Brigitte Bardot strolled in high heels sandals over the private beach here. Tony Curtis had to get a tie before he was allowed into the hotel restaurant. Frank Sinatra swore by pistachios and coconut milk here, Egypt’s President Sadat asked for the home recipe for the eggplant cream, and the Saudi king had his suite decorated with a full truckload of cut flowers: anyone who boasts such stories belongs to the very elite in the world of luxury hotels.

Whoever boasts this is a legend himself. How wonderful that the legendary Astir Palace Hotel in the Athens suburb of Vouliagmeni has reopened after two years of closure – now under the direction of Four Seasons and after a multimillion-dollar renovation. The chic of the golden days is back, and all the magic has been preserved. The hotel with 303 rooms, suites and bungalows, with three pools and three private beaches on a 30-hectare waterfront property is a 30-minute drive away from the city center, and currently there are opening rates of 20% below the normal price for some dates.

Photo: © Astir Palace Athens