We visited Conrad Athens The Ilisian before opening. Now open, the transformation of the former Hilton reveals a new kind of urban destination in the heart of the city.
The Ilisian Athens is entering a new chapter. Once known as the Hilton Athens, the landmark that defined modern Greek hospitality in 1963 is being reintroduced as a multi-layered luxury destination anchored by Conrad Athens, branded residences, a private members’ club and a nine-venue culinary ecosystem.
Conrad Athens The Ilisian officially opened on April 23, 2026, exactly 63 years after the original Hilton Athens welcomed its first guest.
It is the reinvention of one of the city’s most recognisable buildings into a contemporary cultural and lifestyle district, reconnecting Athenians and international travellers with a new vision of modern luxury.
First Look: Inside Conrad Athens During the Open Days
Ahead of the official opening on April 23, Conrad Athens The Ilisian hosted Open Days, a rare opportunity for the public to walk through the spaces before the hotel welcomed its first guests. We were there.
The first thing that strikes you is the facade. The monumental engraved artwork by Yiannis Moralis on the exterior has always been a landmark in the city, graphic, architectural, impossible to ignore. Walking through the entrance, the scale of the transformation becomes immediately clear. What moves you most, however, are the details that connect past and present. Furniture and artworks from the original Hilton Athens have been carefully preserved and recontextualised within the new interiors, a quiet acknowledgment of the building’s 60-year history rather than an erasure of it.
The olive tree anchoring the atrium courtyard, the Byzantino Grande Brasserie signage in marble, the Athenian Lounge tucked into the ground floor, each space feels considered, layered, unhurried.
The lobby was still being finalised during the Open Days — a reminder that this is a living project still finding its final form. But what is already in place is enough to confirm that Conrad Athens The Ilisian is not simply a hotel opening. It is Athens getting the landmark it has been waiting for.
See below some photos from the Open Days of Conrad Athens The Ilisian
From Hilton Athens to Conrad — A Landmark Reborn
When the Hilton Athens first opened in 1963, it symbolised a new, outward-looking Greece. Its marble façades by Yiannis Moralis became part of the city’s architectural identity, while its public spaces functioned as social stages for decades. Today, under the Conrad name, the building retains its architectural integrity while embracing a contemporary sensibility. The lighting redesign by Eleftheria Deko enhances the original structure, while interior direction by AvroKO draws inspiration from the optimism and artistic energy of the 1950s and 60s, reinterpreted through a refined, modern lens.
The result is not nostalgia, but continuity.
For a deeper look at the transformation from Hilton Athens to The Ilisian, revisit our detailed breakdown of the project’s evolution and architectural legacy.
Conrad Athens — The Hotel at the Core
At the heart of the development sits Conrad Athens, The Ilisian, the hotel that anchors the entire project. The property will offer 307 guest rooms and suites – among the largest in Athens – many featuring balconies with views of the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill and the Aegean horizon.
The suite collection includes three Presidential Suites, a Royal Suite and the Omega Penthouse: a 400-square-metre residence with a private pool and sweeping, amphitheatre-like views across the city.
The Presidential Suite
The design language reflects architectural clarity and natural light, favouring calm materials, sculptural lines and understated elegance over theatrical excess.
Branded Residences: A New Era of Luxury Living in Athens
For the first time in Greece, both Conrad Residences and Waldorf Astoria Residences will operate within the same landmark development. A total of 55 branded and serviced residences introduce a hybrid model of urban living, combining private ownership with hotel-level services and amenities. Positioned in the city centre yet integrated within a larger lifestyle ecosystem, the residences mark a significant evolution in Athens’ high-end real estate landscape.
Gastronomy as the Backbone of The Ilisian
At The Ilisian, food is not an amenity — it is infrastructure. More than nine distinct culinary and entertainment venues will gradually unfold, transforming the building into one of the most dynamic F&B hubs in Athens.
Among them:
Onuki, the refined Japanese restaurant by acclaimed chef Stamatis Skriapas, already setting the tone poolside with precision-led technique and cosmopolitan atmosphere. We previously explored Onuki at The Ilisian in detail, including its culinary direction and design identity.
Byzantino Grande Brasserie
The Galaxy Dispensary, reintroducing the iconic Galaxy Bar as an eclectic gastro bar with an extensive wine and premium spirits collection.
The Galaxy Supper Club, an elevated fine-dining and entertainment venue reviving the building’s rooftop legacy.
Athenian Lounge, designed as the social heart of the lobby, active from early morning to late night.
The Athenian Lounge
Together, these concepts form a layered dining ecosystem, designed to bring Athenians back into the building as much as it attracts international guests.
House of NYNN and the Rise of Members’ Culture in Athens
Spanning more than 5,000 square metres across three levels, House of NYNN introduces a new model of private members’ culture to the Greek capital. Developed by TEMES, the club blends co-working, curated programming, dining, wellness and social spaces into a lifestyle environment shaped by balance and community.
Members have access to lounge and bar spaces, an event forum and office pods, a state-of-the-art gym, indoor pool and heat experiences, as well as the largest outdoor pool landscape in the city centre.
Explore our full feature on House of NYNN for an in-depth look at the club’s design, philosophy and cultural positioning within The Ilisian.
Wellness, Longevity and the Largest Pool Landscape in Central Athens
Wellbeing at The Ilisian is approached as an integrated system. The development includes more than 2,000 square metres of indoor wellness facilities, anchored by a 500-square-metre Longevity Clinic overseen by Dr Costas Papageorgiou. Guests, residents and members will have access to personalised aesthetic and diagnostic programmes, restorative therapies, specialist fitness studios, an indoor heated pool, a 700-metre rooftop running track and the largest outdoor hotel pool in central Athens.
The new pool draws inspiration from the geometric language of Yiannis Moralis, while the original 1963 diving board returns as a symbolic bridge between past and present.
The Ilisian as a New Cultural Landmark in Athens
The Ilisian is not simply the rebirth of Hilton Athens under a new name. It represents a recalibration of how luxury operates within the city.
Rooted in the Ilisia neighbourhood and within walking distance of major museums, ancient landmarks and contemporary districts, the development occupies a natural crossroads between old and new Athens.
By combining Conrad hospitality, branded residences, a members’ club, extensive wellness facilities and a robust culinary identity, The Ilisian repositions the building as a living, evolving ecosystem rather than a static hotel. Its stated motto “connecting the world with modern Athens” becomes less a slogan and more a framework for how contemporary Athens chooses to present itself to the world.
TheHotelTrotter.com is curated by greek journalist and fanatic hotel lover Eleni Stasinopoulou. With the eye of a fashion and lifestyle editor, Eleni hopes to inspire all connoisseurs of traveling, focusing on stylish hotel moments around the globe.
