Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

At the tip of a pine covered peninsula on the Athenian Riviera, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens combines the pleasures of a Mediterranean resort with private beaches, exceptional dining and the cultural riches of the Greek capital within easy reach.

Astir Palace has occupied one of the great addresses of the Athens coastline for decades, and the arrival of Four Seasons has given the legendary peninsula a new chapter. The sea wraps around much of the property, pine trees reach almost to the water and paths thread between beaches, gardens and terraces, creating the feeling of having escaped the city despite Athens remaining remarkably close.

There are two distinct hotel buildings, Arion and Nafsika, together with a collection of bungalows scattered closer to the shoreline. Each has its own character and outlook, so the considerable scale rarely feels overwhelming. One moment you can be beside a lively pool or restaurant and the next walking through the pines towards a quiet stretch of water, with the peninsula itself becoming as important to the stay as any single part of the hotel.

Rooms & Suites

The 303 rooms, suites and bungalows make excellent use of their surroundings, with floor to ceiling windows, generous terraces and views that alternate between the Aegean and the peninsula’s pine trees. Arion and Nafsika offer everything from elegant sea view rooms to substantial one bedroom suites, including categories with private gardens and pools.

The bungalows bring you closer to the landscape. Tucked among the gardens and nearer the shoreline, they have a more secluded character, with sea and garden view options alongside private pool bungalows and larger bungalow suites. Waking here, stepping onto the terrace and seeing the water through the pines is one of the loveliest ways to experience Astir Palace.

At the top of the collection, the Arion Riviera, Presidential and Royal suites introduce considerably more space and privacy, with private pools in selected categories and expansive outdoor living designed to make full use of the peninsula setting.

Dining

Dining is one of the great pleasures of staying here because each restaurant feels connected to a different part of the peninsula. Pelagos brings a refined approach to Mediterranean seafood, while Mercato takes its cues from an Italian trattoria, creating two very different reasons to dress for dinner without leaving the hotel.

Closer to the water, Taverna 37 celebrates Greek cooking in the kind of seaside setting where lunch can quite happily occupy most of the afternoon. Avra, Helios, Astron and Aristotle’s broaden the choice further, moving between relaxed daytime dining, drinks and more polished evening occasions.

The result is a resort where meals become part of discovering the property. Breakfast might begin beside the sea, lunch can follow a morning on the beach and dinner provides an excuse to move somewhere completely different after sunset, with the cigar lounge waiting afterwards for rare whiskies, cognacs and cigars.

Experience

The peninsula gives Astir Palace an extraordinary amount of coastline to play with. Private beaches and sheltered swimming areas make the Aegean part of everyday life, while sea kayaking, windsurfing, diving and other water sports provide plenty of reasons to venture beyond the sunbed.

Five tennis courts, fitness classes, yoga and a broad programme of activities extend the possibilities inland. Families are equally well catered for, with a kids’ club, play spaces and organised activities allowing the hotel to work just as naturally for a family summer holiday as it does for a few days beside the sea after exploring Athens.

Yet some of the best moments require no planning at all. Walking the peninsula beneath the pines, finding another place to swim or settling beside the water as the heat begins to leave the day gives Astir Palace the leisurely rhythm of an island resort, despite the Acropolis being only a drive away.

Wellness

The spa is a destination in its own right, with ten treatment rooms supported by an indoor lap pool, vitality pool, hammam and a comprehensive collection of therapies. Massages, facials and body treatments sit alongside yoga, personal training and an extensive fitness programme, making wellness a substantial part of the resort rather than an occasional addition.

There is something particularly satisfying about retreating here after a morning in Athens or a day in the sun, then emerging in time for another swim before dinner. That ability to move between city, sea and complete relaxation is one of the qualities that makes Astir Palace such an unusual proposition.

Where

Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens occupies the Astir peninsula on the Athenian Riviera, with Glyfada Marina approximately 9 kilometres away, central Athens around 30 minutes by car and Athens International Airport approximately 24 kilometres from the hotel.

Media