Only good things to say about this Hilton, wonderful location, nice staff, cool history of the building, there was old photos when this was the KQB HQ, and the SS also took it over.. Now it is a really nice 5* hotel. Ex rooms are nice, got a Fee Upgrade, as Diamond VIP with HH, the lounge is very nice.. Also got a car booked via the Hotel to pick me up at the airport, it was a nice service.

We went as part of a group booked onto a river boat cruise and, to be honest, did not expect much because the hotel is in Romania. But we found the quality to be excellent and the hotel well exceeded our expectations.
We only stayed one night (Saturday) and the hotel was very busy handling package holiday travellers like ourselves. The main failing of the place is that the public areas are not big enough to accommodate large numbers of people and the hotel got very congested.
Our room was large and well furnished with a good view onto the buildings at the front. There was, however, no significant noise despite a busy road. The bathroom was pleasant and well stocked with toiletries and plenty of hot water. There was a room safe which I regard as an essential these days.
We were distracted for most of our stay because our luggage failed to arrive (let's name names - KLM was the culprit) but we were given help by two concierges and, later in in the evening, when there was no concierge service by a very helpful receptionist to whom I am endebted. The reception in all aspects (arrival and departure) was excellent and even managed to get our bill correct.
We ate in the Italian restaurant in the hotel. My pasta was fine but my wife thought that her pizza Marguerita was very poor with no real taste. She raised this with the waiter who handled the complaint very well by giving her a free dessert.
We had a drink in the "English Bar" which was very quiet and also very expensive - the two may be linked!. The two waitresses were more interested in chatting to two youths than in serving customers. They were extremely unprofessional. They were, however untypical of the staff overall who were helpful, solicitous and friendly.
Breakfast offered an excellent choice of cold buffet but I cannot comment on the hot buffet as I did not have it.
All in all we were impressed by the hotel, especially as we not really fans of the Hilton chain.

After having stayed at a few places in Bucharest, you shift from appreciating prime and easy-access location, to focusing on the services offered by a hotel.

At first the Hilton was great because I knew where I was and how to get to my conference center. But after a while, that wasn't so important anymore. The third time I stayed at the Hilton in Bucharest was the last time, as I ate my Sunday Brunch on a table in the hotel's hall way. They were overbooked.

The Athene Palace is a nice place, no doubt about it. But look around and there are better hotels, if it is top quality you are looking for.

The hotel is in the centre of the city and has everything You want from such a venue. Nice rooms, friendly staf and a welcoming bar at the end of the day. The food is of a high standard.

A pity the city of Bucharest is not a place You want to stay for a long time as a visitor. Museums are nearby the hotel. So is a part of the old town. Walking or driving is no laughing mater. Walking or driving means watch where You are going. The pavement and rouds are bad, pedestrian lanes and any part of the road not used for driving can be a parkingspace, cardrivers only stop if they can't avoid an accident with You and trafficcontrole is something they consider introducing. If You rember this getting around is no problem. And when the sun shines everything looks a lot nicer.