Astir Palace Complex, Athens, Greece (Luxury Collection & Westin)[Master Thread]
#61
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Lafayette, CO, USA
Programs: SPG Lifetime Plat, AA Gold, UA Gold, DL Silver, HH Gold, Vail Epic
Posts: 9,096
Great review! I forgot about the automatic curtains!
#62
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ottawa, ON
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hertz President's Circle, Hilton Gold
Posts: 391
The town i mean is vouliagmeni where most of the restaurants are. The other pricey seafood ones are closer. I went to Loizidis I think it was called. Authentic greek food at reasonable prices. Definitely check it out!
#63
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat, AMEX Centurion (And All That Goes With It)
Posts: 393
I stayed here last year between X-mas and New Years. Too cold to swim or anything like that (the Westin was also closed then, just their restaurant was open). Beautiful property. One of the nicest I have seen anywhere.
#65
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 413
vouliagmeni has plenty of places to eat. our favourite was zaxos grill who also does takeaway. greek grill stuff, fast service, good food, cheap. across from zaxos is a more family-type taverna, also very good and tzatziki that makes you smell for a week....:-)
btw, no more free lounge use at the Arion for Plats when staying at the Westin....also the spa at the arion is no longer free, unless you are PLAT.
overall the place is great, drawback is that the beach/sea tend to get garbage (plastic, stuff).
one comment made by staff was that the W wont come....it will continue to be delayed....not sure how true that is though.
#66
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Programs: HH Diam, IHG Pl, Sirius G,Bonvoy LTG,Melia Pl,Shangri-La Diam,UA*G,Emirates G,Virgin Atl. G,Hertz PC
Posts: 167
Arion Astir Palace
I stayed at this Luxury Collection property from 10-17 october. I was upgraded to a Excelsior Club Suite on the 4th (top) floor with a huge balcony and fantastic sea views. The staff was overall very friendly. The lounge however is really strange. You just walk into it from the elevator or stairs and most of the time it was unmanned so anybody could come in/out.
As a platinum member, I (and family) had free access to the spa and indoor pool (25€/person otherwise), the pool is really great with fantastic sea views.
On the downside, the outside pool was home for a colony of seagulls and there were no pool towels. We went to the (much bigger) Westin pool and to the beach.
Overall a great property...
As a platinum member, I (and family) had free access to the spa and indoor pool (25€/person otherwise), the pool is really great with fantastic sea views.
On the downside, the outside pool was home for a colony of seagulls and there were no pool towels. We went to the (much bigger) Westin pool and to the beach.
Overall a great property...
#67
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CGK/LAX
Programs: KF,JMB, OZ, SPG,AA,UA,AS
Posts: 1,163
#69
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: MUC
Programs: LH Sen // HH Dia; Bonvoy LTTE
Posts: 3,205
The lounge is .... a joke. The lounge consists of some chairs in the gangway, some drinks and fingerfood.
The hotel is quite nice. I stayed there in October 2010 and received an upgrade to a suite with sea view. Outdoor pool area and beach area are relaxing - especially if the weather is fine. Indoor pool and Spa are free of charge for Platinums.
The hotel is quite nice. I stayed there in October 2010 and received an upgrade to a suite with sea view. Outdoor pool area and beach area are relaxing - especially if the weather is fine. Indoor pool and Spa are free of charge for Platinums.
#70
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: SPG Plat, HH Silver, UA 1K, DL Silver
Posts: 190
Just got back from a 7 day stay at the Westin Athens. The hotel itself was great. I loved the large balcony overlooking the ocean, the private beach, and the pool. It was extremely tranquil and relaxing.
As many people have mentioned, the food is very expensive. To avoid the 30 Euro per person breakfasts, my girlfriend and I went to Vouliagmeni and found a grocery store where we bought a loaf of bread, some bananas, jam, etc. and ate that for breakfast. It was a much better value. We also went into town for most of the dinners. We went to many of the restaurants mentioned here and all of them were very good. We usually just walked along the main strip and went into the ones that looked good. Bulk wine was an amazing deal at 5 Euro or so for a liter. Not the best in the world, but pretty solid especially for the price. The biggest issue we had was what to do for lunch. We didn't necessarily want to eat the same thing again that we had for breakfast, but sandwiches were all right around the 20 Euro mark. Although we broke down and did this for two of the days, the sandwiches were not even close to worth that price.
On the last night we went the the Blue Hytra restaurant at the hotel after seeing a few reviews and noting that it was a 1 Michelin star. I was really looking forward to the restaurant and was actually rather disappointed. The food was similar to WD-50 in New York with the chefs trying to change the texture of foods in unexpected ways. I appreciate the attempt, but it was not very successful. There were four foams over the seven course meal, which is a little silly. Normally I prefer savory courses over deserts, but at Blue Hytra this was not the case. The desert was great and the main courses were very disappointing. The price of the restaurant was as terrible as I was fearing, 70 Euro a person, but I enjoyed the meals at any other place considerably more.
Overall, the hotel was a great value for the points, but I would probably not return because of the food options. If they offered decent value lunch options, it would not have been an issue. But as it is, the food was just way too expensive.
(If anyone wants a more in depth review of Blue Hytra, let me know. I can give you a course by course breakdown and love to talk about food.)
As many people have mentioned, the food is very expensive. To avoid the 30 Euro per person breakfasts, my girlfriend and I went to Vouliagmeni and found a grocery store where we bought a loaf of bread, some bananas, jam, etc. and ate that for breakfast. It was a much better value. We also went into town for most of the dinners. We went to many of the restaurants mentioned here and all of them were very good. We usually just walked along the main strip and went into the ones that looked good. Bulk wine was an amazing deal at 5 Euro or so for a liter. Not the best in the world, but pretty solid especially for the price. The biggest issue we had was what to do for lunch. We didn't necessarily want to eat the same thing again that we had for breakfast, but sandwiches were all right around the 20 Euro mark. Although we broke down and did this for two of the days, the sandwiches were not even close to worth that price.
On the last night we went the the Blue Hytra restaurant at the hotel after seeing a few reviews and noting that it was a 1 Michelin star. I was really looking forward to the restaurant and was actually rather disappointed. The food was similar to WD-50 in New York with the chefs trying to change the texture of foods in unexpected ways. I appreciate the attempt, but it was not very successful. There were four foams over the seven course meal, which is a little silly. Normally I prefer savory courses over deserts, but at Blue Hytra this was not the case. The desert was great and the main courses were very disappointing. The price of the restaurant was as terrible as I was fearing, 70 Euro a person, but I enjoyed the meals at any other place considerably more.
Overall, the hotel was a great value for the points, but I would probably not return because of the food options. If they offered decent value lunch options, it would not have been an issue. But as it is, the food was just way too expensive.
(If anyone wants a more in depth review of Blue Hytra, let me know. I can give you a course by course breakdown and love to talk about food.)
#71
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sydney
Posts: 5,769
Im booked in there on my free resort nights.next week
anyone had any recent stays there?
how are the upgrades using these free resort nights?
I understand that a cab to Astir from airport would be about 20 euro?
and Astir still has lounge so free breakky
anything else I need to know?
anyone had any recent stays there?
how are the upgrades using these free resort nights?
I understand that a cab to Astir from airport would be about 20 euro?
and Astir still has lounge so free breakky
anything else I need to know?
#73
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sydney
Posts: 5,769
O M G
I have stayed at some awesome places in my life
i consider this is in the top three
checked in today using free nights.
got top floor suite view to die for,
terrrace with sunbed for clothes free taning
huge bathroom
friendly lounge with a red, white wine , sparkling water and coke
and a few salmon blinis
what else can a girl ask for
to die for views and sunset.
think im here for 3 days
they will take me kicking and screaming outa here.
i consider this is in the top three
checked in today using free nights.
got top floor suite view to die for,
terrrace with sunbed for clothes free taning
huge bathroom
friendly lounge with a red, white wine , sparkling water and coke
and a few salmon blinis
what else can a girl ask for
to die for views and sunset.
think im here for 3 days
they will take me kicking and screaming outa here.
#75
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Programs: SAS EBD, BA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite
Posts: 553
I've got a stay at Arion Resort in a week, spending my FRN's with my wife.
As a Platinum, can I expect breakfast to be complimentary (in the lounge or the restaurant) ?
As a Platinum, can I expect breakfast to be complimentary (in the lounge or the restaurant) ?