I love travelling, but travelling can be hefty on the pockets, especially when it comes to accommodation. Much as I would like to stay in five-star hotels, they are pretty much out of my league. Then again, I am not one to forsake quality accommodation for price — after all, what’s a holiday without a nice (temporary) abode?
And, when I discovered HomeAway, I realised I did not have to give up five-star accommodation just because I am tightening the reins on my travel budget. HomeAway is a vacation accommodation listing site, but what makes it different from other similar sites is that its vacation rental listing covers not only rented apartments, but also villas and even castles. It curates live vacation listings in 190 countries. Many of the listings on HomeAway look straight out of a decor magazine and are by no means lesser than five-star hotels.
For a recent trip to Athens with four other travel companions, we booked the ABA Modern Apartment through HomeAway.
Some people may wonder about check-in timing for vacation rentals. Well, we arrived at the apartment in Athens at midnight, and the host George was actually waiting at the building entrance for us. George was warm and welcoming, instantly putting us at ease with his cheerfulness. He even helped us with our luggage.
Despite the late hours, George did not rush through orientating us around the apartment. He took the time to show us everything and even sat down with us with a map to give us sightseeing tips. He also offered to help us book an airport transfer for our departure (which we did take up).
Shortly after George left us, we started to explore the apartment. True to its name, the apartment had a contemporary interior design with designer-like furniture and furnishings. The dining area, living room and full-service kitchen made me feel at home. I took an instant liking to the apartment.
What I love about the apartment most is that it comes with two bathrooms with en suite toilets. Travelling in a group means having to wait in line when it comes to shower time. But because of this added bathroom, we did not have to wait for long — a much appreciated thing especially after a long flight. The bathrooms were also equipped with shower towels, cotton wool and buds (trust me, even some hotels do not provide these), and Korres toiletries, a Greek skincare brand known for the use of natural active ingredients in its products. This apartment is even better than some hotels I know of.
Shower facilities aside, sleeping space is another issue when travelling in a big group. For one, it’s not economical to stay in hotels in a big group. A vacation rental apartment makes more economical sense, and after all, it’s more fun when there’s communal living, right? Our apartment had two bedrooms with queen-sized beds. There’s a sofa bed in the living which we could convert into extra sleeping space.
And just like a five-star hotel, the apartment comes equipped with a hairdryer, and iron and ironing board for our use.
The apartment has one plus point which hotels do not have — it comes with a washing machine (with washing tablets provided!). Having travelled across Europe for weeks, we were utterly grateful to be able to do our laundry.
The apartment is also located in the city centre. In fact, it is a mere five-minute walk to Acropolis, which is essentially the main attraction for tourists in Athens. The following morning, we had a easy breezy walk to Acropolis whilst stopping at one of the numerous cafes for breakfast along the way.
For our last evening in Athens, we decided to put our cooking skills to good use and cook dinner in the apartment. We bought ingredients from a supermarket nearby and whipped up some Singaporean dishes like laksa. After eating European cuisine for weeks, the laksa was pure joy to us. But most of all, we found immense enjoyment in the act of cooking together in a foreign country. And when all of us sat down at the dining table tucking into our hot laksa, it felt like we were in a home away from home.
