Conrad Athens The Ilisian
A luxury Conrad hotel forming the hospitality centerpiece of The Ilisian mixed-use destination in Athens, Greece.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Conrad Athens The Ilisian is a luxury hotel in Athens, Greece, operated under Hilton’s Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand. It occupies the lower levels of the redeveloped building formerly known as the Athens Hilton on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, in the area commonly associated with the Hilton district and close to the Kolonaki and Pangrati neighborhoods. The property is part of The Ilisian, a broader urban destination that combines hospitality, branded residences, restaurants, retail, wellness, fitness, leisure and private-club facilities. The hotel’s immediate predecessor, the Athens Hilton, opened in 1963 as Athens’ first international chain hotel. Its construction between 1958 and 1963 brought together architects Emmanuel Vourekas, Prokopis Vasileiadis, Anthony Georgiades and Spyro Staikos, while artist Yiannis Moralis created Greek-inspired relief work for the façade. The opening ceremony was attended by Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotel company. Over the following decades, the property became a prominent Athens landmark and hosted international visitors, cultural events and major institutional activities. The original hotel had a substantial role in the city’s public and cultural life. It housed the Hilton Gallery, an early contemporary-art venue in Athens, from 1968 to 1972, and later continued to display works by Greek and international artists. The hotel also served as the International Olympic Committee’s headquarters during the 2004 Summer Olympics and was used by the organizing committee of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games. A major refurbishment was completed in preparation for the 2004 Olympics. Greek architects Alexandros Tombazis and Charis Bougadelis renovated the existing establishment and added a seven-storey northern wing. The property subsequently entered a new ownership phase. In 2016, TEMES and Dogus Group acquired the hotel from Ionian Hotels in a transaction reported at €76.1 million. TEMES later increased its holding to 51 percent, while The Olayan Group acquired the remaining 49 percent previously held by Dogus. The Athens Hilton closed on January 31, 2022, for comprehensive redevelopment. The resulting project reconfigured the former 506-room hotel into a 278-room Conrad property and integrated it into The Ilisian destination. The upper floors were converted into branded residences, including Conrad Residences and Waldorf Astoria Residences. The wider development also includes House of NYNN, a private members’ club with dining, entertainment, meeting and co-working facilities, as well as gym, wellness and indoor swimming amenities. The completed property is described as reopening on April 23, 2026. Its positioning combines Conrad’s international luxury-hotel standards with an integrated Athens destination model, linking guestrooms and suites with restaurants, bars, residential accommodation, cultural activity, social spaces and wellness facilities. Because the hotel’s current operating details, leadership roster, room inventory by category and official web address are not supplied in the reference material, those fields remain unspecified here.
History
Conrad Athens The Ilisian is the redeveloped successor to the Athens Hilton, a landmark hotel on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue in central Athens. The building was created between 1958 and 1963 as Athens’ first international chain hotel. Its architectural team included Emmanuel Vourekas, Prokopis Vasileiadis, Anthony Georgiades and Spyro Staikos. Yiannis Moralis designed the reliefs on the façade, using themes associated with Greek visual culture. The project reportedly cost $15 million, although the historical cost is not restated here as a current financial measure. The hotel opened on April 20, 1963, with Conrad Hilton attending the ceremony. From its earliest years, it became an important international meeting point in Athens. Among its guests were prominent figures from shipping, music, cinema and the arts, including Aristotle Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Ingmar Bergman and Anthony Quinn. The property’s significance extended beyond accommodation: it became part of Athens’ civic, cultural and international infrastructure. Between 1968 and 1972, the Hilton Gallery operated at the hotel in cooperation with Marilena Liacopoulou. It was one of the city’s early contemporary-art galleries and presented historical exhibitions. The property later continued an artistic program through lobby displays and exhibitions featuring artists from Greece and other countries. This cultural role helped establish the hotel as more than a conventional lodging business and connected it with Athens’ broader creative life. The hotel underwent a major renovation ahead of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Architects Alexandros Tombazis and Charis Bougadelis refurbished the existing building and added a seven-storey northern wing. During the Olympics, the hotel served as the International Olympic Committee’s headquarters. It also hosted the organizing committee of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, reinforcing its role as a venue for international institutions and large-scale events. Ownership changed materially in the 2010s. Ionian Hotels, the company associated with the property, had been foreclosed on by Alpha Bank before being sold in 2016. TEMES S.A. and Dogus Group formed a 50-50 partnership to acquire the hotel in a transaction reported at €76.1 million. In 2019, TEMES raised its stake to 51 percent. The Olayan Group acquired the remaining 49 percent that had been held by Dogus. The Athens Hilton closed on January 31, 2022, for comprehensive renovations and a broader redevelopment. The project repositioned the property as The Ilisian, with Conrad Athens The Ilisian occupying the hotel component. The hotel’s planned inventory was reduced from 506 rooms to 278 rooms, while the upper floors were converted into branded residences: 18 Conrad Residences and 37 Waldorf Astoria Residences. The redevelopment also incorporated House of NYNN, a private members’ club, alongside restaurants, bars, retail, meeting and co-working spaces, fitness facilities, wellness services and an indoor swimming pool. The property is described as reopening on April 23, 2026. In its new form, Conrad Athens The Ilisian combines a globally recognized luxury-hotel brand with a mixed-use destination designed for guests, residents, members and local visitors. The project retains the historic site’s role as an Athens landmark while changing its commercial model from a single large hotel into a coordinated hospitality, residential, lifestyle and leisure complex.
- 2026
Planned reopening as Conrad Athens The Ilisian
[1]The redeveloped property is described as reopening on April 23 as Conrad Athens The Ilisian within The Ilisian destination.
- 2022
Closure for redevelopment
[1]The Athens Hilton closes on January 31 for comprehensive renovations and conversion into the wider The Ilisian project.
- 2019
TEMES becomes controlling shareholder
[1]TEMES increases its holding to 51 percent, while The Olayan Group acquires the remaining interest previously held by Dogus.
- 2016
Ownership acquisition by TEMES and Dogus
[1]TEMES and Dogus Group acquire the hotel from Ionian Hotels through a 50-50 partnership.
- 2011
Special Olympics base
[1]The organizing committee of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games uses the hotel as its base of operations.
- 2004
Olympic headquarters
[1]The hotel serves as the International Olympic Committee’s headquarters during the Athens Summer Olympics.
- 2003
Olympics-era renovation
[1]A major renovation is undertaken ahead of the 2004 Summer Olympics, including a new seven-storey northern wing.
- 1972
Hilton Gallery period ends
[1]The Hilton Gallery’s documented exhibition program at the hotel concludes after operating from 1968 to 1972.
- 1968
Hilton Gallery launches
[1]The Hilton Gallery begins presenting contemporary-art and historical exhibitions at the hotel.
- 1963
Athens Hilton opens
[1]The Athens Hilton opens as Athens’ first international chain hotel, with Conrad Hilton attending the opening ceremony on April 20.
Products and positioning
High-end luxury hospitality integrated into a mixed-use urban destination
Luxury hotel · 2026
Conrad Athens The Ilisian hotel
The principal hospitality component of The Ilisian, located in the lower levels of the redeveloped former Athens Hilton. The redesigned hotel is described as having 278 rooms, compared with 506 rooms in the predecessor property, and is positioned within Hilton’s Conrad luxury portfolio. Its offer is intended to combine accommodation with dining, events, wellness and access to the wider destination.
Food and beverage · 2026
Dining and bar venues
The Ilisian includes multiple restaurants, bars and leisure venues supporting the hotel and the wider mixed-use destination. The available reference material describes a range of dining concepts and experiences but does not identify each venue by name or provide individual opening dates.
Hospitality services · 2026
Meetings and events
Meeting and event facilities form part of the destination’s hospitality and private-club program. The property’s predecessor had a long history of hosting international institutions and major events, while the redeveloped project adds meeting and co-working facilities through the wider The Ilisian complex.
Private members’ club · 2026
House of NYNN
House of NYNN is a private members’ club within The Ilisian. Its described program includes dining and entertainment venues, meeting and co-working areas, and fitness and wellness facilities. It is part of the broader destination rather than solely a Conrad hotel room product.
Branded residences · 2026
Conrad Residences
The Ilisian’s upper floors include 18 residences carrying the Conrad brand. These residences are integrated into the mixed-use redevelopment alongside the Conrad hotel and are distinct from the hotel’s guestroom inventory.
Branded residences · 2026
Waldorf Astoria Residences
The redevelopment also includes 37 residences under Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria brand. They form the residential component of The Ilisian and complement the Conrad-branded hotel and residences on the same site.
Brand decisions
2026
Reopening under the Conrad brandProduct launchBackground
The redevelopment of the former Athens Hilton introduces a new Conrad-branded hotel as the hospitality anchor of The Ilisian.
Action taken
Conrad Athens The Ilisian is described as reopening on April 23, 2026, with 278 rooms and access to the wider destination’s amenities.
Aftermath
The property’s operating model expands beyond conventional hotel accommodation to include branded residences, private membership, restaurants, wellness and leisure services.
2022
Conversion of the Athens Hilton into The IlisianStrategyBackground
The historic Athens Hilton closed for a comprehensive redevelopment intended to create a larger mixed-use hospitality and lifestyle destination.
Action taken
The property was closed on January 31, 2022, and redesigned to include Conrad Athens The Ilisian, branded residences, House of NYNN, dining, retail, wellness, fitness and leisure facilities.
Aftermath
The hotel component was reduced from 506 to 278 rooms, while the former standalone hotel became part of a broader destination scheduled to reopen in 2026.
2019
TEMES increases ownership stakeM&ABackground
Following the 2016 acquisition of the Athens Hilton by TEMES and Dogus Group, ownership of the property was reorganized in 2019.
Action taken
TEMES raised its stake to 51 percent, while The Olayan Group acquired the remaining 49 percent previously held by Dogus.
Aftermath
The ownership structure placed TEMES in the controlling position and preceded the later redevelopment of the property into The Ilisian.
Sources1 sources
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