Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens Places #35 in the Inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels Awards

In a fitting end to an outstanding summer season on the Athenian Riviera, the fabled Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens has achieved #35 in the first edition of The World's 50 Best Hotels, unveiled at a ceremony at London's iconic Guildhall on September 19, 2023.

The long-awaited list is 50 Best’s first foray into the world of travel and its first new global ranking since the launch of The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2009. It includes remarkable hotels from 35 locations across six continents, including a total of four Four Seasons hotels and resorts, the largest number of any single hospitality group.

The inclusion of the 30-hectare (75-acre) sanctuary of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel, located just 30 minutes from the Greek capital’s historic centre, is the latest in a string of accolades since the iconic seaside sanctuary reopened in 2019 following a EUR 650 million renovation.

“The entire Four Seasons Astir Palace team is pausing for a moment of well-deserved celebration tonight,” comments General Manager Philippe Roux-Dessarps, referring to a peak season total of some 900 hotel employees. “Recognition by the 50 Best’s team is testament to the joyful energy and caring dedication that each team member delivers to each guest in our beautiful Aegean haven. It’s been quite a year for us – in the best possible way – but awards like this only inspire us to work even harder to elevate the experiences we offer and surprise our guests even more with each visit.”

Offering access to the best of Greece – UNESCO heritage sites, seaside serenity and island excursions – from a single resort-style setting, the Hotel has held a place in the history books since its 1961 opening and acclaim as legendary hangout of Brigitte Bardot, Jackie Onassis and Frank Sinatra. The World's 50 Best Hotels accolade caps an exceptional year for the 303-key property, having also received its first Forbes Five Star designation in 2023 and named “Best City Hotel in Athens” in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2023.

Today’s guests come for lazy days that segue into languid nights by the three private sandy coves and two pools; adrenaline-fuelled water sports across a sparkling bay; on-site gastronomic odysseys at eight restaurants, lounges and bars, and indulgence at the adults-only, Hippocrates-inspired spa. Adventurers are just 45 minutes from both the Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon, while the Hotel’s ocean-edge location enables exploratory boat trips to the hidden coves and sleepy villages of the rugged Saronic and Cyclades islands.

Recent new on-site additions include a professional Tennis Academy in partnership with Tipsarevic Luxury Tennis – which will play host to the inaugural Riviera Masters Open Tennis Tournament October 7-8, 2023 – and the evolution of Avra, the Hotel’s striking sea-view destination bar, rooted in an impassioned commitment to pure pleasure.

About The World’s 50 Best Hotels

Following the success of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The World’s 50 Best Bars, 50 Best launched The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023, marking the brand’s first global launch since 2009. The World’s 50 Best Hotels list is created by The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, an influential group of more than 580 independent leaders, each selected for their expert opinion of the international hotel scene. The World’s 50 Best Hotels event programme – including the awards ceremony and unveiling of the list – provides a unique opportunity to unite hoteliers, restaurateurs, bar owners, media, business travellers and luxury travellers at a captivating celebration of hospitality, passion and talent. The resulting list is the first ranking of its kind to inspire consumers to book stays at the finest 50 properties in the world. The inaugural awards ceremony was held on 19 September 2023.

About William Reed

The World’s 50 Best Hotels list is owned and organised by William Reed, which also publishes The World's 50 Best Restaurants, launched in 2002, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (both launched in 2013), Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants (2022), as well as The World’s 50 Best Bars (2009), Asia’s 50 Best Bars (2016) and North America’s 50 Best Bars (2022). William Reed is entirely responsible for the organisation of the awards, the voting system and the list.