How Four Seasons is bringing extra glitz and glamour to the Athens Riviera
Offering a front-row seat to the glittering Athens Riviera, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel is a haven to relish being by the sea, while escaping the frenetic bustle of Athens’ historical sites, which are a mere 30 minutes away by road.
While I’d expected the impeccable Four Seasons signature style, service and pizazz, the beautiful pine-clad peninsula of Vouliagmeni managed to take the aesthetic up a notch at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel. Every time I glanced up from my plush poolside lounger I spotted water sports enthusiasts zipping across the bay’s sparkling clear water, silhouetted against a clutch of super yachts – the inhabitants of which pop in to use the hotel’s facilities.
While Four Seasons Astir Palace made its debut in 2019 following an extensive refurbishment, the property is no stranger to glamour and high-end living, having welcomed Aristotle and Jackie Onassis, Frank Sinatra and Brigitte Bardot in its previous incarnation as a 1960s Athenian grand dame.
Today it boasts three private sandy coves, eight restaurants, lounges and bars, a helipad and array of sports and wellness facilities. The 303 rooms span 21 room categories, and my sea-view garden suite featured a private plunge pool, Diptyque bathroom amenities and a calming colour palette. I loved the high-tech touches, including swish panels to control the blinds and lights, a gigantic TV hidden in the mirror and an iPad to review the day’s offerings.
Meanwhile, my sons were delighted to discover immense gooey cookies and chilled chocolate milk waiting for them, alongside activity packs and soft toys of the hotel’s jolly starfish mascot, Asteris. Adults aren’t left out, with welcome gifts including gigantic shiny olives, fresh baklava and seasonal Greek fruits, alongside mini bottles of ouzo.
I stayed in the Nafsika building which is ideal for families, and the large pool includes a shallower kids’ area and a lively, beach club vibe, courtesy of the Kyma pool and beach bar. Despite being close to full capacity during my stay, sun loungers and cabanas were in abundance. Cooler bags filled with water instantly appeared, followed by cones of grapes, and we made frequent visits to the ice cream cart (the mango sorbet is a must-try).
A 30-second stroll leads to the colourful Kids for All Seasons club, which boasts an excellent activity programme, and during our stay children popped in and out to do rock painting, join an organic chemistry lab and make sailboats.
For clients seeking a calmer atmosphere, a collection of bungalows are tucked among the trees along a pretty boardwalk. They’re alongside the Arion building, which offers more accommodation, an adults-only infinity pool and a serene, 1,300-square-metre, light-filled spa. Most of the 10 treatment rooms look out across the water and facilities include an indoor lap pool, hydrotherapy zone, salon and a boutique.
Guests can wander across Arion’s breezy, art-filled lobby to the one Michelin star restaurant Pelagos. It was designed by interiors powerhouse Martin Brudnizki to look like an opulent ocean liner – the ceiling resembles the inside of a hull and the wall tiles hint at shimmering fish scales.
Back in the Nafsika building, Brundnizki is also the brains behind the Avra cocktail bar – a gloriously maximalist celebration of Art Deco – and the glossy, Italian trattoria-style Mercato, where we enjoyed a sublime breakfast buffet of sliced fruits, local honey and fluffy pastries.
For a glitzy celebration there’s also Beefbar Athens and Matsuhisa Athens – both located within the hotel’s grounds – but our stand-out meal was the delicious salads, seafood and mezze at the hotel’s Taverna 37. As the sun set over the water and cicadas hummed around us, it was hard to believe we were so close to the thrum of central Athens.
How to book it
Prices start at €700 per night for an Arion Pine-View Room.
Tel: 00 30 210 890 1000
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
