Finding the "good, little hotel", the "charmer", the place that lets us stay close to the action, but out of the way, that lets us stay in the culture of the other country, but not spend a ton of money - this is our quest.

The Plaka district of Athens, illustrated here by one of its hotels, is my favorite area for hotels. There are a dozen or more places that meet all the criteria listed above.

A tribute to the Blue Bay hotel on Patmos (from my Plaka web site)

Advice on how to find cheap places to stay on Thira (Santorini), Greece is at this page on my Plaka web site.