This wasn't the first time we have stayed at the Athena, but it was the best. The woman who was there everyday of our stay (over Christmas) was welcoming, cheerful, attentive, helpful, and generally a wonderful host. Even though we arrived late due to traffic - technically just a few minutes after the reception was to close, she was still there, welcoming us with a smile, carrying our luggage to the room, and making sure we were settled in. Also, even though the restaurant had been closed for at least 30 minutes, she insisted that we needed to eat and had food waiting for us as soon as we came back up from the room. I've never met a nicer hotelier!
The room was perfectly functional. It was overlooking the rushing river, which we loved, but if you are a light sleeper do be aware that you can hear the river even with the windows closed. Well, you can from the ground floor, anyway.
The spa was spectacular - much nicer than we had a right to expect in a 3 star hotel. The atmosphere was dark and tropical, the steam room cloudy and hot, the sauna just right, and the jacuzzi, though small, was a great place to soak away a long day of skiing in rough conditions. The hotel is not responsible for the middle-aged man who insisted on sitting nude, legs akimbo, in the sauna, but they were nice enough to ask him to cover up when the found out. Note to guests - bathing suits required!
As I said, this wasn't our first stay at the Athena, and it definitely will not be the last!