to see the sights.
I wouldn't stay here if I wanted to relax by the pool or if I wanted a hotel that was close to the beach. The noise from the construction project next to the hotel wasn't an issue for me.
I think the hotel is a good value at the peak of summer. The hotel would be more expensive if it didn't have these issues.
What did you think about your stay at the Grand Hyatt Athens? Would you consider the property if you hadn't stayed there?
