We need to stay 1 night near Athens airport for an early morning flight. The Sofitel hotel often mentioned is way above our budget. Any experiences with Airinn or other small local owned hotels? Would also like to have dinner at hotel or near it.
If you have a long lay over then Avra is a delightful option. However it is about 40 minutes to commute back to the airport which can be a bit of a problem if you arrive back in Athens later in the evening. If you a quick turn around check out Peris hotel. It is not quite in the same league as Avra however it is 15 minutes closer to the airport which will give you a bit of extra time in the morning.
Rafina is a good option as there are many places to eat.
Coralli hotel is basic but very clean and friendly. No breakfast and no shuttle to airport. However the rates are very good. You could use welcome pick ups for the transfer they are often recommended as being reliable.
Avra of course has the airport shuttle included in the rate but the prices are higher.
There is the bus to and from the airport. Very easy to use if the timings fit your schedule
I ended up booking anAirBnb just 10 minutes from airport for one night.90euros plus 20 for the proprietor to drive us to airport at0400.
You might want to consider a Holiday Inn located near the airport for your accommodation.. We stayed in Athens near the airport the night prior to our departure last May. I didn't want to pay the exorbitant price that the Sofitel was charging so I looked online and found a Holiday Inn which was 20 minutes from the airport. They have a restaurant on site and a buffet style breakfast was served there which was included in the room rate... Best of all , they have a free shuttle to take you to the airport.
We have had a good run with Air BNB's near airport. Owners will often drive you there and back or suggest good ways . Found some great tavernas strolling around the local areas too.
I"ve done the Holiday Inn twice and it was fine. Food mediocre, but it wasn't Sofitel prices. I used their shuttle which i had to wait for.