Ergon House, Athens

Pros

• The Agora on the ground floor – which includes a restaurant, deli, butcher, and fishmonger – is a paradise for food lovers as well as anyone looking for some of the best Greek products, including olive oil, honey, liquor, soap, and everything in between.
• The rooms of the Ergon House are all quite bright and feel open. Plus, they all include various Ergon products, which are available to purchase down in the deli.
• While Mitropoleos is a busy street, those looking for a central location will be hard-pressed to find something better situated than the Ergon House, which is a stone’s throw from Syntagma Square, the pedestrian shopping street of Ermou, and the ancient neighborhood of Plaka under the Acropolis.
• The rooftop bar and restaurant offers a direct view of the Acropolis, although it’s only open during the high season and can only be accessed by taking a set of stairs.
• Hospitality is at the heart of the hotel and people like manager Yiannis go out of their way to make sure that you feel welcome and taken care of.

Cons

• The restaurant and deli of the Agora are popular for tourists and locals alike. It can get quite busy and loud, which means that rooms that overlook the atrium of the Agora have some noise issues. All of the small rooms face this way, so consider booking a medium or something larger on the other side of the building.
• None of the rooms have balconies, but for those who want to gaze out at the Acropolis from bed, book an XL suite.
• A number of the rooms have raised beds that are situated a few steps up from the floor. This can be an issue for those with accessibility needs but there are some rooms that include a flat floor, so be sure to double check this when booking.

Additional Notes

When asked what types of travelers typically stay at the Ergon, manager Yiannis noted that it’s families, couples, and single travelers, including women traveling alone, a number of whom have expressed that they felt safe in this hotel. 

Authenticity

Ergon began in 2011, when brothers George and Thomas decided to start a company that would unite local Greek producers under their brand. Their grandfather had a deli in Thessaloniki, so they began there and in the years since, Ergon has expanded beyond the food space to include hospitality as well.

The Ergon House opened in 2019 and follows this same ethos of making local, high quality Greek products accessible and of incorporating them into the hotel, as well as the restaurant and deli on the ground floor. While Ergon does make some of their own products, it’s really about having a variety of producers under one name, so those looking to explore tastes from all around Greece can do so here.  

Location

Ergon House is located on Mitropoleos Street and is set right in between Syntagma Square and the Mitropoleos Cathedral, both of which are just two to three minutes away walking. Mitropoleos is a busy street with narrow sidewalks, but those who want to get away from the traffic can pop over to Plaka within five minutes on foot and be under the Acropolis in 10. Monastiraki Square and its metro are five minutes away. In essence, you don’t get much more centrally located than Ergon House.

Rooms & Bathrooms

The 38 rooms of the Ergon House differ primarily by size, which is how they’re listed: small, medium, large, and extra large. The small and medium rooms are almost the same size, but the primary difference is that the small rooms all look over the Agora. It can be quite noisy since it’s a large open space where the sounds of the restaurant and deli echo powerfully. If you’re a light sleeper, book a medium or larger room and confirm that it’s on the other side of the hotel, away from the Agora. 

Family suites are available, which are made by two interconnected rooms. While none of the rooms have balconies and the large rooms do not feature city views or windows that open, some of the extra large rooms do include Acropolis views. The rooms include high quality Coco-Mat mattresses for a good night’s sleep, a variety of products from the deli downstairs, and it’s worth noting that they all smell really nice. None of the rooms have bathtubs but they do include roomy showers.

Other Highlights

Ultimately, the name Ergon – which derives from the Greek word for “work” or “vocation” – brings to mind high quality products and truly, the deli and restaurant are a highlight of this hotel. Once you run out of the snacks in your room, you can just pop down to the deli to get some more. Food and ingredients are at the heart of Ergon and whether you’re staying in the hotel or not, you can sign up for a cooking class, where you’ll make a dish and then get to eat that – and others – down in the restaurant.