Four Seasons Astir Palace
Can’t decide between a culture-packed city break and a blissed-out beach holiday? The Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens rolls the two styles together in one glamorous Greek getaway.
The Astir Palace was an instant hit with celebrities, sheikhs and the Athenian elite when it opened on the Athens Riviera in the 1960s. Now under Four Seasons management, the landmark hotel has made a glorious comeback. A large part of the appeal remains the location in the sought-after seaside suburb of Vouliagmeni. Tucked away on a pine-clad peninsula, the resort is just 30 minutes from the Acropolis and Parthenon yet offers direct access to the beaches and restaurants of the Athens Riviera, as well as access by boat to the Saronic Gulf islands.
Rooms are divided between two main buildings. Those in Nafsika all offer sea views; even the bathrooms are glass-fronted so you can soak in the tub while ogling the Aegean. It’s also the larger and livelier of the two, with three restaurants – an Italian trattoria, a buzzy lounge bar and a poolside grill – plus a pool, fitness centre, waterfront and boutiques.
Arion has a more laid-back atmosphere, with rooms decorated in a sun-bleached palette of sea blues and driftwood greys. Home to four restaurants – Greek seafood restaurant Pelagos, the Astron Lounge, Aristotle’s Cigar Bar and Taverna 37 – Arion is also where you’ll find the Hippocrates-inspired spa and the soothing indoor pool. A third option are the bungalows, which offer the kind of luxury and coveted seclusion that drew Onassis, Bardot and Sinatra here in the Sixties.
Additional facilities include three private beaches, two outdoor pools, basketball and tennis courts, a watersports centre, a comprehensive kids’ club, speedboats, sailing boats, a jogging trail and helipad.
