Hilton is making a luxury play in Greece with a new hotel and branded residences
Greece just keeps getting better and better — especially for Hilton Honors loyalists looking to visit Athens.
Just announced, the former Hilton Athens will transform into a multipurpose destination called The Ilisian, which will include the Conrad Athens hotel, plus Conrad- and Waldorf Astoria-branded residences alongside a series of restaurants, bars and more.
Found in Athens' Ilisia neighborhood, east of major tourist attractions like the Acropolis, The Ilisian "seeks to blend contemporary international trends with the city's heritage, creating a meeting place for Athenians and visitors alike," according to a statement from Ionian Hotel Enterprises.
Before undergoing its current transformation, the historic building served as the Hilton Athens, a property that brought Greece into the international luxury tourism sector. When it opened in 1963, then-first lady Jacqueline Kennedy was at the grand opening party.
Related: Everything to know about Hilton Honors
Now, 61 years later, the building will stay in the Hilton family, with a focus on the company's luxury brands. The Conrad Athens will have 278 rooms and suites, as well as conference and event spaces. Additionally, 55 serviced residences will be branded as the Conrad Residences Athens, The Ilisian and Waldorf Astoria Athens, The Ilisian.
The combined hotel and residences complex will also feature the largest pool landscape in Athens, a rooftop garden and an outdoor sports areas.
Across from The Ilisian, there will be 10 bars, restaurants and lounges, including a contemporary take on the Hilton Athens' iconic Galaxy Bar, called The Galaxy Dispensary and The Galaxy Supper Club, located on the top floor. There will also be a new take on the famed Athens restaurant The Byzantino, serving a menu of Greek-French fusion cuisine; a Japanese restaurant; a lobby bar; a poolside restaurant and bar; and more.
The Ilisian will also offer a Soho House-like membership club, with members access to lounge areas, work areas, a gym, and indoor and outdoor pools, as well as entertainment and club programming.
In the wellness areas of the multibrand property, there will be pickleball courts, a running track, specialized training studios, and a wellness clinic and spa offering treatments ranging from acupuncture to aesthetic treatments.
A full-service community concept, it will even include a retail complex, with the center being a curated concept store offering fashion, art and design, including luxury products not yet available in the country.
During the remodeling and construction of The Ilisian, public art installations will be on view around the building. These will highlight the building's historic past, local street art and works from emerging Greek artists, among other things.
At an event unveiling The Ilisan, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis doubled down that the property will connect Athens' past with its hopeful future, adding that, "Its modern operation will once again, in its own way, become part of the new image of a country that has new and great horizons."
The Ilisian is expected to open next year.
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