Review: One&Only Aesthesis

Why book?

For a sure-fire hit of coastal glamour, with none of the hassle of Greek ferries or domestic airports. The gated peninsula is a bubble of extreme attentiveness, where you can be as subdued or as sociable as you like. If you start feeling antsy, the Acropolis and the grubbier appeal of downtown Athens are only a 30-minute drive.

Set the scene

The latest ultra-luxury hotel chain to land in Greece, and the newest milestone in the ritzy revival of the Athenian Riviera. The modern-retro design is a throwback to Glyfada Beach’s 1960s heyday, with way more pizzazz than the folding chairs and boxy cabanas that originally lined the shore. Behind the rippling white perimeter fence is a cloistered enclave for a ruthlessly successful and well-turned-out set, who can only really relax when an army of expertly trained staff are at their disposal.

The backstory

At the height of its popularity in the 1950s and ’60s, Asteria—meaning ‘stars’ in Greek—was a playground for socialites and starlets. The first organized beach in Athens, many classic black-and-white Greek movies were shot in the Modernist bungalows and open-air restaurant. In the ’90s, the peninsula was taken over by a string of summer-only nightclubs, with little regard for the natural surroundings or the ancient cemetery buried in the pine forest. Eventually, local developers Grivalia (in partnership with Canadian fund Fairfax and Kerzner International) persuaded the government to let them take over the 21-hectare site and create Greece’s first One&Only resort. Strict regulations required the new buildings to follow the exact blueprint of the original layout, so bungalows, villas and residences are scattered between lush gardens and the shoreline. With the old international airport nearby—an abandoned Eero Saarinen masterpiece — currently being transformed into an $8 billion, mixed-use development that resembles Dubai-on-the-Med, this stretch of seaside is set to change drastically in the coming years. Something of an oxymoron for a city whose reputation is built on ruins.

The rooms

There are a dozen entry-level rooms in the curvy main building, and several outrageously large residences and villas right on the beach. Most guests will stay in the 95 bungalows dotted around the grounds. Some are right on the sea, others enveloped in rosemary, bougainvillea, and olive trees. The discreetly decadent interiors are all more or less the same: huge bed, huge bathtub, walk-in wardrobe, wood panelling and floor-to-ceiling glass. It’s the alfresco areas—private pool, plentiful loungers, outdoor shower, and fireplace—that really elevate the spaces. That, and the exceptional in-room amenities: linen robes, artisan Esophy chocolates, cocktail shakers and premium spirits, leather-bound manicure kits, and signature Montroi beauty products, scented with black tea, leather, amber, birch and lichen, all make for a deeply seductive ambience.

The food and drink

Breakfast is a very big deal. You can have anything from buckwheat porridge with almond milk, Aegina pistachios and pomegranate molasses to scrambled eggs with feta and tomato delivered to your room. But the spread at Ora restaurant is totally worth getting out of bed for: almond and feta cake, a mind-blowing selection of Greek cheeses and olives, seven types of honey, six varieties of extra virgin olive oil, a dedicated juice, salad, and pastry bar are just some of the exquisite treats on offer. After five years at One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai, executive chef Frederic le Gac is thrilled to spotlight the seasonal and sustainable here. By night, Ora’s lemon-yellow booths and terrazzo-crazy paving become a lively setting for Greco-Italian chef Ettore Botrini’s accessible but accomplished menu. Raw beef battuta with pecorino cream and Greek truffle shavings is a knock-out, but most dishes are wood-fired or cooked on the parilla grill. Ask Omar, the bartender, to knock up a spritz from his mini vermuteria. Next to the main building, El Bar offers a dazzlingly original take on tapas from Paco Morales of three-Michelin-starred Noor. Laser-focussed chefs finesse punchy sharing plates on the black marble pass: smoky salmorejo with cheese foam, crunchy Iberico flamenquin stuffed with kasseri cheese, indecently unctuous chicken croquettes with Ras el Hanout mayo. The space is dark and moody, but the Andalucian soundtrack and exuberant staff (hi Yiannis and Amina!) lift the mood.

The spa

The light and luscious Guerlain spa is reason enough to come here. Bright-eyed Agnieszka Rynkiewicz treated me to a euphoria-inducing face and foot massage, while I lay swaddled in a marshmallowy eiderdown. Treatments feature Guerlain’s signature scents, which you can purchase along with their richly nourishing honey and orchid skincare. The Glamour Studio for simultaneous hair, make-up, and nail rituals is sure to be a hit with the highly coiffed residents of the Athenian Riviera. Connected to the spa is a Technogym fitness centre, yoga pavilion, and an outdoor lap pool that is not quite heated enough for the winter—I warmed up afterwards in the small steam room and sauna.

The area

Think Athens Riviera and you might imagine glittering beaches and palm-lined boulevards. Glyfada—a seaside suburb of shopping malls and incoherent apartment blocks—is none of that. The resort is separated from the neighborhood’s upscale boutiques and fast-food restaurants by six-lane Poseidonos Avenue, with thundering traffic around the clock. (For more interesting shops and bars, check out Kyprou Street.) There’s more charm along the waterfront, where traditional fishing boats and recreational vessels are lined up along the marina. Everything looks prettier as night falls, but honestly, you’re better off heading downtown or south to Vouliagmeni Bay if you want to venture beyond the resort.

The service

Plentiful, youthful, and uniformly charming (though the stiff, ice-blue staff uniforms are oddly unflattering). Every guest has two dedicated hosts, on-call round-the-clock (via What’s App) for super-prompt room service, restaurant and spa reservations, or buggy pick-ups. This reviewer didn’t test drive the concierge service on an off-season weekend, but the unpacking service is something I wish I could take home. Private museum tours, sandal-making workshops, and boat trips to the nearby islands of Aegina and Kea (where another One&Only opens in 2024) can be arranged.

For families

The Kids Only Club for 4-11 year-olds is embedded in the landscape: The Kids Only Club was still under construction. A sneaky poke around looked very promising: treehouses, a wooden playground, and cute cabins for different activities and age groups. Creative sessions focus on nature and fitness. There are Padel and tennis courts and non-motorized watersports, including stand-up paddle board or windsurfing lessons with the likeable national champion, Phaidon Doukas. Under-4s are also welcome to use the Kids Only facilities with adult supervision, and all kinds of baby products and equipment are provided so parents can travel light.

Eco effort

Pretty impressive for a resort of this size. The buildings have LEED and SITES certification, with energy-efficient heating, cooling, lighting and taps, and extensive use of local marble and timber. The Epos and Topos residences are insulated with green roofs. There are no single-use plastics in guestrooms: glass bottles and flasks are filled using the on-site water bottling facility; toiletries and amenities come in ceramic bottles or paper pouches. The inspired landscaping has restored a site that was trampled by semi-legal nightclubs for decades with the addition of 200,000 drought-resistant plants. A protected forest within the boundaries of the resort remains untouched.

Accessibility

Four rooms and two bungalows are fully accessible for guests with mobility impairment. Most of the other resort areas and spaces, including the restaurants and the spa, are designed to be accessible by wheelchair. The terrain is mostly flat, and there are plenty of electric buggies for whizzing around.

Anything left to mention?

Manko, an ambitious beach club with a Peruvian restaurant, a trio of bars, and nightly DJ sets, all centred around a celadon-tiled swimming pool, will open just in time for the 2024 summer season.