Urban Suites

Urban Suites is an aparthotel for divers who would rather have a proper base than a standard hotel room. You get space to spread out, a kitchen when your appetite follows you back from the water, and a balcony or terrace for the important business of sitting down and doing very little.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Greek, so you can deal with the practical details without resorting to underwater hand signals. The atmosphere is more home-from-home than full-service resort: private check-in and check-out, a living area, and the freedom to set your own pace between the beach, Athens and the next dive.

The coastal avenue is part of the bargain. It puts the sea close, but it also means that street noise belongs in your calculations, particularly if you are a light sleeper.

You are in Athens, Greece, in the coastal part of the city rather than beside the Acropolis. Akti tou Iliou Beach is about 0.1 miles away on foot, roughly two minutes according to the property description. Kalamaki Beach is another option at around 0.5 miles, while Agios Kosmas Beach is about 1.2 miles away.

This is a useful base if you want sea access without giving up Athens altogether. Flisvos Marina is about 2.7 miles away, and the Acropolis is roughly 5.6 miles away. Argiroupoli metro station is around 1.5 miles from the aparthotel, so the historic centre is within reach, though this is not a stay where you simply step outside into the old town.

For a change of scenery, Filopappos Hill and the Acropolis Museum are both about 4.5 miles away. The coastal setting also puts boating within the surrounding area, while cafes and restaurants are available nearby when the kitchen can wait.

The accommodation makes most sense when you choose it for the way you travel. Couples can keep things simple in a sea-view suite, while a group will appreciate the apartment layouts, separate living areas and two bathrooms in the larger options. The Deluxe Apartment and Superior Apartment are the practical choices when several people need room to exist without queuing for the bathroom.

Every unit has air conditioning, a balcony and a fully equipped kitchen. That means a refrigerator for cold water, a coffee machine for the first sortie of the day, and proper cooking equipment including a stovetop, oven, microwave, toaster and kitchenware. There is also a dining table, sofa and seating area, so you are not condemned to eat every meal perched on the edge of a bed.

For a quieter evening indoors, you have free WiFi, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and bathrobe. The Deluxe Suite with Spa Bath adds a more obvious post-dive wind-down, while the sea-view categories give you something better than a wall to look at when the balcony door is open. Air conditioning and heating cover the less glamorous but more useful part of the night.

The hot tub is the main reason to stay in rather than head straight back out. After a day of salt, sun and kit logistics, warm water and a seat on the outdoor furniture are a perfectly respectable activity. No medals are awarded for squeezing in another excursion.

When you do want to move, the nearby beaches give you an easy change of scene, with Akti tou Iliou and Kalamaki Beach close enough for an unambitious stroll. The coastal surroundings also offer boating, while Athens supplies the larger cultural detour: the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the Temple of Olympian Zeus are all accessible from the property.

Back at the aparthotel, the balcony, terrace or patio gives you somewhere to recover with a coffee, a book or the kind of conversation that starts with dive planning and ends nowhere useful. The private entrance and living space help the accommodation feel like your own place for the night rather than a corridor with a bed attached.

Eleftherios Venizelos Airport is about 17 miles away by road, with a driving time of roughly 31 minutes. An airport shuttle and other shuttle services are available through the property, and car hire can be arranged. If you are arriving independently, the coastal location is easy to identify, but this is a city stay rather than an isolated resort transfer.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 18:00 and check-out from 09:00 to 11:00. You need to tell the property your expected arrival time, particularly if your flight lands outside the normal check-in window. Photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in, and a refundable damage deposit is collected by card.

There is a lift, although upper floors can also be reached by stairs. Luggage storage and private check-in and check-out are available, which is useful when your flight and your room timetable refuse to cooperate. The property is non-smoking, parties are not allowed, and quiet hours run from 22:00 to 07:00. Children of all ages are welcome, but cots and extra beds are not available, and the minimum age for check-in is 18.