Four Seasons Astir Palace Resort

Hill provided project management services for the redevelopment of the Astir Palace Resort in Athens, Greece. Known as the “crown jewel” of the Athenian coastline and located on beachfront 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 facilities at the neighboring luxury yacht marina and on nearby Astir Beach.

Hill’s services helped the client redevelop the property into a high-end international hospitality destination featuring elegant architecture, world-class amenities, and sustainable technologies to create the “Astir Experience” for guests. To achieve this, the owner’s vision was to maintain the resort’s history and identity while elevating its facilities—including 303 rooms, suites, and luxury bungalows; a spa and recreational areas; conference and event spaces; infinity pools; beaches and a unique beachfront promenade; a helipad; and more—to contemporary standards.

A key challenge was maintaining the historic character of the Astir. The team had to adjust the existing space plan of the hotels to meet the requirements of a first-class operation, including front-of-house and back-of-house kitchens, equipment rooms, staff facilities, etc. A thorough scan of the existing structural conditions, which was possible only after the resort ceased operating, also revealed the need to carry out structural strengthening to meet current code requirements and accommodate state-of-the-art MEP systems/utilities within the existing envelope. These, as well as unforeseen conditions encountered during construction, required ongoing adjustments to the design. Despite occasional setbacks, the entire project team worked together to overcome challenges, showcasing strong commitment and resilience throughout the redevelopment.

The project set a benchmark for hospitality standards locally, and its implementation provided best practices and lessons learned for other hospitality projects throughout Greece. In particular, the osmosis between the international participants and the reputable Greek firms/suppliers involved was beneficial. Additionally, the investment spurred job creation, facilitated knowledge transfer and the development of junior professionals, and repatriated Greek staff from abroad.

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

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