Four Seasons Astir Palace Resort

Hill provided project management for the redevelopment of the Astir Palace Resort in Athens, Greece. Known as the “Crown Jewel” of the Athenian coastline and located on pristine beach front property in the town of Vouliagmeni, the resort spans more than 300,000 SM (75 acres) and comprises a pair of 5-star hotels, 58 bungalows, and concession options at the neighboring luxury yacht marina, as well as properties on nearby Astir Beach.

Hill’s services helped the client redevelop the property into a high-end international hospitality destination. The resort features elegant architecture and design along with sustainable technologies combined to create the “Astir Experience” for guests. 

The Astir is a top luxury destination—a destination in the wider Mediterranean region that places Greece and the Athens Riviera firmly on the global luxury tourism map, comparable to destinations in France, Italy, and Spain. To achieve this status, the owner’s vision was to incorporate Astir’s history and identity, while elevating the resort to contemporary standards and transforming it into a genuine world-class lifestyle destination. More than €100 million was invested to refurbish and upgrade the resort’s facilities, including 303 rooms, suites, and luxury bungalows; spa and recreational facilities; conference and event spaces; infinity pools; beaches; a unique beachfront promenade; a helipad; and more. 

A key challenge was maintaining the historic character of the Astir. As such, the team had to adjust the existing space plan of the hotels to support the requirements of a first-class operation, including front-of-house and back-of-house kitchens, equipment rooms, staff facilities, etc. From a purely technical/construction perspective, challenges included a thorough scan of the existing structural conditions, which was possible only after the resort ceased operating. This revealed the need to carry out structural strengthening to meet current code requirements, accommodate state-of-the-art MEP/utilities within the existing envelope, and manage unforeseen conditions encountered during construction. The latter in particular required ongoing adjustments to the design. Despite occasional setbacks, everyone involved worked to overcome these challenges, showcasing strong commitment and resilience throughout.

The project was a first-of-its-kind locally, in terms of the high hospitality standards designed, procured, and constructed, and arguably the first-of its-kind in the Eastern Mediterranean region. In essence, the project’s value chain was created by implementing a global project on a local scale, and this experience will now transfer to other projects in Greece. The osmosis between the international participants and the reputable Greek firms/suppliers involved was mutually beneficial. Through the investment, jobs were created, senior wisdom amalgamated with junior professionals, and Greek staff repatriated from abroad.

The project received a Global Best Projects Award of Merit in the Residential/Hospitality category from ENR.

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