Athena Hotel
3-star hotel · Paddington, London
Long Weekend score
Good6 serious reports in 299 reviews: bed bugs or bites (6)
Guests rate nearly every hotel highly: half the hotels in London are rated 8.2 out of 10 or more. So our score shows how a hotel compares with the rest, not how luxurious it is.
- Rated higher than 62% of London hotels
- 83% of guest comments are praise
- 92% of guest photos show no damage
How this score is made
- Rated higher than 62% of London hotels. Compared with 5,640 hotels in London. Counts for 50% of the score.
- 83% of guest comments are praise. 707 praise, 144 complain. Counts for 30% of the score.
- 92% of guest photos show no damage. 55 of 60 photos. Counts for 20% of the score.
- Serious reports are never counted in. They are flagged beside the score, because one matters even when everything else is good.
- $155 a nighttypical for two, before tax · from $104
- 6 min walkto Paddington Underground Station
- 299 guest reviewsfrom the last 2 years
- 60 guest photostheirs, not the hotel's
At a glance
For
- A station within walking distancePaddington Underground Station is 468 m away
- Staff188 praise · 6 complain
- Location185 praise · 0 complain
- Cleanliness126 praise · 16 complain
Against
- On a main road: Sussex Gardens26 m from the building
- Room sizecomplaints falling: 25.5 in 100 a year ago, 15.7 now63 complain · 13 praise
- Heating and air conditioning25 of 299 guests
What guests reported
What guests say
299 reviews from the last 2 years. Most praised: staff (188 guests). Weakest: room size, where 63 of the 76 who mention it complain.
Location1850Strength
Although not centrally located, the location is excellent for transport links.
Google, August 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Good location (central and close to the metro and bus).
Google, December 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Staff1886Strength
The staff was very friendly and helpful.
Google, April 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Great service from start to finish!
Google, August 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
All in all a shocking experience and staff were useless to say the least
Tripadvisor, September 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Cleanliness12616Strength
Such a lovely, quiet, clean, convenient, well priced hotel.
Tripadvisor, February 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Room was clean and a good bathroom.
Google, March 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
The room was clean and tidy, we did have a stained bedsheet which was a little off putting but overall felt clean.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Value357Mostly good
Great location and excellent value for money.
Tripadvisor, October 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Decent breakfast included in the price.
Google, April 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Cost is relatively higher than others in that area.
Booking network, June 2025, rated 6/10 by this guest
Breakfastcomplaints falling: 9.7 in 100 a year ago, 3.0 now8420Mostly good
The breakfast was better than expected the ladies there on point helpful and service was amazing
Google, August 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
It was a solid continental breakfast and filled us up for our long train ride.
Google, April 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
It gets pretty crowded because the breakfast ends at 9:00 AM!
Google, November 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Bedscomplaints falling: 3.6 in 100 a year ago, 1.5 now248Mostly good
Good beds and the bathroom is okay.
Google, November 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Amazing stay in Athena Hotel, the staff were very friendly always accommodating any of my needs, the location is what makes the place since it is a 5 minute walk from the station and a beautiful area, the room was very good, beds comfy and made very nicely.
Google, July 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The rooms are clean, the extra beds aren't very comfortable.
Google, June 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Room condition125Mostly good
The room was very neat and clean and had a newly renovated bathroom.
Google, February 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The room was very clean and up-to-date.
Google, May 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Room is fine and a little old fashioned/basic.
Tripadvisor, August 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Quiet at night4019Mostly good
A quiet, picturesque and romantic place in a very accessible location to see the sights of beautiful London.
Google, October 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Excellent location 3 blocks from Paddington Station in a quiet, upscale neighborhood, surrounded by a diversity of restaurants.
Tripadvisor, May 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The only problem was the windows, as we could hear a lot of street noise and felt the cold coming through because they weren't insulated (wooden, single-glazed windows).
Google, November 2025, rated 3/5 by this guest
Room sizecomplaints falling: 25.5 in 100 a year ago, 15.7 now1363Weak spot
Clean but somewhat small rooms, decent breakfast with sweet and savory options.
Google, March 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Small room with wall view but functional
Google, December 2025, rated 3/5 by this guest
The room for 4 persons is about 16qm!
Google, April 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Too few mentions to judge: views and food.
Who stays, and their score out of 10
From every review of the last two years that gives a score and says who travelled, including those with no words.
All 785 Google ratings
Problems guests raised
Raised most: heating and air conditioning, in 25 of 299 reviews.
Heating and air conditioning25 of 2991 in 12 reviews
I have stayed here twice (in a total of three rooms) and enjoy the neighbourhood, friendly staff, good service, pleasant rooms, comfy beds, and decent showers, Please know, however, that the rooms are small and many are hot, with no air conditioning.
Tripadvisor, October 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Only downside was we visited in an extreme heat wave and room had no air conditioning.
Tripadvisor, June 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Insects or pests10 of 2991 in 30 reviews
Unfortunately, after checking into the hotel on 17/03/2026, we encountered bed bugs.
Google, March 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Flies in the room from open window.
Booking network, September 2025, rated 6/10 by this guest
Unexpected charges and refunds6 of 2991 in 50 reviews
I was charged for the first night in advance, and when I arrived at the hotel, the receptionist charged me the full amount again (for 3 nights), even though one night had already been paid.
Google, April 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
Actually tried to leave 2 nights early for a hotel down the street with AC but Athena hotel would not issue any refund.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
Something broken in the room6 of 2991 in 50 reviews
Air conditioning also broken.
Booking network, July 2025, rated 2/10 by this guest
None of the lamps were working nor the bathroom sink
Booking network, May 2025, rated 6/10 by this guest
Not as shown or booked5 of 2991 in 60 reviews
Only downside is the photos online make the bedrooms look bigger than what they actually are.
Google, January 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Serious reports
6 in 299 reviews, most common first. Shown beside the score, never averaged into it.
Bed bugs or bites6 of 299 reviews
bedbugs are a health hazard, and it's unacceptable to find them in a hotel!
Google, January 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Unfortunately I got many bites, I found a bed bug, and had a bit allergic reaction.
Google, September 2025, rated 3/5 by this guest
These are guests' own accounts from their reviews. We have not verified them, and the hotel may dispute them. A report is counted only when the guest says it happened at the hotel and holds the hotel responsible.
Photos, checked
5 of the 60 guest photos we checked show damage or dirt (8%).
Guest photos showing damage or dirt5 of 608%
Of 60 guest photos, 5 show damage or dirt: pests in 3 and stains in 2. Of the hotel's own 40, 0 do.
Guests’ photos confirm: restaurant (1).
The hotel says it has no swimming pool, spa, gym or hot tub.
Price, place and rooms
Price
$155 is a typical night, from 153 dates checked in the coming year.
Weekends cost 23% more than weekdays
A typical night, month by month
Cheapest month: Jan 2027, $109Dearest month: Nov 2026, $217
Prices on booking sites, the day we checked
What each seller advertised on the one day we checked, so these sit outside the year-wide figures above and can fall below the typical price.
- Super.com$241
- deals.goseek.com$247
- deals.etrip.net$247
- trivago.co.uk$248
- api.cloudbeds.com$269
- Booking.com$309
- Priceline$309
- expedia.co.uk$314
Lowest advertised nightly rate for two adults; taxes and local fees are not included. Shown in US dollars.
Nearby
Paddington Underground Station is 468 m away by road, about 6 minutes on foot. There are 4 bars or clubs within 200 metres.
- Nearest main road: Sussex Gardens26 m
- Nearest shop: Foodwise Local1 min walk111 m by road
- Nearest station: Paddington Underground Station6 min walk468 m by road
- Buckingham Palace3.3 km
- The British Museum3.6 km
- Big Ben4.4 km
- Tower Bridge7.8 km
The lines are 5, 10 and 15 minutes on foot.
Distances follow the streets, not straight lines.
Rooms
6 room types, from 10 to 20 m².
- Classic Single Room10 m²Sleeps 1
- Classic Twin Room11 m²Sleeps 2
- Classic Double Room12 m²Sleeps 2
- Classic Triple Room14 m²Sleeps 31 Double bed + 1 Twin bed
- Classic Quadruple Room16 m²Sleeps 41 Double bed + 2 Twin bed
- Family Room20 m²Sleeps 51 Double bed + 1 Twin bed + 1 Bunk bed
From the hotel's own room descriptions, checked against each room's photos.
How it compares
How it ranks
Guests who booked rate it 8.6 out of 10. 62% of the 5,640 hotels in London are rated lower, and a typical one is rated 8.2.
Every review site, out of 100
68 Google reviewers ticked "Quiet", yet 19 guests complain about noise, and Sussex Gardens runs 26 m away.
If room size matters to you
Here, 63 of the 76 guests who mention room size complain. These nearby hotels do better on it.
More hotels in London
The nearest first, with our score for each.
How we know
299 reviews counted · 100 photos checked · updated 12 October 2026
- We collected this hotel's 518 most recent reviews from Google, Tripadvisor and the Booking network. 299 of them describe a stay in the last 2 years and are the ones counted here; the rest were 154 older, 5 in other languages and 60 with a score but no words.
- The hotel replied to 199 of its 200 newest Google reviews.
- 4 in every 100 reviews thank a staff member by name.
- 3 reviews mention a free upgrade, a cake or a gift.
- We looked at 100 photos: the first 40 of the hotel's own and the 60 newest from guests.
- Every number on this page is counted, not estimated. Anything in quotation marks is a guest's own words.