FOUR SEASONS ATHENS (Astir Palace) | Ultra-luxury hotel in Greece (full tour)
Welcome to Athens Airport, the largest international airport of Greece Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace can arrange transfers to/from the airport by luxury car The hotel is conveniently located 24 km or 15 mi from Athens Airport (a 20 min drive, traffic dependent) Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace is set on a peninsula in the Athenian Riviera, one of Greece’s most coveted areas The magnificent peninsula stretches across 30 hectares (75 acres) of pine-dotted, landscaped gardens Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace is comprised of two separate buildings, called Arion and Nafiska Let’s first explore the Arion building, which features a retro-chic design aimed at couples and singles Arion's lobby features minimal aesthetics, beautiful flower arrangements, and a soft color palette of sandy hues Have you ever stayed at Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment The lobby lounge has massive floor-to-ceiling windows which open to an expansive terrace offering beautiful sea views Next to the lobby is an exclusive cigar lounge, which pairs the world’s finest cigars with rare cognacs & whiskeys Arion is home to 101 uber-luxurious rooms and suites I stayed in this suite during my visit: the phenomenal, two-bedroom Arion Royal Suite The regal suite features a living & dining room, open kitchen, TV room, office area and two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms Welcome amenities include local snacks, fresh fruits and a bottle of Champagne Guests of this suite benefit from exclusive services, including meet-and-greet airport service & a dedicated personal assistant The suite's master bedroom enjoys a beautiful sea view The ensuite marble bathroom is equipped with twin vanity sinks, a deep soaking tub and a separate shower The second bedroom is a bit smaller compared to the suite's master bedroom but it features a similar layout The massive suite embraces the outdoors with an expansive pool terrace overlooking the Aegean Sea Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace features three pools, one of them located next to the Arion building The adults-only infinity pool offers a serene ambiance as well as fabulous sea views due to its elevated position At short distance from Arion is the hotel's Nafiska wing On arrival, guests are welcomed by a water feature and an Antony Gormley sculpture with a backdrop of white pillars Nafiska’s lobby is located on the building's top floor, providing magnificent views over the Mediterranean Sea The lobby features a darker color palette compared to Arion, creating a beautiful contrast with the blue color of the sea & sky While Arion’s sophisticated design is aimed at couples & singles, Nafiska's decor feels more relaxed and family orientated Nafsika’s lobby looks out over the social hub Avra Lounge & Terrace (I'll explore this lounge later in this video) At Nafsika, the hotel facilities cascade down from the lobby on the top floor to the Olympic-size swimming pool area below Open to guests of all ages, Nafiska's swimming pool is particularly popular among families with children You may wonder why the pool is empty but I took this footage right after sunrise as not to bother other guests Astir Palace has been one of the most iconic hotels in Greece for more than 50 years As an entity, Astir was first created in the late 1950s, gracing the pine covered peninsula of Laimos in Vouliagmeni In 1961, the cabanas of Astir started hosting guests and a waterskiing school – a novelty at the time – was opened In the 1960s, Astir Beach of Vouliagmeni – Athen's best swimming spot – also became a popular meeting point In 1967, Hotel Arion was created followed by Nafsika in 1979 In 2015, the site closed for a $700 million USD overhaul which involved a top-to-bottom renovation of the hotel K-Studio handled the architectural aspects of the renovation, while Meyer Davis and Martin Brudnizki worked on the interiors In 2019, following the completion of the renovation, Astir Palace reopened as a Four Seasons Hotel The sublime Four Seasons Hotel re-imagines the beach-side luxury of the legendary, mid-century Astir Palace It does get busy at Nafsika's pool area during the day One of the Four Seasons Hotel's’ best selling points is its enormous private shoreline Two private golden sand beaches are strung together by a 300 m (1000 ft) seafront boardwalk The beaches & boardwalk feature plenty of sun loungers, with dozens of staff members providing impeccable service Since 2019, Astir Palace is managed by Four Seasons, probably the most famous luxury hotel brand in the world Four Seasons was founded in 1960 by Canadian architect and businessman Isadore Sharp Sharp opened his first Four Seasons Hotel in 1961 on an unlikely downtown site in Canada's largest city, Toronto In 1963, Sharp opened his second hotel in Toronto, the 'Inn on the Park', which housed Canada's first discothèque Luxury became a signature of the brand in the 1970s, with the opening of the first international hotel, Four Seasons London In 1986, the company went public while more Four Seasons Hotels were added to its global portfolio In 2007, Sharp took the company private again, with the aim to protect the integrity of the brand well into the future Set along the shoreline and open seasonally, is Taverna 37, a vibrant seafront taverna which showcases Greek specialties I’ll have breakfast & dinner here later in this video It’s time for a hearty lunch Let’s continue our stroll on the boardwalk, which connects the Arion and Nafiska hotel buildings A small, intimate boutique is located along the boardwalk Offering a lively Latin American vibe, Helios is a poolside restaurant located below the Nafiska building Helios’ menu includes zesty ceviches & tiraditos, piquant tacos, guacamole, and grilled meat cuts Besides Arion and Nafiska, the hotel also features a third resort area, which is reached by a short buggy ride The third resort area comprises 61 hillside bungalows which are set in their own pine-clad enclave overlooking the sea Originally built in the early 1960s, these bungalows are perfect for guests seeking more space and complete privacy The area where the bungalows are located features its own idyllic shoreline with a golden sand beach The 5-star hotel offers stunning views of the sunset Let’s have dinner at Pelagos, the hotel’s one Michelin starred restaurant Pelagos is named after the Greek word for ocean and set within the Arion building (on the lobby level) The restaurant offers a forward-looking interpretation of fine dining using seasonal produce of the Mediterranean Sea Dakos, tomato, oregan, carob & olive cracker Mint ceviche, yellowtail, pistachio, cherries & elderflower Cretan escargots, green beans, caviar & wild garlic Pilaf rice, blue crab, dictamo & vadouvan Scorpina, red bell pepper & Kakavia sauce Lamb, wild greens, plum & sfakiani pitta Loukoumades, graviera & honey Olive oil, peach & lavender Baba au rum, banana & chantilly Taverna 37 offers a casual dining experience, serving shared mezzes, grilled lamb, chicken souvlaki and fried calamari Mercato Restaurant in the Nafiska wing brings to life the vibrance of an upscale Italian trattoria The venue serves authentic Italian dishes in an elegant dining room and large terrace overlooking the Athenian Riviera The next morning ... A delicious à la carte breakfast is offered at Taverna 37 Guests can also have breakfast at Mercato Restaurant, which offers a buffet with à la carte hot dishes Located next to Mercato is Avra, a true destination bar offering seasonal cocktails, elevated bar snacks and live DJs Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace features a stunning spa & wellness center (located in the Arion building) Inspired by ancient Greek traditions, the Fountain House is the spa's hydrotherapy adults-only zone The spa features state-of-the-art facilities, including an aroma steam grotto, hammam, vitality pool and chill showers The spa takes to heart the sage words of Hippocrates - “Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always” An arcade-like corridor, illuminated by daylight filtered through wooden ceiling slats, leads to the treatment rooms Teatments are provided by the spa’s excellent therapists Four Seasons Astir Palace has a fully equipped gym, which is located on the ground floor of the Nafiska hotel building
2023-12-17 09:03
