Four Seasons has announced plans for its newest resort, which will see the brand opening a third property in Greece.
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Basics of the Four Seasons Porto Heli, Greece
Plans have been announced for the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Porto Heli, which will be a partnership between Four Seasons and Hinitsa Bay Holdings. In Greece, this will complement the Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens and the Four Seasons Mykonos (opening in 2025).
The Four Seasons will be located on an existing 185-acre beachfront estate with 3.25 kilometers of coastline, and will feature 80 guest rooms and suites, 30 bungalows, as well as branded residences. It’s actually not a new build, but rather an update of an existing property — the AKS Hinitsa Bay Hotel. That property is now closed, and is undergoing a very extensive renovation.
Thanks to the property’s location, it will offer bay views of the Argolic Gulf, and of the nearby island of Spetses. Property amenities will include several dining outlets, and a multi-sports center, gym, pools, spa, kids club, and more.
As of now, details about the new property are otherwise limited, and an opening date hasn’t yet been announced. My guess is that the hotel will open at some point in 2026 at the very earliest, but that’s just speculation on my part.
Below are some renderings of the property (don’t Four Seasons beds already just look so comfortable in pictures?!).
What’s the appeal of Porto Heli, Greece?
When most tourists travel to Greece, they maybe start in Athens, and then do some island hopping. Porto Heli is located on the “mainland,” a roughly two to three hour drive from Athens. Currently there’s actually not a whole lot there, at least in terms of developed tourism.
It’s not a place that sees that many visitors. Instead, it’s an area where a lot of wealthy people have homes, so it’s almost like the Monaco of Greece, except it remains off the beaten track. Porto Heli is also where luxury resort Amanzoe is located, but other than, there currently aren’t other luxury hotels.
There’s clearly a push to develop Porto Heli, by introducing more luxury hotels, restaurants, etc. Despite the number of rich people there, you wouldn’t know it from visiting the town, or based on the cars you see, as it’s a very understated area. While we’ll see if it materializes, there are separately plans for a Waldorf Astoria Porto Heli, so expect a lot of growth here.
Porto Heli has a lot of beautiful nature and views, so for the time being, that’s the primary appeal. However, as Porto Heli continues to be developed, we’ll see how it changes over the years.
Bottom line
Four Seasons has announced plans for a resort in Porto Heli, which will be the company’s third property in Greece. We don’t yet know when the resort will open, but it’s definitely cool to see a property opening in an area that doesn’t otherwise have many luxury hotel options.
What do you make of plans for the Four Seasons Porto Heli?
I don't understand the appeal of Porto Heli. It's far from any major airport, beaches are ordinary, the main town is run down and without any historic importance.
It does see a lot of tourists - local ones.
Ben, note that the FS Porto Cheli is not a new hotel but a retread of the very tired AKS Hinitsa Bay, which was built in 1970. FS marketing department is obfuscating when it talks about the redevelopment of an "existing estate."
@ Jack -- Thanks for pointing that out! I just updated the post to add that.
The building architecture looks every bit as stunning a say, a 1960s Ramada Inn in Lubbock. I'm really at a loss to understand who would stay here over a place like Amanzoe. My criticism applies broadly to "luxury" office building mega resorts the world over. Some people are just terrible at spending money.
I'd guess price. Amanzoe is a lot.
Probably not by much. The high-season rates for a standard room at FS Astir Palace (which I find wildly overrated) are north of 2K per night.
Amanzoe is eye-wateringly expensive but extraordinary -- one of my favorite Amans, and one with old-style Aman service.
@ Miramar @ Jack -- Fair, Amanzoe is an excellent property no doubt. However, it's often sold out a long way in advance, and rates are now regularly $4-5K per night in peak season. As Porto Heli's popularity continues to grow, there's definitely a need for more luxury properties (probably more in the Astir Palace price range).