Thursday 18 September 2008

Piraeus Dream Hotel

After a bit or searching about the internet we picked the Piraeus Dream Hotel (web:http://www.piraeusdream.gr/ email:info@piraeusdream.gr) for our one night in Piraeus, and immediately afterwards having mentioned this to a friend of mine who lives out in Athens that I was hoping to meet up with, was told that he always thought that it was one of those hotels that businessmen take their mistresses to in the afternoon and were we paying by the hour? However, apart from what my wife considered to be kinky lighting in reception ( I could quite see why myself) and a possibly described as romantic pinky-crimson wall colouring in the corridor with the condom/toothbrush vending machine on the wall, I couldn't find any other evidence to support this.
The lady in reception was very helpful, and sorted us out with a room change when we (rather un-romantically) didn't want the double we were first given and opted for a twin instead. Not that there was anything wrong with the double, other than we turn into Sybil and Basil Fawlty when on holiday and like our own space for sleeping.Anyway the room was clean enough and the air-con efficient enough to leave me with absolutely no complaints about the place. It's a little small if you were for some obscure reason planning to spend a full holiday in Piraeus, but as an overnight on your way somewhere, it was absolutely fine. There was tea/coffee in the room and for those that like to know such things six hangers in the wardrobe. The beds were comfy enough and you got a couple of pillows each already in the room (the seconds being in the wardrobe initially). There was also a bit of a minibar in the room from which we had a couple of (330ml) cans of beer at 2.5 euros each.
The lifts are those you need to pull the door open when it arrives - I tell you this only having watched someone else stand for a while waiting for it to slide open for a while after it had arrived. And they are fairly cosy. Two of you can get in with luggage but you need to push right in as the inner doors "fold" closed so need a little extra room in front of you once you're in.
Breakfast was up on the 4th floor in a nice light airy room, and was again fine for a short stay. The full-English was in reality scrambled eggs (done very nicely I must say), bacon and little mini frankfurter style sausages. Please don't expect mushrooms, grilled tomatoes etc. There was also some cheese and meats, bread, cereal (fake corn flakes or coco-pops) and coffee and orange juice. There was also I think some croissants and some flaky pastries items which I didn't go for so can't attest to.
There's a little seating area in reception with about six or so little 2 seat sofa with brown throws over them. Not inspiring to look at but were comfy enough while we were waiting for our room change or when I quit the room to go and have a ciggie. From eavesdropping on other patrons, reception staff seemed fairly helpful about sorting you out with wherever you were off to in the morning, given out info on ferries and gate numbers and cruising times to the islands ("You want to go to Santorini? Well there's a slow boat and a fast one. The slow boat will take 5 or 6.....years") and I even heard that if you were off early you could arrange a take away breakfast with then if you were going to miss breakfast at the hotel.
All in all, for 60 euros for two including breakfast, I'd be happy recommending this place and would certainly use it again. Sadly, clutz that I am, I managed to delete all the photos I took of the room.

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