The Alex: the ideal boutique family hotel for pre-cruise stays in Athens

The Alex hotel fringing Athens’ Piraeus Port is a great pit stop before or after a Greece cruise. Harriet Mallinson swung by pre-sailing to check out its suitability for families.

Enjoy views across to the Acropolis.

The Alex hotel is situated in the Greek capital’s historic Kastella neighbourhood and offers the best of both worlds to cruisers. It not only comes with pinch-me views of the Athenian Riviera but also benefits from proximity to both the cruise port of Piraeus and the city centre.

The focus may not expressly be on kids but this modern boutique hotel makes for a comfortable base from which to explore the wonders of Athens (and there are many) before embarking your ship. It also doesn’t come with the hefty price tag or heaving crowds of more central accommodation.

Whatever you do, don’t get the bus from the airport. We pay the price for my fit of frugality and I feel distinctly like a gap year student as we haul our suitcases along cracked pavements and up steep steps. Taxis can cost between €40 and €60 and will be your best bet with little ones in tow.

Rooms at The Alex are compact but pleasant.

Enjoy a room with an envy-inducing view

There are 34 rooms in The Alex hotel: ours is compact but pleasant and contemporarily designed – and just what we need for a one-night pre-cruise sojourn; The Standard plus or The Suite are best for families thanks to the added daybed (cots, highchairs, baby changing tables, baby food heaters are all available too).

It’s the balconies that take the crown, though; we enjoy views over Athens and over to the Acropolis from ours. True, the Parthenon looks like a child’s toy it’s so far away but the iconic ruin is utterly recognisable and sparks gasps of wonder. It really is just like in the textbooks!

Modern amenities comprise flat-screen televisions, free WiFi, and a choice of pillows for maximum comfort. Another nice touch is the piece of local artwork commissioned for the hotel gracing each room. But let’s face it, this isn’t a room you’re here to hang out in for long.

It’s a four-star hotel, so don’t expect moisturiser or conditioner. This might be a nightmare for the follically overachieving, but it’s not unlike most mid-range cruise ships and worth bringing your own regardless. The fact that tea and coffee aren’t available in rooms may also irk some travelling Brits, but you can get hot beverages for free downstairs in the lounge.

The Nest at The Alex hotel comes with great views

Eye the Acropolis with your eats at The Alex hotel 

Not to worry if your room doesn’t tick the vista box, the hotel’s main restaurant, The Nest, is up on the rooftop serving as another great spot for soaking up Athens’ panoramas. Sports fans might appreciate the nearby Peace and Friendship stadium: we decide it looks rather like a pizza base frozen mid-spin.

Talking of food, nosh here is advertised as ‘Greek comfort food’ although I can’t see much on the menu of this ilk. I tuck into tasty saffron and chorizo arancini followed by Caesar’s Salad (yes, complete with the apostrophe as though Greece is trying to reclaim its famous export, much like with the Parthenon Marbles). Beef ragout tagliatelle completes the feast, but no moussaka is to be seen. There are also no kids’ menus at meals either but the adult’s menu is crowd-pleasing enough for parents to share.

The Nest fills up later in the evening and there’s a veritable buzz by 9pm as couples, solos and small groups of pals flock in, although the joint pleasingly retains its chill vibe. And it’s not hard to see the attraction: as I sip on a decent local plonk the Parthenon fades into the darkening backdrop, before the temple’s evening glow-up throws it back into the spotlight above the city.

You can dine on the terrace too.

Soak up the sun and ship-spot to start your day

We take breakfast out on the sun-drenched terrace with the sea and sky sporting a matching blue twin-set. From this al fresco vantage point diners can spot cruise ships in the distance making their stately way towards Piraeus (top tip: the CruiseMapper app can locate and identify any ship you’ve got your eye on). My avocado and feta on toast here sets me right up for a day of sightseeing, and even comes with a side salad for added health points.

Alternatively, during the day, you can pull up a pew in The Botanist. Expect juices, coffees and smoothies as well as salads, wraps and quick bites.

Piraeus port has plenty of its own attractions.

Explore the delightful port for more foodie finds

If you don’t fancy eating in at The Alex hotel there are plenty of delightful restaurants – both fancy and rustic – along the waterfront of the neighbouring “micro” port so you’re bound to find something to suit the gang. Think Mexican, Italian and Japanese plus kid-pleasing crêpe and ice cream outposts… and yes, even a Greek place called Zorbas.

The port’s curve is pretty for a post-prandial wander: the sea bristles with fishing boats and pleasure craft and you can even try your hand at paddle boarding. On the other side of the bay, brown, stubbled mountains rise up behind an avalanche of pale buildings tickling the shoreline, as though a bucket of discoloured sugar cubes has been upended.

Athens’ ancient gems are easy to access.

Explore the ancient city’s gems from The Alex hotel

If you’re looking to go into the city itself the metro stop is walkable from The Alex hotel while the hop-on hop-off bus [which halts nearby] is an easy and kid-friendly introduction to Athens.

For full-size port Piraeus and your cruise ship take a taxi for ease, it’s just 12 minute away and costs around €6-8.

Should you seek accommodation even nearer the port, consider The Alex’s new sister property The Twinn. Yes, it’s a bit more business than family but its super-convenient location in Piraeus makes it ideal for a quick one-night pre- or post-cruise. Piraeus is pleasant to explore too, so while rooms in The Twinn are on the cosy side you can stretch your legs in the buzzy port if you have time.