4 Seasons Astir Palace Resort Athens assessment

What’s 4 Seasons Astir Palace Resort Athens?

The 4 Seasons Astir Palace Resort 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 relationship again to the early Nineteen Sixties when it opened as an elegant 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 often to off-duty enterprise folks, 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 encompassing 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. Employees are attentive and pleasant, but not overbearing. Floral shows within the foyer and across the property are magnificent and luxurious; 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 company. 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 individuals who cannot learn Greek. The resort recommends utilizing taxis or arranging a limousine or luxurious automotive rental by way of the concierge. You will discover a concierge within the spacious, ethereal lobbies of the 2 essential buildings, Nafsika and Arion.

How a lot 4 Seasons Astir Palace prices and how you can guide 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 complete (200 rooms, 42 suites and 61 bungalows). Room sorts vary from Arion pine-view rooms (430 sq. toes) and Nafsika sea-view rooms (473 sq. toes) to stately suites, together with the Arion presidential suite (2,260 sq. toes) and the Nafsika ambassador suite (2,367 sq. toes). Company may also keep in a number of varieties 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 value. 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, because of 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 by way of 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 area for clothes and sneakers). The toilet 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 aspect of sliding glass doorways. Every bedside desk had a small lamp and charging stations (USB and USB-C in addition to European retailers). There was an iPad on one aspect that I might use to peruse facilities, guide spa providers or order room service.

Artwork was minimal and stylish — delicately framed nonetheless images or trendy artworks that mirrored the neutral-hued coloration scheme.

The white-marble lavatory featured a black-and-white tiled flooring, a small wash closet for the bathroom on one aspect 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 right down to create extra privateness between the bed room and toilet.

To my delight, all bathtub merchandise had been Diptyque. Towels had been fluffy and plentiful, as anticipated from 4 Seasons. There was a high-powered hair dryer below 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 number of teas.

The terrace, the place I spent most of my time, was beautiful. 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 under, 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 usually inconsistent throughout on-site eating places. This was decidedly not the case at Astir Palace. Fairly, I discovered the meals to be expertly crafted with recent, native elements delivered by environment friendly, pleasant waitstaff. Although I did not get to strive all 10 retailers, I did check out a couple of.

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

I loved lunch at Helios, the outside restaurant that flanks the primary pool space; it options upbeat music and a Latin-inspired sharing menu. The vibes right here had been full of life, and the meals was scrumptious. I loved pibil tacos consisting of slow-cooked rooster breast with annatto, avocado and pickled onion (about $22) and recent 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 a number of the sweetest cherry tomatoes I’ve ever eaten, paired with avocado, strawberries and recent Katiki cheese from Domokos ($27).

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

Dinner at Pelagos, within the Arion constructing, is a positive eating expertise to not be missed. The Greek restaurant has obtained one Michelin star, and it was a spotlight of my time in Greece. The inside was trendy and stylish, with a gleaming midcentury-style bar, and the skin 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 by way of a pleasant expertise of native flavors and seasonal elements, all artfully plated and delivered with a number of the greatest restaurant service I’ve skilled.

Dishes included a trio of native olive oils with recent 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 in depth footprint between two sprawling buildings and a lot shoreline, one might spend every 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. toes 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 essential pool (which is family-friendly) sits under Nafsika, and it is the stuff of “White Lotus” desires. Elegant wooden chaise lounges and wood-framed cabanas draped in recent towels encompass a essential pool dotted with verdant olive bushes. This was definitely the hub of exercise on the property and was fairly busy throughout all hours of the day. Apollo Seashore, additionally under Nafsika, provides direct entry to the Aegean Sea, and company will discover each chaise lounges and personal cabanas accessible for reservation.

On the far aspect of the property, under the bungalows and simply past the outside Taverna 37, is the smaller, curved Zolotas Seashore.

Slightly below Arion is a hanging adults-only infinity pool — by far probably the most quiet and peaceable waterside space. (I by no means noticed greater than two or three folks 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 smooth, impartial colours and materials, set the scene for the menu of rejuvenating experiences. All therapies are impressed by historic treatments and the teachings of Hippocrates. (For instance, the Giosi foot ritual — $32 — makes use of historic Greek methods to use aromatic compresses and deep exfoliation to activate nerve reflexes).

Sadly, I did not have the possibility to strive a spa remedy, however strolling by way of the tranquil area 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 gear and weights. There was a counter for refreshments and towels, and the middle additionally provided courses (like core coaching and spinning).

Exterior 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 could show difficult for some. Accessibility routes weren’t all the time clear. Additionally, the resort doesn’t have a devoted accessibility web page, so there isn’t any indication of whether or not the swimming pools are accessible. (I didn’t see a raise chair.)

There’s a wheelchair-accessible entrance to each major 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 mechanically, lowered bathrooms and roll-in showers with seize rails.

Backside line

My two-night keep at 4 Seasons Astir Palace Resort 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 employees 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 motive 4 Seasons is the head of luxurious hospitality for therefore many.

Whereas this stage of luxurious definitely comes at a steep value, these in the hunt 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. Because of the extent of service and cozy lodging in addition to the sprawling nature of the property, it actually looks like there’s a nook for everybody. {Couples} trying to unwind, households searching for a full of life seaside trip, or these searching for a peaceable solo keep will all discover a dwelling away from dwelling at Astir Palace.

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