Best Hotel in Athens: Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens Scoops Coveted World’s Best Award from Travel + Leisure

Kicking off the peak summer season with a heart-warming high, the chic beachside sanctuary of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens has been named #1 Favourite Hotel in Athens in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2023. Stretched across a pine-clad peninsula just 30 minutes from Athens’ historic centre, the Athenian haven is one of many Four Seasons properties to be honoured in this year’s World’s Best Awards, including the highest honour for Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet as #1 Favourite Hotel in the World.  

Recognised as the “voice of the sophisticated traveller,” Travel + Leisure has a global audience of more than 15 million and a social media following of more than 13 million. Each year, the World’s Best award winners are selected through a reader survey that asks respondents to vote for their most inspiring travel experiences, including cities, hotels, resorts, and more.

A prestigious brand with an equal dedication to immersive and meaningful travel, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened its first hotel in 1961. Now operating 126 hotels and resorts, and 53 residential properties in major city centres and resort destinations in 47 countries – and with more than 50 projects under planning or development – the iconic company prides itself on the highest standards of hospitality, a value recognised through myriad industry awards.

Committed to elevating the luxury hotel market in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean since it reopened in 2019 after a full renovation, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens is no stranger to accolades and recognition. The dazzling 30-hectare (75-acre) property received its first Forbes Five Star designation in 2023 - the first property in the Greek capital to achieve the award – as well as being named Greece’s Leading Luxury Hotel in 2022 at the World Travel Awards. Its flagship restaurant, Pelagos (“ocean” in Greek), won its first Michelin star in 2021 within six months of opening.

“There’s a distinct feel of celebration here on the Athens Riviera,” says Philippe Roux- Dessarps, General Manager. “This accolade is as much about honouring the global hospitality vision of Four Seasons company as it is about the dedication of our wonderful Astir Palace team. Like a family, they’ve united from all over the world to create truly meaningful experiences for every guest and this award is testament to the care and commitment of each and every one of them.”

Alongside its hard-working team, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens showcases 303 modern-luxe accommodations arranged across three different types for couples, families and groups. Guests are immersed in a resort-like feel upon arrival – just 30 minutes from Athens airport – with three private sandy coves, eight restaurants, lounges and bars and a thrilling array of water sports available across a glittering bay. The adults-only spa includes an aroma steam grotto, sauna, and hammam facilities, while a high-end Tennis Academy in partnership with Tipsarevic Luxury Tennis allows guests to hone their backhand before a refreshing rose overlooking the sparkling Saronic Sea.

The Hotel is also perfectly placed to connect guests to the surrounding area, from private boat trips to the hidden coves and sleepy villages of the Saronic and Cyclades islands to tours of the city’s ancient Acropolis, wine-tasting, olive-oil tasting, and more.