4 Best Hotels in Attica and Delphi, Greece

One of the most elaborate hotels on the Rivera perches amid the verdant pine forest of Sounion National Park with stunning views of the Temple of Poseidon from bungalows and villas, all arranged in tiers along a hill. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open onto nicely landscaped terraces, many facing southeast toward the temple; some have private pools. The octagonal glass-walled spa and fitness center overlooks the sea, and on the two bays below the hotel is a private beach, with water-sports rentals available. The pick of its five restaurants is the rooftop fine-dining option, with an expansive Greek-French menu to match the views. And while parents hit the spa, kids have access to a full array of morning and afternoon activities and mini-adventures.

A rich brown leather headboard here, an antique dressing table there: no detail escapes notice at this upscale retreat whose chic, impressive pool and handsome guest rooms attract plenty of young and trendy Athenians. The rooms, which come with marble baths and views of Vouliagmeni Bay, are stylish and comfortable, and a pair of on-site restaurants offer some of the best dining in the city. Special mention also goes to its summer eatery-cum-beach bar on nearby Krabo beach, which is worth dropping in on. The hotel even has its own farm, about 30 minutes inland; visits can be arranged to see its inner workings firsthand, though they don't come cheap. It pays to stay put. Even this close to the beach, the intimate, greenery-filled pool courtyard, with outdoor "beds," Persian carpets, and glowing lanterns at sunset, is a pretty tempting reason to not move a muscle.

The first cabanas started arriving on Vouliagmeni's wooded peninsula of Laimos at the beginning of the 1960s; a few years later, a hotel arrived, It was a grande dame for the golden age of the Greek Riviera, where everyone from Jackie Onassis to Frank Sinatra could be seen lounging by the pool, Fast-forward fifty-something years and what became the Astir Palace hotel has been reborn after the Four Seasons took over. The facilities are overwhelming, split over three residential areas, including a cluster of retro bungalows where Barack Obama stayed. Add to that private stretches of beach, a helipad, a spa, two gyms, an adult-only infinity pool, seven restaurants (including an offshoot of famous sushi joint Nobu), tennis courts, and a soccer pitch—there's even a branch of the Benaki Museum gift shop. The original hotel (now Nafsika building) remains, given a nip-tuck but still oozing more sixties chic than a Dean Martin lookalike. Needless to say, it doesn't come cheap, though if you're not staying overnight, day passes are available if the hotel isn't at capacity.

With its own beaches, pools, restaurants, bars, two tennis courts, and an open-air cinema, all augmenting deluxe accommodations, you may have little need to stray from this seaside paradise. Accommodation stretches across three areas: the main hotel, deluxe villas (some with their own pools), and cozy seaside bungalows amid the gardens. The decor in all lean toward romantic blues and nautical sea stripes. Staffers don't blink an eye at requests, be they for a particular type of pillow, a favorite DVD, or the use of the helipad.