New Guard: Cultural Flagships From Seattle to Beijing

The second half of this year sees a long list of new museum openings – and expansions to some of the world’s top collections. Which are worth a first visit or a fresh look? From a modern art wonderland in Maryland to an astounding array of photographs in London, these collections should be on your itinerary.


A rendering of the approach to The Pavillons and the Water Court.

Glenstone Museum, Potomac

Less than 15 miles outside Washington, D.C., Glenstone solidifies its reputation as a must-visit for contemporary art fans with an expanded exhibition space known as the Pavilions. The new building, designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, comprises 13 distinct areas, with work in the inaugural installation from artists such as Roni Horn, Brice Marden and On Kawara. Glenstone is also launching “Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment,” featuring more than 30 pieces spanning five decades from the trailblazing French-born American artist. Save time to wander the more than 230 acres of rolling pastures and unspoiled woodland, home to sculptures by Richard Serra, Jeff Koons and Andy Goldsworthy.

V&A Photography Centre, London

The Victoria & Albert Museum has been acquiring photographs since its founding in 1856, and the collection is one of the largest in the world. With the recent addition of 6,000 cameras and other equipment from the Royal Photographic Society, the museum tasked David Kohn Architects with designing a new home. The photography centre, on the first floor of the historic North East Quarter of the V&A’s South Kensington building, will display hundreds of thousands of rare images from luminaries like Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz.

The Guardian Art Center, Beijing

Built on the doorstep of Beijing’s historic Forbidden City, The Guardian Art Center seeks to re-establish the area as the heart of China’s art scene.

The first auction house to specialize exclusively in Chinese artwork and antiques, it also includes a café and bookshop, office space, and 1,700 square metres (18,300 square feet) of exhibition space, making it the only one-stop art complex in Asia. Designed by architect Büro Ole Scheeren, the building references Beijing’s past: Circular lenses in the façade allow light into the interior, creating a pixelated abstraction of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by 14th-century painter Huang Gongway. Rectangular glass panels on the upper part of the building evoke the brick of the centuries-old hutong dwellings nearby.


Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle

Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle

Step into a soaring central hallway designed to evoke the glacier planes of a fjord, with angular walls that narrow as you go deeper inside. The freshly reopened Nordic Heritage Museum has a new home, created by Seattle’s Mithun architects in collaboration with renowned Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa. It’s still in the hip waterfront neighbourhood of Ballard, and still full of rich insight into the legacy of immigrants to the U.S. New exhibitions this season include “Northern Exposure: Contemporary Nordic Arts Revealed,” a collection of works from leading artists across Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scandinavia.

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Your Most Instagrammable Day in Toronto

World-class museums, thoroughly charming neighborhoods and a restaurant selection even New Yorkers would envy – it’s no surprise that Toronto is tops. We turned to guests and staff of the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel Toronto – the flagship property in the Four Seasons portfolio, not to mention the birthplace of the brand – for their most shareable memories, including what room service to order for breakfast and where to nab a cocktail in a 19th-century former speakeasy. Here, get a play-by-play rundown of Toronto’s most cinematic sights.

MORNING

Sunrise Sustenance

There’s no better place to catch the sunrise over Toronto’s tony Yorkville neighborhood than from your sumptuous bed, overlooking floor-to-ceiling windows that peep out on the city.

All 259 guest rooms feature down-swathed Signature Four Seasons beds – the ideal lounging spot for awaiting room service. “For a sunrise view, request a room facing east,” says Carolina Avaria, the Hotel’s Chef Concierge and Director of Communications for Les Clefs d’Or, an organization of the globe’s top hotel concierges. Her go-to room service breakfast orders? “The lemon ricotta pancakes are our trademark breakfast item if you’re looking for something sweet. For something savoury, the avocado toast and the Canadian breakfast never disappoint. And we also have healthy smoothies, including the Blueberry Antioxidant and the Power Green.”

 

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Kick Off the Day with Culture

Among the most beloved sites in Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) – the largest museum in the country – provides a sophisticated start to your day. “It’s just a block away from our Hotel, which is phenomenal,” Avaria says of the 1914 museum, which sports a glass and aluminum façade by architect Daniel Libeskind called The Crystal. “They have the best rock collection in the world and the largest exhibition of Chinese artifacts outside of China. You can spend two hours to an entire day in there, and it’s only a seven-minute walk away.” Don’t leave without stopping by the 6,000-square-foot Institute for Contemporary Culture, where modern works (from street art to style star photography) take center stage.

AFTERNOON

 

 

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Pretty Pick-Me-Up

If you’re feeling peckish after nonstop gaping at the museum, swing by family-owned Sorelle and Co. – one of Avaria’s favourite spots for a restorative afternoon coffee or tea and gluten-free, vegan sweets. “It’s adorable, with seriously perfect, Instagrammable decor,” she says. “Not only is it a great, cozy atmosphere, but it’s truly beautiful, with little roses on each round table. The walls are all glass, so you can see outside to Yorkville.” Order a Toronto-made Sloane tea (the vanilla bean rooibos is a classic) and a lemon brûlée tart for a bit of edible R & R.

 

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Brunch With a Side of History

Bar Reyna is housed in an old row house built in the 1850s,” says Avaria, who has lived and worked in Yorkville for 16 years. “In the 1960s there was a massive hippie movement, and all of the Americans avoiding the draft came to Yorkville.” At Bar Reyna, a former speakeasy, Mediterranean-inspired dishes like baklava French toast in mulberry syrup lure – as does the leafy back patio. Avaria’s cocktail of choice? The Mezcal Smokeshow. “I love it because it’s rimmed with Hawaiian black salt, a unique ingredient I haven’t seen anywhere else.”

Lap Time

Take a leisurely walk back to the Hotel through the bustling Yorkville neighborhood, and then head to the ninth floor for a dip in the 13-metre-long pool, where floor-to-ceiling windows reveal the surrounding cityscape. “All Hotel and Spa guests have full access to the pool and adjacent whirlpool, which are ideal for either a relaxing soak or vigorous exercise,” Avaria says. “Guests love standing out on the Spa’s terrace to take in the view.” Upgrade your swim with a Spa treatment, such as a Himalayan Salt Stone Massage, during which you’ll be rubbed down with the 200-million-year-old mineral.

EVENING

Dine in Style

Among the dozens of truly exquisite restaurants in Toronto, the Hotel’s own French brasserie Café Boulud is touted as the best in the city. “It’s one of celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s only two restaurants in all of Canada, with beautiful mid-century interior design by London-based Martin Brudnizki,” Avaria says. “The menu, designed in collaboration with Chef Boulud and Chef de Cuisine Sylvain Assié, is rooted in soulful French cuisine inspired by Lyonnaise classics and Boulud’s upbringing on a family farm in the small village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu.” The most ordered dish? The rotisserie chicken, which is slowly cooked to perfection on what Avaria deems the Rolls-Royce of rotisseries, a Rotisol imported directly from France. “Another standout: the plateau de fruits de mer, a seafood tower including oysters, shrimp, crab, clams, mussels and half-lobster. For dessert, you must order the profiteroles, which are one of the most popular desserts in all of Toronto on Instagram.”

A Bubbly Finish

The preferred way to cap off a delicious day in Toronto is by sipping your favourite Champagne from your private soaking tub lofted over the city. “Every room in our Hotel has a bathtub, but book the Presidential or Royal suite to enjoy a soak by a window overlooking Yorkville,” Avaria says. Custom-made body products tailored specifically for the Hotel by Vicolo Fiori’s fragrance line with Etro Milano amplify this only-in-Toronto treat.

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Toronto skyline

A Local’s Guide to Mexico City

The first time I visited the bustling metropolis of Mexico City, I was shocked by how green it was. I was constantly stumbling upon parks, often filled with sculptural fountains, native plants, and serene walking paths. It’s also the most colorful place I’ve seen, with buildings painted shockingly bright hues and vibrant food markets hawking produce in every shade of the rainbow. Now that I live here, I’m lucky enough to walk its streets every day. There’s no denying the sprawling city can feel a bit overwhelming. My advice is to tackle it one area at a time—and the following four neighborhoods are a good place to start.


Popular sights around the Coyoacan neighborhood of Mexico City.

Coyoacán

With its narrow cobblestoned streets, bustling main squares, and centuries-old buildings, Coyoacán feels worlds away from Mexico City—and until 1928, when it was officially swallowed up by the city sprawl, it actually was its own municipality. (It was also the home base of Hernán Cortés during the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs.) Most visitors come to the neighborhood (where I happen to live) to see one thing—the Frida Kahlo Museum—but there are countless reasons to linger.

My perfect Sunday? Whiling away the afternoon in the neighboring Jardin Centenario and Plaza Jardin Hidalgo, where benches are filled with hand-holding couples, families attend services at the San Juan Bautista Church, and children scatter among the musicians, clowns, and vendors hawking balloons and other toys. I always make sure to arrive hungry, grabbing a patio seat at the always-packed Los Danzantes for the duck tacos and roasted bone marrow, or savoring seafood tostadas from the frenetic Mercado de Coyoacan.

For something sweet, meander a few blocks off the square to Ruta de la Seda, an organic bakery known for its Kioto (matcha cake); at about $5 for a slice, it’s a splurge by Mexican standards, but worth it. From there, nothing beats a stroll down Avenida Francisco Sosa, lined with colorful, colonial-era architecture, restaurants, and cultural centers. I’ll take a right onto Calle Salvador Novo and head to one of the entrances of Viveros de Coyoacán, a forest-like public park that’s also a nursery for trees that are planted all over the city.


Popular sights around the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City.

Polanco

While Polanco is often called the “Beverly Hills” of Mexico City, I’ve found plenty of reasons to spend time in the neighborhood beyond its concentration of high-end shops lining Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Number one? The restaurants. Be sure to make reservations at the small, light-filled Quintonil, which is No. 22 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list and run by Jorge Vallejo, a protégée of Enrique Olvera (whose equally famed restaurant Pujol is just a few blocks away). A short stroll east is the chocolatería Que Bo!; with its jewel-colored truffles, macarons, and other treats, it’s my idea of dessert heaven.

You can also get a double dose of culture in Polanco. When I’m in the area, I’ll walk over to the Museo Soumaya just to gaze at its Instagram-ready exterior of shiny aluminum tiles in the shape of a woman’s curvy figure. The museum is owned by the foundation of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, and it houses his personal collection of Picassos, Monet, and the like—though I always make a beeline for the top floor, home to Rodin sculptures. And right across a large courtyard, Museo Jumex hosts rotating exhibits of contemporary and often boundary-pushing art.

As for the aforementioned shopping, Onora Casa—known for its modern-day takes on traditional artisan crafts like brocaded pillows from Chiapas and lacquered wood serving spoons from Pajapan—is one of those boutiques that makes you wish you could buy one (or two) of everything. And for a mix of independent Mexican brands under one roof, the IKAL concept store never disappoints.


Popular sights around the Centro district of Mexico City.

Centro Histórico

A visit to the city’s historic district requires a lot of patience—unless you do as I’ve learned and arrive early, perhaps even for an 8 a.m. breakfast at the classic El Cardenal. You’ll get to wander the streets before they’re packed with locals shopping from vendors selling packets of T-shirts, light bulbs, and other everyday items, and see the famed Diego Rivera mural inside the Palacio Nacional before the tourists line up. The Zócalo, or main square, is a hive of activity (especially on weekends)—and where you’ll find the ruins of Templo Mayor, the most important temple in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).

Another highlight is the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a sight to behold from the inside and out. I’m a sucker for views, and one of the best of the cultural center is from the tiny outdoor café on the eighth floor of the Sears department store. Or, for a 360-degree bird’s-eye look at the neighborhood and beyond, I recommend going to the top of the 44-story Torre Latinoamericana. And on my last visit, my Uber driver pointed out the Palacio de Correos de Mexico, which is quite possibly the world’s most beautiful post office (by the same Italian architect who designed the Bellas Artes).


Sights around the Condesa neighborhood in Mexico City.

Condesa

If I ever have an afternoon free just to wander, you’ll often find me in this picturesque, tree-lined neighborhood near the Four Seasons Mexico City. Its streets are brimming with restaurants, bars, and boutiques, not to mention hundreds of Art Deco buildings. Springtime is especially lovely, when the purple-flowered jacarandas are in bloom. My wanderings will inevitably lead me down the pedestrian-only center of Calle Amsterdam. I’ll turn left on Calle Ozuluama for a stop at Maque, where I’ll vow to try something different among the fresh-baked pastries before settling on my usual concha to enjoy across the street in leafy Parque México.

A few blocks west of the park, the vintage shop Void is always fun to sift through; you may uncover treasures like a Chanel tweed jacket, Dior floral dress, or 1950s bellbottoms. If I’m there long enough for the day to turn into night—and I’m in the mood for Japanese food—I’ll have a light dinner at Izakaya Kura (just north of Parque España and technically in neighboring Roma Norte). Another favorite is chef Javier Plascenia’s surf-and-turf MeroToro, where standout dishes include the ceviche tostada and braised lamb.


Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City

Where to Stay

It’s been two years since the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City emerged from a head-to-toe renovation, and the property is still fresher than ever. Rooms are done up in soothing shades of beige, dark wood, and pops of maroon, and feel sophisticated without being stuffy. And the spacious marble bathrooms are like your own personal spa. But my favorite part is the grand inner courtyard, a tasteful jungle of greenery complete with an expansive patio. By day, it’s a bright and airy place to sip coffee and read the paper; come night, it transforms into a romantic oasis, with trees that twinkle with lights and a fountain that becomes a fire pit. It’s also where you’ll find the award-winning Fifty Mils bar and the indoor/outdoor Zanaya restaurant, known for its coastal Mexican food. (Don’t miss the Zarandeado fish, cooked over fire on a special oven custom-built in the kitchen.)

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Athens Now

Nowhere do I feel more inspired and energized than in the great city of Athens. As an Australian of Greek descent, I’ve been coming here my whole life. I’ve always had a strong spiritual connection to Greece, but it was a visit to Athens five years ago, when I was living between Limassol and Detroit, that really drew me in. I moved to London, and my frequent visits to Athens soon became extended stays.

And then more: Drawn by the ubiquitous signs of a cultural revival, I’ve been living and breathing Athens for three years now. New residential developments, marinas full of super-yachts and increased flights into the Greek capital are clear signs of an upswing – but the real foundation of this evolution is the people of Athens themselves.

“The energy of the mind,” Aristotle said, “is the essence of life.” As I’ve been eagerly observing the progress and transformation of this vibrant metropolis, its citizens have never looked more ambitious. They’ve reimagined their city beyond its ruins and ancient history, and it’s time for the rest of the world to get acquainted with the modern side of Athens.


Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus

GREEK REVIVAL

The eclectic and dynamic nature of today’s Athens stretches from the city centre to its sun-kissed coastline and Blue Flag beaches – a designation indicating the city’s commitment to people and the environment. First-time visitors will rush to the Parthenon, and so they should. The sacred temple within the ancient citadel of the Acropolis has defined Athens for thousands of years; it stands over the birthplace of much of Western philosophy.

Even though I’ve been coming to Greece all my life and now call it home, I still climb the Acropolis regularly and leave filled with wonder and pride. I’ve looked out on Athens from the belvedere platform countless times. From this perch, the conspicuous charms of the city present themselves – old and new worlds woven together by majestic avenues and the legacies of people who, through the ages, have left their stamp on this spectacular view. I look over to the colossal columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, completed by Roman emperor Hadrian in the second century AD, to the Hellenic Parliament, built less than 200 years ago when Greece won its independence and Athens became the capital. The building, a symbol of modern Athens and new beginnings, overlooks Syntagma Square, where politics and progress meet.

The labyrinthine streets around the Acropolis are evidence of the city’s new state of mind. In the lively hub of Psyri, colourful street murals and hip stores selling vintage records or handmade Greek sandals intermingle with new outlets such as a luxurious hammam that speaks to Athens’ Ottoman past.


Syntagma Square in Athens

Syntagma Square

In Syntagma, between the embassies and privately run museums housed in neoclassical mansions, a grid of hidden lanes and back streets is home to a wealth of specialty stores and a dynamic food-and-drink scene where traditional and contemporary ideals coexist. Mornings on Voulis Street see queues of people at Ariston bakery waiting to buy hot kourou pies – delectable, half-moon-shaped pastries filled with feta – a local favourite since 1910.

Later, over at Sushimou, people without reservations are turned away from the 12-seat restaurant run by Greek sushi master Antonis Drakoularakos, recently listed among the top 100 chefs in the world. When the former physicist decided to change course, his love of food took him to Japan. He returned with the skills of a true itamae (trained head sushi chef), reworking Greek fish recipes into Japanese masterpieces and fusion dishes that change according to the day’s fresh catch.


Heteroclito wine bar

Heteroclito wine bar

Heteroclito, just off the iconic Mitropoleos – the street named after Athens’ largest church and its centre for orthodoxy – is one of the city’s thriving wine bars offering native varieties like Malagousia or Savatiano, little known outside Greece but delicious enough to propel you to the nearby wineries for a visit. Kolokotroni Street rules the after-dark scene, with the best and buzziest bars serving up signature cocktails.


National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens

National Museum of Contemporary Art

SENSING CHANGE

Walking around the city, especially when I return home from my frequent travels, I can still sense the rawness of Athens, a place on the cusp of change, of something significant. The ancient city’s refrains of revival and rebirth seem to be finding new voice yet again.

In 2009, the Gagosian Gallery empire chose Syntagma as the location for a satellite exhibition space, placing Athens among its other European outposts: Paris, London, Rome and Geneva. Locals – like George Vamvakidis and Stathis Panagoulis – have been a primary driving force in the city’s contemporary art scene. The duo’s gallery, The Breeder, has provided a platform for emerging Greek artists for the past 16 years. Since the turmoil of the Greek financial crisis, The Breeder has focused on providing international visibility for many of its artists. “The gallery took on the task of dynamically promoting a dialogue – political, social and creative – between Athens and the rest of the world,” Panagoulis says.

The conspicuous charms of Athens present themselves – old and new worlds woven together by majestic avenues and the legacies of people who, through the ages, have left their stamp on this spectacular view.

Their gallery space was one of the first to move into the almost abandoned Metaxourgeio district in 2008, now a dynamic art precinct. “As Athens is rapidly becoming a hub for artists, curators and creative people from all around the world, the Greek art scene has truly become international,” Vamvakidis says.

An ever-expanding cultural calendar keeps residents and visitors creatively engaged in the evolution of the city. In what some see as a sign of change, the government’s Central Archaeological Council gave permission for a U.S. rock band, the Foo Fighters, to perform and film last summer inside the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. This stage, nearly two millennia old, had historically been reserved for operas and ancient dramas.

Traditional shows and venues continue to draw actors, audiences and visionaries who infuse them with new life. In summer, the Odeon’s stage comes alive with theatre and music during the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, which has held performances at venues around the city for more than 60 years. Vangelis Theodoropoulos, its artistic director, is pushing its boundaries with innovative ideas and a mandate to welcome international audiences; this year will include a concert by Sting. And at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, Theodoropoulos will stage a theatre program of ancient Greek works carefully curated to examine current social issues.


The Panathenaic Stadium

The Panathenaic Stadium

STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY

Beneficence is an integral part of Athens’ history and continues to propel the city forward. The Panathenaic Stadium was rebuilt thanks to the generosity of Georgios Averoff, a wealthy Greek merchant from Egypt looking to ensure the legacy of Athens as a modern city. He funded the completion of the stadium to guarantee it would be ready in time for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Fast-forward a century or so to 2010, when the Onassis Foundation unveiled its avant-garde Onassis Cultural Centre with the mission of making modern cultural expression accessible to all. With multiple performance spaces and an exhibition hall, it showcases leading Greek artists like theatre director Dimitris Karantzas and choreographer Christos Papadopoulos, along with international stars.


National Museum of Contemporary Art

National Museum of Contemporary Art

Last year, for its first public showing, the National Museum of Contemporary Art hosted the 100-day Documenta 14 exhibition series, founded in Germany and held every five years. Housed in a former brewery, the museum continues to run temporary avant-garde exhibitions and will officially open later this year. The renovated building includes a library, project room, space for educational programs, café, restaurant and media lounge.


Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

The Panoramic Steps at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

One of the most ambitious cultural and architectural feats in modern Athens was the opening of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC). The Foundation donated the EUR 620 million development to the Greek state in 2017; it houses both the Greek National Opera and the National Library of Greece. At the Faliro Bay, where the city meets the sea, the SNFCC is an ideal starting point for further exploration along the Athens Riviera that stretches 50 kilometres (31 miles) to Cape Sounion.


The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

A view from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center’s Lighthouse

An elegant example of 21st-century architecture by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, the glass and concrete SNFCC building rises out of a hill that grants 360-degree vistas of the Athens skyline from its Lighthouse. The beauty of Piano’s design lies in its connections to the culture: An agora, that large gathering space so vital to ancient Greek society, features in front of the building as part of the surrounding Stavros Niarchos Park, along with a 400-metre (quarter-mile) canal reminiscent of the Phalerum, an ancient port that thrived here.


Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Piano’s understanding of Athens conveys the broader cultural appreciation for and rediscovery of the city’s centrality. He has said that the beauty of Athens lies in its values of wisdom and knowledge, in civilization and humanity. Indeed, those are the values that continue to push the city forward.


Greek guard

An Evzone sentry guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

On a Sunday morning, I take my usual spot opposite the French Embassy for the parade of the Greek Presidential Guards. They march towards me along the grand, wide boulevard of Vasilissis Sofias, under a perfectly clear sky, snapping their tsarouchia – the traditional shoes with pom-pom toes – together in perfect harmony. It’s a symbol of Athens’ progress: This ancient city is marching ahead. It’s a place better than it was yesterday and a city still in the process of becoming, where the old and new meet and move forward as one.

Photography by Dana Niebert


Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

A New Aegean Jewel: Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

When Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, currently in development, opens on a pine-clad peninsula in the Aegean Sea, Sam Ioannidis will be at the helm. After two decades with Four Seasons – starting in the food-and-beverage world in Toronto, rising through the ranks to become general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Baku and later opening Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island – he’s returning to his Greek roots. Here, he shares his perspective on the Hotel’s role in the city’s reboot.


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General Manager Sam Ioannidis of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

You grew up partly in Greece, but you’ve lived in North America, Europe and the Middle East. How does it feel to return now?

You can leave your home, but you can never leave your roots. From Day One it has felt like home – the rich culture and history, the sounds and smells are all so familiar. To be a Greek and open the first Four Seasons here? I wake up each day and pinch myself.

What is your perspective on how Athens is evolving? What’s most exciting?

There is a great deal of excitement in the air for a more prosperous time returning – a lot of interest and desire to invest. There is a resurgence and an energy; you can feel it. World-class restaurants and boutiques abound. Athens offers so much to experience. We are thrilled to be part of the renewal.

How is the Hotel part of Athens’ evolution?

Astir Palace has a legendary history that we will preserve and evolve for a modern era. Our focus is to support Athens as a destination, as well as local suppliers and artisans. By employing about 650 people, we’re providing a boost to the local economy and spending power, supporting Athens’ forward momentum.

You can leave your home, but you can never leave your roots. To be a Greek and open the first Four Seasons here? I wake up each day and pinch myself. – Sam Ioannidis

What makes the Hotel the perfect base for exploring Athens?

The location is absolutely breathtaking. We’re surrounded by turquoise waters, with views of cliffside villages. We are only 20 to 30 minutes from central Athens, the Acropolis and the airport. Guests can stay on site and enjoy the beaches, rocky shoals and vistas, or go exploring to visit local shops and attractions.

What activities do you recommend for getting a taste of the local culture?

I think I’ve gained a few kilograms since I have arrived, as I have been enjoying the local restaurants and pastry shops! There are many to choose from: seaside shops and cafés where you can sit and admire the views. Venturing into Athens, you can dine with amazing views of the Acropolis.

What are some must-visit landmarks or sights near the Hotel?

Along the coast, there are incredible views of distant islands and the Mediterranean. And there are authentic little fishing villages – great spots to enjoy freshly grilled fish and Greek coffee. We have the temple of Apollo next to the property, and one of my favourites is Vouliagmeni Lake, surrounded by magnificent cliffs.

What activities do you recommend in the city of Athens?

The city is full of adventures. Most of the main attractions – the Acropolis, the Panathenaic Stadium and the Temple of Olympian Zeus – are in the middle of the city, near the Hellenic Parliament, where you can see the changing of the guard, and the Acropolis Museum, an architectural marvel itself.

What’s something about Athens that not many people know?

The hidden gems in every city are special, and Athens is full of them. You can walk from one block to another and the mood and feel changes – from high-end fashion strips to graffiti-filled hipster scenes. Greeks are quite the athletes, too, so there are a lot of world-class sports events to watch and to participate in.

What aspect of the Hotel are you most excited about, personally?

I am happy to bring authentic Greek artisan products into the fabric of the Hotel. I want to make fellow Greeks proud of our heritage and foods; we bring in as much as we can from local farmers and wineries. But mostly, I’m excited to show guests authentic Greek charm and hospitality.

Gray Malin Brings Back Hollywood Glamour

Instagram aficionados know photographer Gray Malin for his eye-popping, pastel-hued images: Think sunbathers sprawled on cheery striped towels along Waikiki Beach, or llamas sporting pink balloons in a dreamy desert landscape. In honour of the 90th anniversary of the 22-acre Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara – the architectural grande dame became a nonagenarian on December 16, 2017 – Four Seasons commissioned Malin to recreate vintage shots at its iconic Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, where silver-screen legends Zsa Zsa Gabor, Bing Crosby and Lana Turner once frolicked. And in light of the recent weather-related devastation in Santa Barbara, Malin is donating a portion of proceeds from the sale of this series to the beautification and restoration of the Montecito community.

Despite evoking a 1960s resort lifestyle, the mood of these images is something anyone can relate to, today or years from now.

“I’m very inspired by the jet-set life of the early 20th century, a time when men wore suits to fly and ladies enjoyed a gimlet or two at lunch,” Malin says. “Upon learning of the luxurious prominence of the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, I could immediately imagine this glamorous period of history. Inspired to capture the essence of a timeless American summer, I enlisted the help of the incredible synchronized dance team the Aqualillies as my muse.”

The 1937 club, with an Olympic-size swimming pool overlooking Butterfly Beach, is as photogenic as ever, thanks to a USD 65 million renovation by architect and designer Peter Marino – known for designing such spaces as the Louis Vuitton Maison Vendôme in Paris and Bulgari London. “The lighting there evokes the South of France, and the art deco designs by Peter Marino and overall Hollywood glam of the space demands the eye’s attention,” Malin says. “Both were key factors in my inspiration around this series. If it hadn’t been for the two, combined with the club’s storied legacy, the direction of the series would have been quite different.”

Just as Malin intended, each image evokes pure glamour – which Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, with its hourly chaise-side amenities and ocean-facing heated whirlpool, has in spades. “It’s simultaneously reminiscent of yesteryear and effortlessly timeless,” Malin says. “Despite evoking a 1960s resort lifestyle, the mood of these images is something anyone can relate to, today or years from now.”

Malin’s favourite photograph in the series, “The Coral Casino,” depicts the Aqualillies waterside, in repose: “With the ladies sprinkled along the pool and loungers, paired with the pale pink and white umbrellas – it’s just so quintessential to what my vision was.” Timeless indeed.

Go Behind the Scenes of Gray Malin’s Shoot

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Santa Barbara getaway

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