In short… A game-changing new opening in a modernist landmark in the heart of Athens, with the city’s biggest outdoor pool and excellent on-site restaurants—a seamless springboard to traveling to and from the Greek Islands.
The surroundings… The location of Conrad Athens The Ilisian can’t be beat. It’s smack in the center of the city—at the intersection of the Ilisia, Kolonaki and Pagrati neighborhoods—so all the major sites are a walk or short taxi ride away. It’s ideal for a quick stay in the city, as you won’t lose time in transit.
The vibe… All 1960s opulence: chic, large, spacious, and grand. I am normally very much against huge hotels, but this one did it absolutely right. The mixed-use property houses the hotel, a private members club (House of NYNN), a handful of restaurants and shops, and an incredible wellness space. It opened in April of this year, and apartments and top-floor amenities are still being built out. The layout with its different leveling, terraces and stellar lighting all works to make it one cohesive space. We met a lovely family that has a second home in Athens and bought it specifically close to the Ilisian because of the members’ club. I met another local family living in Athens at the pool. You really get a sense of being part of Athens while staying there. The building, a former Hilton, is one of the most important structures of post-war modernist architecture in Greece. It’s striking inside and out, and you truly feel the history of it while you’re in it.
The outdoor pool is the largest in Athens, with a gorgeous mosaic pattern on the pool floor and a chic concrete diving board. The poolside restaurant, Ancora Un Po, has “the most comfy lunch chairs ever” according to my daughter. The staff is lovely, and they are all wearing great uniforms designed by the Greek brand Zeus + Dione, of which there is a boutique in the hotel.
The rooms… The four of us stayed in a small suite where the couch area was turned into two single beds. It was tight but perfectly comfortable for the short stay. The bathtub wall opens up into the room, a detail my kids obviously loved. Byredo amenities are everywhere, as well as Korres hand creams left as a welcome gift. The hotel has its own flower shop, and since it was my daughter’s birthday, they left a house-made beautiful flower arrangement for her.
The wellness… The largest hotel gym I have ever seen houses a Pilates studio, a Gyrotonics studio, bikes, an indoor pool—everything you could ever need.
The food… We had breakfast and dinner at the Byzantino Grande Brasserie. The offerings are a true mix of Greek and French classics, led by Angelos Lantos, the first Greek chef to earn two Michelin stars in Athens. Breakfast can be eggs, kayanas or a pain perdu, dinners were fresh fish and salads and the most sumptuous cheese cart that we had to dig into. Lunch at the pool at Ancora Un Po is a perfect, easy, Italian poolside restaurant. The hotel also houses Onuki, a Yabu Pushelberg-designed Japanese restaurant overlooking the pool.
Extra tip goes to… Katharina from Guest Services was really helpful and friendly. The hotel organized lots of nice special details for the girls. Birthday balloons, a cake, small gifts, goggles. They really outdid themselves trying to make it a special day.
Be sure to… Save plenty of time to shop at The Store at the Ilisian in the lobby. I did not know it at the time, and when I walked in, I discovered that they were stocked up in Anthologist, the incredible brand by Andria Mitsakos. I had that terrible sense of panic when you realize you have too much shopping to do, and the taxi is waiting outside for you to leave already!
Parting words… The Ilisian made me feel like I cracked the code to traveling to the Greek Islands with children. We have traveled multiple summers to Patmos with the kids, and getting there has always been a true nightmare. Any combination schedule of airplanes to Kos + long wait times + a badly scheduled ferry from Kos to Patmos makes a very tough start and end of a vacation. For this trip we decided to fly Friday morning to Athens and spend Friday and Saturday there, taking the overnight ferry to Patmos, leaving Saturday at midnight. We had a great dinner in Athens the first evening, spent the next day at the pool and had lunch at the poolside restaurant. After an afternoon trip to the Acropolis, we had a great dinner at Byzantino, went upstairs to pack, and checked out at 10:30 pm to go to the ferry. It was absolutely perfect. We were happy and rested, and the kids were thrilled at the whole experience. I would absolutely do this format again every time I travel to any Greek island.
Date of stay… July 2026
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