Kolonaki · Athens
Conrad Athens The Ilisian.
The Hilton Athens grew up with, back with a pool worth crossing town for.
Edited by Aki Sumawaki
Icon Reborn
Since 1963
~12 min walk to Kolonaki Square
~12 min to Lycabettus Hill
Hilton's first Conrad in Greece, in the curved slab on Vasilissis Sofias. AETER Architects reworked the building, AvroKO did the rooms, and Yannis Moralis's marble reliefs stayed on the façade. Byzantino is back as a brasserie; The Oasis is billed as the largest outdoor pool in the city.
For six decades the curved slab on Vasilissis Sofias was simply “the Hilton” — a landmark, a meeting point, a bus stop. It opened in 1963, designed by Emmanuel Vourekas, Prokopis Vassiliadis, Antonis Georgiadis and Spyros Staikos, with Yannis Moralis’s marble reliefs carved into the façade.
In April 2026 it came back as Conrad Athens The Ilisian, Hilton’s first Conrad in Greece. AETER Architects reworked the building, AvroKO did the 278 rooms and suites, and the Moralis reliefs stayed where they were.
The kitchens answer to executive chef Angelos Lantos. Byzantino returns as a Grande Brasserie, interiors by Tristan Auer. Onuki, the Japanese room by Yabu Pushelberg, sits beside the pool, and Ancora Un Po does Italian on the deck. The Galaxy Bar on the roof is due back later in 2026.
Then there is The Oasis, the outdoor pool the hotel calls the largest in the city: yellow parasols, palms, a diving board. Up top, a green roof with a running track and an outdoor gym; downstairs, a heated indoor pool. A city hotel that behaves like a resort.
Why we picked it
A modernist landmark brought back without losing its character. The pool alone makes it one of the best summer addresses in the city.
Best forA big-hotel stay with a pool and a story
