Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

This is coming from someone who lives in Dubai and is used to genuinely high service standards. Based on that, I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. From the moment we arrived, the experience was disappointing. The hotel lobby had low ceilings, felt motel-like, and smelled of sewage. I was genuinely shocked and thought we had arrived at the wrong hotel, especially considering we paid significantly more than what comparable luxury hotels cost in Dubai. The room itself was extremely small, with barely any space for luggage storage. We were told this was one of the larger rooms, which made me wonder how guests manage in the smaller ones. Do people only arrive with their small handbags? The service was another major letdown. Staff were noticeably rude and dismissive until a €50 tip was given, after which their attitude suddenly changed. I personally find this behavior disguisting and distasteful. Our experience at Beefbar was equally unpleasant. The Armenian waiter spoke to us in a condescending manner, as if we were children. When we asked for sufficient food, he convinced us to order less. When the portions turned out to be insufficient, instead of apologizing, he brought out a scale to prove the steak was supposedly 600g, while it clearly showed it was actually 580g, which I didn't care but him being petty. Then we were asked to leave because our two-hour seating time had expired. The level of pettiness and rudeness we experienced at Four Seasons Athens left such a bad impression that it genuinely made me question returning to Europe at all. Ironically, we know people who visit this hotel every year, and even they mentioned that this year the staff were “less rude than usual.” At the end of the day, this hotel feels like nothing more than a name, something to brag about rather than a place that delivers true luxury or value. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its reputation in any meaningful way.

It’s been three days since we came back from our 4 days trip to Four seasons Astir Palace Athens. I would like to share my experience and impressions of the hotel and its service not to give negative feedback but to focus on the lack of responsibility of the hotel staff regarding the situation I had! First of all we had paid for two connecting rooms with sea view but the ones we had when we arrived were on the lowest floor, very distant from the main partn, with view of trees infront of us. We asked for new accommodation. afterwards we were accommodated on different floors very far from each other! We hadn’t been compensated for that but it’s not the reason I wrote that review. The real disappointment came on 1st of January, when i had treatment in the spa and forgot my jewelry in the pocket of the gown ai was wearing! I simply attached photos of my conversation with the staff of the hotel to emphasize the reaction and attitude they had and how they neglected my situation! The most offensive for me was the irresponsible behavior and stress they caused me!

Pros: +Spectacular location overlooking the Saronic Gulf +multiple beaches, pools and sun bathing decks, which allowed for a nice change of scenery when staying multiple days +Best tennis hotel facility I’ve seen with multiple courts with a wonderful pro +Pelagos (one Michelin star) had an exceptional tasting menu and wine pairing +Avra cocktails were unique and space was neat Cons: -Poolside service didn’t reach Four Seasons level -Morning view from balcony included previous night’s plates and food from restaurant below -Had to ask the front desk to remove coffee cups near elevator that had been there for an entire day/night

A formal complaint was submitted regarding poor service at one of the restaurants in this hotel; however, no action was taken, and I was completely ignored.

We were visiting Athens for a meeting that we decided to turn into a couples trip. While this hotel is a ways out of the downtown of Athens (an hour during high traffic time) it is well worth it. The facilities are amazing and the rooms are so comfortable. It is on the beach with access to surfing, swimming, and all things water related. There is an amazing spa, tremendous food scene, and the taxi system is easily accessed with the FreeNow app. If we go back to Athens we will definitely stay here again.