Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens review

What’s 4 Seasons Astir Palace Lodge Athens?

The 4 Seasons Astir Palace Lodge Athens opened in 2019 within the charming city of Vouliagmeni alongside the Athens Riviera. It’s Greece’s first 4 Seasons.

Nevertheless, the property has a prolonged historical past courting again to the early Sixties when it opened as a classy seaside resort. It was the place to see and be seen by world celebrities, from Brigitte Bardot to Frank Sinatra. Now, it nonetheless performs host to celebrities however extra steadily to off-duty enterprise people, rich vacationers and native socialites.

The resort is gigantic, occupying 74 acres of Vouliagmeni’s seaside peninsula, making it really feel particularly secluded from the encircling Riviera. Like many 4 Seasons properties, there’s a personal membership vibe and an air of hushed magnificence, although it did not really feel stuffy. Workers are attentive and pleasant, but not overbearing. Floral shows within the foyer and across the property are magnificent and plush; the landscaping is pristine — suppose cascading tiers of pines, Cyprus and native shrubbery.

A couple of 30-minute drive from Athens Worldwide Airport (ATH), the property can organize automotive transfers (at a value) to and from the airport for visitors. These concerned about reserving a taxi can count on to pay between $50 and $80, relying on visitors and time of day.

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Public transportation across the Riviera is not essentially handy. There are bus programs, however they are not very straightforward to navigate for many who cannot learn Greek. The resort recommends utilizing taxis or arranging a limousine or luxurious automotive rental through the concierge. You may discover a concierge within the spacious, ethereal lobbies of the 2 primary buildings, Nafsika and Arion.

How a lot 4 Seasons Astir Palace prices and how one can e book it

Unfold between three areas on the peninsula — two multistory ocean-facing buildings, Nafsika and Arion, in addition to a cove of beachside bungalows — 4 Seasons Astir Palace is dwelling to 303 lodging whole (200 rooms, 42 suites and 61 bungalows). Room varieties vary from Arion pine-view rooms (430 sq. ft) and Nafsika sea-view rooms (473 sq. ft) to stately suites, together with the Arion presidential suite (2,260 sq. ft) and the Nafsika ambassador suite (2,367 sq. ft). Friends may also keep in a number of kinds of bungalow suites; they sit simply previous Nafsika and have personal swimming pools and terraces.

Unsurprisingly, a keep at this property comes at a steep worth. Over the subsequent a number of months, charges start at round $622 for a Nafsika sea-view room and climb considerably from there for bigger areas. For instance, suites start at a number of thousand {dollars} per evening, relying on the season.

Rooms at 4 Seasons Astir Palace

My 560-square-foot Nafsika sea-view junior suite felt spacious and ethereal, due to floor-to-ceiling home windows overlooking the Aegean Sea. The headboard and midcentury-style dresser, each wealthy wooden, offered heat accents within the in any other case neutral-colored room. The room felt like a mirrored image of Greece’s iconic white-washed coastal villages.

I entered via a dim, closet-flanked hallway (two side-by-side closets contained two robes and slippers, a protected, an iron and a laundry bag, along with hangers and loads of house for clothes and sneakers). The lavatory was to the appropriate, and the bed room was straight forward.

Past the extremely snug king-size mattress, outfitted with crisp white linens, there was a sitting space with a sofa, a small spherical desk and two chairs. Past that, there was a balcony on the opposite facet of sliding glass doorways. Every bedside desk had a small lamp and charging stations (USB and USB-C in addition to European shops). There was an iPad on one facet that I might use to peruse facilities, e book spa providers or order room service.

Artwork was minimal and stylish — delicately framed nonetheless pictures or fashionable artworks that mirrored the neutral-hued colour scheme.

The white-marble lavatory featured a black-and-white tiled flooring, a small wash closet for the bathroom on one facet and a standing bathe with each a bathe wand and rain bathe function on the opposite. To the left of the dual-vanity sink was a deep soaking tub. Subsequent to the bathtub was a window that regarded into the bed room. Throughout turn-down service, an electrical shade would come all the way down to create extra privateness between the bed room and loo.

To my delight, all bathtub merchandise have been Diptyque. Towels have been fluffy and plentiful, as anticipated from 4 Seasons. There was a high-powered hair dryer underneath the sink.

The room additionally featured a standing cupboard with a minifridge stocked with beer, wine, liquor and sodas. A number of drawers held snacks, in addition to a Nespresso maker, loads of pods, a tea kettle and a pleasant collection of teas.

The terrace, the place I spent most of my time, was gorgeous. The deep wooden accents continued onto the wall that separated my terrace from the room subsequent to me, in addition to to the small espresso desk. There was a three-seater sofa in addition to a chair. The terrace offered a sweeping view of the pool and personal seashores beneath, with the sparking Aegean past.

What I ate at 4 Seasons Astir Palace

At a resort of this measurement, the extent of service and high quality of delicacies is commonly inconsistent throughout on-site eating places. This was decidedly not the case at Astir Palace. Slightly, I discovered the meals to be expertly crafted with contemporary, native components delivered by environment friendly, pleasant waitstaff. Although I did not get to strive all 10 shops, I did take a look at out just a few.

I ate breakfast at Mercato, the property’s indoor-outdoor Italian restaurant. Its lovely Aegean views have been made even higher by a full buffet unfold of pastries and bread, meats and cheeses, fruits, yogurts and cereal, sizzling dishes and contemporary juices. It additionally supplied an a la carte menu, and my eggs Benedict (about $30) was as basic because it comes.

I loved lunch at Helios, the out of doors restaurant that flanks the primary pool space; it options upbeat music and a Latin-inspired sharing menu. The vibes right here have been energetic, and the meals was scrumptious. I loved pibil tacos consisting of slow-cooked hen breast with annatto, avocado and pickled onion (about $22) and contemporary guacamole made tableside (about $21).

Past each Nafsika and Arion, proper down on the water on the fringe of the property’s west-facing cove, was Taverna 37, the property’s Greek restaurant. I had an unimaginable dinner there and was fortunate sufficient to dine throughout sundown. I loved the Cretan Ntakos salad, consisting of among the sweetest cherry tomatoes I’ve ever eaten, paired with avocado, strawberries and contemporary Katiki cheese from Domokos ($27).

The resort’s poolside eating, which providers all three personal seashores (extra on that in a second), is known as Kyma Pool & Seaside Bar. Right here, visitors can order gentle bites (largely seafood) and cocktails. My tuna tartare (about $25) was contemporary and flavorful, and the spicy California roll (about $20) was a great pairing for a sunny 80-degree afternoon by the water.

Dinner at Pelagos, within the Arion constructing, is a high-quality eating expertise to not be missed. The Greek restaurant has acquired one Michelin star, and it was a spotlight of my time in Greece. The inside was fashionable and stylish, with a gleaming midcentury-style bar, and the surface ignored the Aegean. Chef Luca’s multicourse menu consists of three choices: Discovery for $165, Journey for $180 or Better of for $165. It took me via a pleasant expertise of native flavors and seasonal components, all artfully plated and delivered with among the greatest restaurant service I’ve skilled.

Dishes included a trio of native olive oils with contemporary bread, an beautiful caviar pasta with chilly spaghetti and clams, mint ceviche with yellowtail and pistachio, and white aubergine with pork stomach and oyster.

Facilities and issues to do

With such an intensive footprint between two sprawling buildings and a lot shoreline, one might spend per week making an attempt out all of Astir Palace’s facilities with out losing interest. The property is dwelling to a handful of seashores, in addition to a rest spa, a fitness center, jogging trails across the peninsula, a tennis academy, basketball courts and a devoted children membership.

There are additionally greater than 22,000 sq. ft of versatile occasion areas. A number of weddings occurred throughout my journey, however because of the sheer measurement of the resort, these occasions felt very separate from my very own expertise on the resort.

Swimming pools and seashores

The property’s primary pool (which is family-friendly) sits beneath Nafsika, and it is the stuff of “White Lotus” goals. Elegant wooden chaise lounges and wood-framed cabanas draped in contemporary towels encompass a primary pool dotted with verdant olive timber. This was actually the hub of exercise on the property and was fairly busy throughout all hours of the day. Apollo Seaside, additionally beneath Nafsika, provides direct entry to the Aegean Sea, and visitors will discover each chaise lounges and personal cabanas obtainable for reservation.

On the far facet of the property, beneath the bungalows and simply past the out of doors Taverna 37, is the smaller, curved Zolotas Seaside.

Slightly below Arion is a placing adults-only infinity pool — by far probably the most quiet and peaceable waterside space. (I by no means noticed greater than two or three individuals at this pool.)

The spa

Astir Palace’s spa was within the Arion constructing and featured a serene indoor lap pool lined with floor-to-ceiling, ocean-facing home windows.

A number of lounge areas with couches and chaises, shrouded in gentle, impartial colours and materials, set the scene for the menu of rejuvenating experiences. All remedies are impressed by historical cures and the teachings of Hippocrates. (For instance, the Giosi foot ritual — $32 — makes use of historical Greek strategies to use aromatic compresses and deep exfoliation to activate nerve reflexes).

Sadly, I did not have the prospect to strive a spa therapy, however strolling via the tranquil house in itself felt like a chance to unwind.

Health

4 Seasons Astir Palace’s 24-hour health heart was spacious and offered loads of treadmills with waterfront views, cardio tools and weights. There was a counter for refreshments and towels, and the middle additionally supplied courses (like core coaching and spinning).

Outdoors of the fitness center, there are tennis courts, a soccer discipline and basketball courts. Court docket leases and tennis classes can be found upon request and rely upon availability.

Insider suggestions

Accessibility at 4 Seasons Astir Palace

4 Seasons Astir Palace does have wheelchair-friendly elevators all through each buildings, however transferring from the buildings to the lower-level seashores and swimming pools might show difficult for some. Accessibility routes weren’t at all times clear. Additionally, the resort doesn’t have a devoted accessibility web page, so there isn’t a indication of whether or not the swimming pools are accessible. (I didn’t see a carry chair.)

There’s a wheelchair-accessible entrance to each main buildings, in addition to a wheelchair-accessible car parking zone.

4 Seasons Astir Palace has 10 accessible rooms, which embrace options like digital doorways that open robotically, lowered bathrooms and roll-in showers with seize rails.

Backside line

My two-night keep at 4 Seasons Astir Palace Lodge Athens left me feeling rejuvenated and relaxed. It additionally gave me an enormous appreciation and respect for the extent of peerless service for which the 4 Seasons model is so well-known. This resort actually embodies that ultraluxury stage of hospitality, and I felt it in each interplay — from my check-in and eating experiences to my exchanges with the seaside attendants and housekeeping workers at turndown service. It was even obvious throughout my drive to the airport when I discovered a boxed breakfast ready for me within the again seat of the automotive — a welcome shock at 5 a.m. There is a cause 4 Seasons is the top of luxurious hospitality for therefore many.

Whereas this stage of luxurious actually comes at a steep worth, these searching for probably the most elegant getaway on this particular pocket of the Aegean shoreline — and so near the joy of Athens — will discover a paradise definitely worth the splurge. Due to the extent of service and cozy lodging in addition to the sprawling nature of the property, it actually appears like there’s a nook for everybody. {Couples} seeking to unwind, households in search of a energetic seaside trip, or these in search of a peaceable solo keep will all discover a dwelling away from dwelling at Astir Palace.

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