NHYM 2025, Four Seasons Astir Palace

A friend recently asked me where to travel for Easter break and May half-term, which was not too far, had good weather for swimming, with a bit of culture but not too much that the kids would start complaining. I knew exactly where to send her. Last year, I finally made it to a hotel I have been eyeing since its opening during Easter break: The Four Seasons, Astir Palace on the Athenian Riviera, Greece. While technically not in Athens, it is only a cab ride away and offers the best of all worlds: a beautiful, seaside hotel, the best service around, plenty of excellent restaurants, things for the kids (pools, kids clubs and more), things for the adults (spa etc..), and plenty of culture within reach in Athens. And of course, all our children have been exposed to Greek mythology with the Percy books, so for any fans of Greek mythology, this is a great place to come.

The Pool. NHYM 2025

We came as a multi-generational family, and it has something to please everyone: sun and sea for the granny, pool and fun for the kids, boat days for me, good food for Mr. X, and culture, for well, everyone.

View from our room. NHYM 2025

The morning seaview was a pleasure to wake up to every day. The rooms are tastefully decorated, as is the whole hotel. There is a sophisticated luxury vibe, with added local touches of olive trees all around the property. With the Four Seasons, you always know what you’re going to get: a perfect combination of luxury and service. This Four Seasons manages to do this seamlessly: the lobby is filled with elaborate floral displays and the staff is friendly but professional, which is different to some hotels where the staff can be a little too uptight and cold. The facilities are excellent, from the spa to the restaurants to the pools to the gift shop, to the terraces. The restaurants include the main restaurant Pelago with beautiful seaviews, Beefbar (always yummy), Matsuhisa (beautiful views although a bit too expensive in my taste) and the water-side Greek taverna restaurant is also very good for a dose of Greek cuisine. There are multiple hotels on site, but we stayed in the main one, which suited us perfectly.

The Acropolis. NHYM 2025

For our hit of culture, we took the whole family for some sight-seeing in Athens with a tour guide, which is an absolute must. I am lucky enough to know people who live in cities all over the world, and love to meet them to get a real flavour of the place. I had dinner with one of our friends in Athens (well, friend of friend, but that still counts!) who invited us to a cool, trendy Athenian restaurant. There, he explained the difference between North Athenians vs the South Athenians. The Four Seasons is South of Athens and fits in where the new money is. North of Athens is old money, more traditional, with Ambassadors and old families and good schools.

Hydra. NHYM 2025

For me, a boat day is always a highlight of my trips, and this time, it was for my kids. We took a day trip to Spetses and Hydra, which are both beautiful islands accessible by boat, both with their unique personalities and fans. A question I learned to ask any Athenian: are you Spetses or are you Hydra? Spetses is for the old money aristocracy, and Hydra is more for the artists and writers (Leonard Cohen lived there). I loved both for different reasons, but I have to say that Hydra stole my heart with its charming Marina, although there were too many tourists. Spetses is quiet, off the beaten path, which people love because it doesn’t attract too many tourists. I have many friends who spend their summers on Spetses, so I’d love to go back in the summer.

Hydra Marina. NHYM 2025

For a quick weekend away or a multi-generational family trip, the Four Seasons Astir Palace is highly recommended. It won’t disappoint, and collects awards and accolades each year. In 2025, it was voted 17th best hotel in the world in the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 and even the new Michelin Guide awarded it 3 Michelin keys. So for anyone looking for a perfect mix of sea, service, luxury and culture, easily accessible from London, it’s hard to beat.

View from Matsuhisa. NHYM 2025