The iconic Hilton Hotel in Athens, a masterpiece of last century’s architecture, has been renamed “The Ilisian” and will reopen in 2025 after extensive renovations.
It is named after the neighborhood of Athens where it is located which in turn is named after the river Ilisos.
Ionian Hotel Enterprises presented their vision for the 340-million euros ($365 million) hotel at a ceremony in Athens on Thursday.
PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed the hope that “The Ilisian” would become a monument of the 21st century, just as the Hilton was a monument of the 20th century.
He spoke of an investment that boosts development and benefits the national economy, adding that “the investments we want are always those that improve quality of service and respect the environment.”
The historic building that housed the Athens Hilton for over half a century is evolving into an ecosystem that includes a new hotel and residences of Hilton’s award-winning Conrad and Waldorf Astoria brands, areas of gastronomy, entertainment, wellness, and shopping.
It will include 278 rooms and suites, as well as a 400 sq m mega suite. 18 Conrad Residences and 37 Waldorf Astoria Residences are also being developed on the top floors of the building.
“The Ilisian” is expected to become an employment hub, as it is expected to create up to 800 direct new jobs, which is three times more than Hilton. In total, the creation of 1,760 direct and indirect jobs is expected.
The work on the building complex that housed the Hilton hotel began in 2022, while the opening is planned for the 4th quarter of 2025.
Hilton Hotel a landmark in Athens
Construction of the Hilton Hotel, which has become a beloved landmark for Athenians, began in 1959 on a plot of 17,000 square meters and it was considered unprecedented in scope and design, at the time.
It was the Peza family that started the endeavor, but during construction, they realized they could not complete the project. The ownership of the shares went to the Ionian Bank, which ended up financing the completion of the construction.
The cost of construction at the time, including the value of the land, amounted to 15 million US dollars.
It first opened its doors in 1963; it was the first major international hotel chain to operate in the country. Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra and Anthony Quinn even attended the hotel’s grand opening.
Greeks have a particular fondness for the hotel, and many view it as a symbol of Greece’s great era of blossoming in the 1960s.
The hotel, which arguably fueled the country’s status as a top international tourist destination, holds an important place in the history of modern Athens. Its iconic facade was designed by Greek artist Yiannis Moralis.
For Athenians, who are used to referring to the hotel as the”Hilton,” the name change will likely take a long time to get used to.