Brazil Hotel — Hotel in Athens

We arrived at the hotel late in the evening and were given the key to our room. We took the lift (very small) up to the room (102) and opened the door. We had booked a room for 2 people (assuming a twin) and were a little worried to see that the room contained little more than a double bed and a wardrobe. ||||We went back to reception and asked if it would be possible to move to a triple room. They said they were very busy and hd no free rooms to move us into, so could we just put up with it for the night and they would see what they could do in the morning. As two male friends (who are not in a relationship), we were a little dubious about this, but were willing to put up with it for one night.||||When we finally went into the room, we realised that the toilet seat was broken as was the hook to hang your towels on. Also, the metal shutters covering the window did not work properly. We decided at this point to see if we could find another hotel nearby, despite it being quite late on a Sunday evening. We walked along the street to the Brazil Hotel and enquired about rooms there. It turned out that the properties were owned by the same people and, after a little negotiating, the lady owner called the Hotel Brazil Inn and got the lady on reception to move us to a triple room (that was somehow miraculously available!), with a view to moving us to a twin when one became available. This was fine by us, so we moved room (to 104 this time) and were quite happy.||||The room was fairly large with three single beds (two next to each other and one around separate around a little private corner in the room. Apart from the beds, there was a wardrobe, a desk, three bedside tables, a pastel peach TV set and the bathroom. The beds were reasonably comfortable and the room was adequately warm / ventilated. In our whole 9 day stay, the bedding was only changed once and this was only when we stripped the beds to give them a hint! On the first few days, the maid left us 3 towels (even though there were only two of us); by the 4th day, this had reduced to 2 towels; by the 6th day, she was only leaving us one towel between us. We have a pretty close friendshi, but expecting us to share a towel was going a little far, I feel! Thankfully, we had our own towels as back-ups. I know we could probably have gotten extra ones from reception, but really you shouldn't have to ask.||||Apart from the bedding, the rooms were kept reasonably clean. The beds were made daily and the bins were emptied. The shower room was mopped out. I'm not sure how often the room itself was swept, but it was definitely less often. The pressure in the shower was not too good, but it was enough to have a decent shower if you had enough time. The only problem was that there was no shower curtain (as seems to be quite the norm in Greece) and so everything in the bathroom (including the toilet and toilet paper) got drenched whenever someone had a shower. Also, the drainage seemed to be a little sluggish. When the water was draining out of the shower tray, lots of it was coming back up the drain in the bathroom floor just next to it. So, not only was the florr often totally soaked, but it was also covered in the foam from the shower gel, shamppo, etc. that had been used. This wouldn't even have been too much of a problem if we had a supply of towels to mop up the excess with, but struggling with one solitary communal towel, we had no chance!!!!||||The drainage in the hotel is probably not an isolated thing, as it is common in Greece and her neigbouring mediterranean countries that the plumbing is so narrow that it struggled to cope (similarly you can't flush toilet paper down toilets anywhere, having instead to place it in a bin next to the bowl!)||||A couple of days from the end of our stay, building work started either in the building or next door (we were never able to ascertain exactly where it was going on). The noise wasn't usually too much of a problem as they usually started working after we had left and had finished by the time we returned. On our last day, however, the noise was really bad with drilling and hammering and banging virtually all night. Added to this, a load of red dust came through the bathroom "window" and covered everything in a layer of grime. Our towels and toiletries were covered, the shower itself was blanketed in the stuff and even in the separate room, everything was really dirty to such an extent that were able to write in the dust on the bedside tables....||||The hotel was convenient for Victoria Square, only one stop on metro line 1 from Omonia and 3 from Thissia. It takes roughly 5 minutes to walk to the metro from the hotel. On the way, there are plenty of little shops where you can buy drinks, snacks, etc., internet / call centres (where you can get 1 hour web access for €1!!!). There is even a (Euro)Spar directly opposite the hotel, which is handy for picking up bottles of pop and water for when you're off out sightseeing, thus avoiding the rip-off prices at the sights. The metro was cheap and really efficient (we paid €10 each for a weekly pass, supplementing this with daily €3 passes for our last couple of days). The journey is doable from the airport by metro and this costs €6 each one way, or €10 for two people one way (or €10 for one person return). We didn't however take this option as we were arriving quite late on an evening and took a taxi. The taxi cost €35 and took around 30-35 minutes to get to the hotel. We paid the same on our return journey, even though this was at "rate 2" being between midnight and 6a.m. Make sure that the driver switched his meter on. It should show rate 1 during the day and rate 2 between midnight and 6 a.m. If they say the meter doesn't work, get out and find another. There are always plenty about! ||||The area itself is a little rough around the edges, but we are quite used to roughing it a little bit, so weren't all that bothered by it. Opposite the hotel is a DVD / sex shop, which did not cause any problem. In fact, many people might find it incredibly handy!!!! Apparenty, up until the pre-Olympic clean-up, the street (Phyllis / Filis) ther hotel is on used to be notorious for its prostitues and brothels. I am sure there is still some of this about to this day, but we never really saw any evidence of it, apart from seeing three drag prostitutes working the street after we'd got in one evening. The roads around this area are pretty uneven and in general disrepair, so be careful if you're in heels or are not too stable on your feet!||||The nearest metro, as I've said, is Victoria (Viktorias) just around the corner. The square is lined with little cafés and restaurants where you can each pretty cheaply and pleasantly. Some people might be a little freaked out by the number of rough sorts that frequent the square, but to be honest, we had not one single ounze of trouble the whole time we were there. ||||With the room, breakfast was included, although we never took them up on this. The main reason being that it consisted of coffee and two slices of sad looking cake (of the rice cake, madeira cake-type). Instead, on our way out sightseeing for the day, we called at a little coffee shop just up from Victoria square where we got coffees / frappés for €1.50, which by the Athens of today's prices is pretty cheap. We then called at the Everest on the corner for a tasty bakery item for breakfast. I can heartily recommend the cheese pie, the cheese and ham pie, the "peinirli special" and the ham and parmesan thingy!!! ||||All in all, our stay was pretty enjoyable, despite a few teething troubles at the start and end of our stay. The youngish lady who works on reception was to be quite honest neither "use nor ornament" and my nana would have said. The young gentleman, however, who was often on of an evening couldn;t have been more freindly or helpful. He organised it that we didn't have to change rooms after all, and was always cheerful and willing to give info about places in Athens or 'phone...

We arrived at the hotel late in the evening and were given the key to our room. We took the lift (very small) up to the room (102) and opened the door. We had booked a room for 2 people (assuming a twin) and were a little worried to see that the room contained little more than a double bed and a wardrobe. ||||We went back to reception and asked if it would be possible to move to a triple room. They said they were very busy and hd no free rooms to move us into, so could we just put up with it for the night and they would see what they could do in the morning. As two male friends (who are not in a relationship), we were a little dubious about this, but were willing to put up with it for one night.||||When we finally went into the room, we realised that the toilet seat was broken as was the hook to hang your towels on. Also, the metal shutters covering the window did not work properly. We decided at this point to see if we could find another hotel nearby, despite it being quite late on a Sunday evening. We walked along the street to the Brazil Hotel and enquired about rooms there. It turned out that the properties were owned by the same people and, after a little negotiating, the lady owner called the Hotel Brazil Inn and got the lady on reception to move us to a triple room (that was somehow miraculously available!), with a view to moving us to a twin when one became available. This was fine by us, so we moved room (to 104 this time) and were quite happy.||||The room was fairly large with three single beds (two next to each other and one around separate around a little private corner in the room. Apart from the beds, there was a wardrobe, a desk, three bedside tables, a pastel peach TV set and the bathroom. The beds were reasonably comfortable and the room was adequately warm / ventilated. In our whole 9 day stay, the bedding was only changed once and this was only when we stripped the beds to give them a hint! On the first few days, the maid left us 3 towels (even though there were only two of us); by the 4th day, this had reduced to 2 towels; by the 6th day, she was only leaving us one towel between us. We have a pretty close friendshi, but expecting us to share a towel was going a little far, I feel! Thankfully, we had our own towels as back-ups. I know we could probably have gotten extra ones from reception, but really you shouldn't have to ask.||||Apart from the bedding, the rooms were kept reasonably clean. The beds were made daily and the bins were emptied. The shower room was mopped out. I'm not sure how often the room itself was swept, but it was definitely less often. The pressure in the shower was not too good, but it was enough to have a decent shower if you had enough time. The only problem was that there was no shower curtain (as seems to be quite the norm in Greece) and so everything in the bathroom (including the toilet and toilet paper) got drenched whenever someone had a shower. Also, the drainage seemed to be a little sluggish. When the water was draining out of the shower tray, lots of it was coming back up the drain in the bathroom floor just next to it. So, not only was the florr often totally soaked, but it was also covered in the foam from the shower gel, shamppo, etc. that had been used. This wouldn't even have been too much of a problem if we had a supply of towels to mop up the excess with, but struggling with one solitary communal towel, we had no chance!!!!||||The drainage in the hotel is probably not an isolated thing, as it is common in Greece and her neigbouring mediterranean countries that the plumbing is so narrow that it struggled to cope (similarly you can't flush toilet paper down toilets anywhere, having instead to place it in a bin next to the bowl!)||||A couple of days from the end of our stay, building work started either in the building or next door (we were never able to ascertain exactly where it was going on). The noise wasn't usually too much of a problem as they usually started working after we had left and had finished by the time we returned. On our last day, however, the noise was really bad with drilling and hammering and banging virtually all night. Added to this, a load of red dust came through the bathroom "window" and covered everything in a layer of grime. Our towels and toiletries were covered, the shower itself was blanketed in the stuff and even in the separate room, everything was really dirty to such an extent that were able to write in the dust on the bedside tables....||||The hotel was convenient for Victoria Square, only one stop on metro line 1 from Omonia and 3 from Thissia. It takes roughly 5 minutes to walk to the metro from the hotel. On the way, there are plenty of little shops where you can buy drinks, snacks, etc., internet / call centres (where you can get 1 hour web access for €1!!!). There is even a (Euro)Spar directly opposite the hotel, which is handy for picking up bottles of pop and water for when you're off out sightseeing, thus avoiding the rip-off prices at the sights. The metro was cheap and really efficient (we paid €10 each for a weekly pass, supplementing this with daily €3 passes for our last couple of days). The journey is doable from the airport by metro and this costs €6 each one way, or €10 for two people one way (or €10 for one person return). We didn't however take this option as we were arriving quite late on an evening and took a taxi. The taxi cost €35 and took around 30-35 minutes to get to the hotel. We paid the same on our return journey, even though this was at "rate 2" being between midnight and 6a.m. Make sure that the driver switched his meter on. It should show rate 1 during the day and rate 2 between midnight and 6 a.m. If they say the meter doesn't work, get out and find another. There are always plenty about! ||||The area itself is a little rough around the edges, but we are quite used to roughing it a little bit, so weren't all that bothered by it. Opposite the hotel is a DVD / sex shop, which did not cause any problem. In fact, many people might find it incredibly handy!!!! Apparenty, up until the pre-Olympic clean-up, the street (Phyllis / Filis) ther hotel is on used to be notorious for its prostitues and brothels. I am sure there is still some of this about to this day, but we never really saw any evidence of it, apart from seeing three drag prostitutes working the street after we'd got in one evening. The roads around this area are pretty uneven and in general disrepair, so be careful if you're in heels or are not too stable on your feet!||||The nearest metro, as I've said, is Victoria (Viktorias) just around the corner. The square is lined with little cafés and restaurants where you can each pretty cheaply and pleasantly. Some people might be a little freaked out by the number of rough sorts that frequent the square, but to be honest, we had not one single ounze of trouble the whole time we were there. ||||With the room, breakfast was included, although we never took them up on this. The main reason being that it consisted of coffee and two slices of sad looking cake (of the rice cake, madeira cake-type). Instead, on our way out sightseeing for the day, we called at a little coffee shop just up from Victoria square where we got coffees / frappés for €1.50, which by the Athens of today's prices is pretty cheap. We then called at the Everest on the corner for a tasty bakery item for breakfast. I can heartily recommend the cheese pie, the cheese and ham pie, the "peinirli special" and the ham and parmesan thingy!!! ||||All in all, our stay was pretty enjoyable, despite a few teething troubles at the start and end of our stay. The youngish lady who works on reception was to be quite honest neither "use nor ornament" and my nana would have said. The young gentleman, however, who was often on of an evening couldn;t have been more freindly or helpful. He organised it that we didn't have to change rooms after all, and was always cheerful and willing to give info about places in Athens or 'phone...

As other reviews have noted, this is very much a no-frills budget hotel (it does not pretend to be otherwise). There are no lifts, which might be a problem for those with mobility issues - I don't know how many floors there are as we were on the first floor. The rooms are pretty Spartan (sorry...), but don't let that put you off as there are a huge number of pluses to this hotel. The staff are really friendly and helpful, with excellent English. The air conditioning works really well and, as it was 35 degrees, this was most welcome! I had read reviews of other hotels more centrally-located saying that noise was a big problem. In contrast, Brazil Hotel was almost silent, which was a huge positive for me as a lighter sleeper (the beds are on the firmer side, which is how I prefer them - I found them very comfy). Our room was spotlessly clean and it looked just like the photos on the website we booked through. The shower has very good water pressure and easily adjustable temperature that you can set to your liking. There are some complimentary toiletries and an older-looking hairdryer. The TV was simple to use, with a decent number of English-speaking/subtitled channels, which I appreciated as someone who does not speak Greek. ||||To address some of the comments about the neighbourhood, my (male) partner and I found it to be fine, even in the evening, with a fair number of women and children out in addition to the men milling around the square. Pickpocketing is, unfortunately, a problem in Athens as a whole; simply exercise the same caution near the hotel as you would elsewhere and you will be fine. There are some decent restaurants nearby and these are much cheaper than the ones located in central Athens, though there is less choice. Opposite the hotel there is a handy shop called Jony's Minimart that sells drinks and snacks. I don't know if we were served by Jony himself, but we went in pretty much every evening and the man behind the counter was absolutely lovely - he waved to us each time we left the hotel! Do consider giving your custom to this shop if you stay at Brazil. The outstanding National Archaeological Museum, which houses the golden mask of Agamemnon and the Antikythera Mechanism, is a ten minute walk from the hotel. It is about five minutes walk to the nearest metro station (Victoria) and from there maybe about 20-30 minutes into central Athens, so it is very easy to get to the main attractions.||||In addition to the fact that the hotel looked clean and close to good transport links, the final factor that led us to choose Brazil was the price. We paid about £35 per night, which is obscenely cheap for a capital city. Overall, this hotel probably has the best quality to price ratio of anywhere I have ever stayed. ||||So, then, the big question: would I stay here again? Absolutely,...