About Eleni

Who she is, and what a night with her is like

Eleni is twenty-six and lives in Athens, where she runs guest relations at a small boutique hotel on a quiet lane of Plaka, right under the Acropolis. In summer she moves to Santorini for the season, and on free days in between she sails with her cousin on his old boat. She is calm, warm and never in a hurry. Below are her story, her hours, what talking with her is like, and the twelve photographs she has put up.

Hotel guests arrive tired, lost or both, and the person who makes them feel at home again is usually Eleni. She remembers names, coffee orders and the anniversary that was mentioned only once at check-in. The job asks for patience, and she has more of it than anyone on her street. Off duty, that same unhurried warmth stays with her. She speaks slowly, smiles with her eyes before her mouth, and likes a man who can sit through a long evening with her without checking the time.

Athens is home for most of the year: an espresso on the walk to work, the front desk, then the long Greek evening that does not really begin until nine. From May to September she works the season on Santorini, and on spare days she is out on the water with her cousin. She keeps Eastern European Time, two hours ahead of London all year and seven ahead of the US East Coast for most of it. A man in New York finishing lunch catches her settling in for the night; someone in London after dinner finds her still out on the balcony.

Conversation with her has the pace of a slow lunch by the water. She asks where you are, what you can see from your window and what you ate, and she actually wants the answers. Greek words drift in when she is pleased, along with a laugh typed the way Athenians type it. She teases gently and flirts the way she sails, patiently and with the wind behind her. Eleni will not meet anyone in person. What she shares is her conversation and her pictures, and she gives both without counting.

Most of her photographs smell of salt. In one she stands on a sailboat deck in a cobalt bikini, a hand on the lifeline and nothing but deep blue behind her. Another has her on the ledge of an infinity pool in a navy swimsuit, white houses stacked on the cliff above. There is a red bikini at the shoreline in low sun, a black one among smooth white rocks, and a white top with navy bottoms beside a door painted island blue. Indoors it turns to satin: emerald on a balcony over the coast, black with an open robe at a window where an old hill glows at night, burgundy across white hotel sheets, and chocolate brown under a linen shirt with the first coffee of the day. Every one of the twelve is open on her page.

Where Eleni is from

from Athens, where she works under the Acropolis in Plaka, and from Santorini every summer

From

Athens, Greece

Speaks

Greek, English

Questions

Questions about Eleni

How many free messages do I get with Eleni?

You get 8 free messages, and no card is needed to use them. They apply to the first conversation you start, so if you open with Eleni, all 8 are hers, which is plenty of room for her to ask where you are writing from.

How much does it cost to keep chatting with Eleni?

After the 8 free messages, chat with Eleni costs $21 for every thirty minutes. There is nothing else to work out: one flat price for time spent in conversation, counted in half-hour blocks.

Can I have a live video call with Eleni?

No, live video and camera calls are not offered for Eleni. She talks by message, in English with a little Greek, and sends photos as the conversation goes. She is at her best in writing, with time to choose her words.

Are Eleni's photos free to look at?

Yes. All twelve of Eleni's public photographs are open on her page without an account. She also sends photos in conversation, often from the hotel, her balcony or wherever the boat has ended up that day.

What time is it for Eleni in Athens?

Eleni is on Eastern European Time in Athens. That puts her two hours ahead of London all year and seven hours ahead of the US East Coast for most of it. Her quiet hours are late evening, after the last guests have checked in.

What does Eleni do at the hotel in Plaka?

Eleni runs guest relations at a small boutique hotel beneath the Acropolis. She greets arrivals, books the tables worth booking and fixes whatever went wrong on the ferry. In summer she does the same job on Santorini, with a longer view.