Athens, April 1963:"I agree with those who believe that the Athens Hilton Hotel is the finest Hilton in the world". The founder of the still powerful hotel chain, Conrad Hilton, was so impressed that he traveled all the way to Athens to attend the opening ceremony of our own Hilton.
A few days ago it was announced that the long-standing landmark of the Greek capital will be named after him. Conrad Hilton Athens. Along with it, two others - the company's most luxurious brands - will "cover" luxury residences:Conrad Residences and Waldorf Astoria Residences. Its new owners have now managed to carve out the future, the fortune it deserved, almost 60 years later, in this global hospitality house in the center of Athens.
If buildings could talk... How much would the rooms, suites, halls, restaurants, bars, pool and terraces of the Hilton testify. They would shine for their Hollywood arrivals, brag about their glittering charity galas, shout about the big deals that were closed, darken about the cases that made negative headlines, blush about the illicit loves...and how much more.
But let's take the story from the beginning
The vision of the construction of Hilton Athens belongs to Igor Pezas, the adopted son and nephew of the shipowner Apostolos Pezas, who, being a great cosmopolitan, wanted to put Athens on the world hotel map. The contacts with the Hiltons were his, and it didn't take him long to convince his then-powerful stepfather, who they say never spared him, to start contacts with the government. It was the beginning of 1957 and the young Pezas had already identified the excellent plot of land at the junction of Vasilissis Sofias and Vasileos Konstantinou avenues. It belonged to the Ephorate of Material War and the then prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis granted it easily and with particularly favorable conditions to Rep. Pezas. Immediately, a great architectural group consisting of Emmanuel Vourekas, Prokopi Vassiliadis and Spyros Staikos was formed, with Antonis Georgiadis in charge, and the plans began. It was grandiose and unprecedented for Athens, with many publications and well-known Athenians talking about a scandalous building, which will alter the urban fabric of the city, which with its height will "insult" the Acropolis. But with the blessings of the government and as history has shown, fortunately they were not listened to.
Shortly after, the sudden bankruptcy of the shipowner Peza, forced him to sell his shares to Professor Stratis Andreadis. A versatile and aggressive businessman, Andreadis would not miss such an opportunity to enter tourism. After all, Hilton was known to be the first international hotel chain to set foot in Greece. The collaboration with Konrad Hilton continues without deviations from the original plans, to give birth to one of the most emblematic buildings of Athens, yes with the modern architecture of the 60s, but with strong Greek elements and dominant white Pentelian marble and the work of art - monument of Yiannis Moralis, which adorns its entrance.
Stratis Andreadis, taking full control of the building, establishes in his bank, Ioniki, a subsidiary company, Ioniki hotel, to manage all matters. Its construction, which reached 50 meters, was completed in 1963 and cost, together with the value of the plot, 15 million dollars.
At the legendary opening of Hilton Athens on April 20, 1963, which lasted 3 days, the entire political, business and artistic world of the country paraded, while the guests from Hollywood and many countries of the world were also glamorous. Together with his confidant Igor Pezas with Conrad Hilton, Apostolos Pezas and of course his new owner Stratis Andreadis. The inauguration was considered the secular event of the decade and the magazine "Ikones" devotes eight pages written by Freddy Germanos.
Everyone wanted to come to the Athens Hilton, since its fame had spread throughout the world. The photos are irrefutable witnesses. Frank Sinatra holding the hand of the young son of then hotel general manager Jean Pierre Piquet in July 1971, star Jean-Paul Belmondo with Nicole Calfan in February of the same year, singer Ella Fitzerald in 1979 and many others .
The second major upheaval in the ownership of the Athens Hilton came in December 1975. The Karamanlis government nationalized the Andreadis Group. The entire business empire of Stratis Andreadis - except shipping - "was taken over overnight by the government". Andreadis was dismissed from the management of Emporiki and Ionian-Laiki and the hotel now belongs to the bank. Much was written and heard then. After the death of Andreadis, around the mid-1990s, the European Court of Human Rights condemned the Greek government to pay large monetary compensation to his heirs.
Ionic and Alpha
The Athens Hilton is now owned by the state-owned Ioniki Bank. In 1987, the company expanded its activities in Rhodes with the construction of a super-luxury hotel, in the Ixia location of the Municipality of Ialyssos. A year later, the shares of Ioniki Hotel are listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. In 1999, the Ionian Bank, and thus the company that owns the Hilton Athens, was acquired by Alpha Bank, its third owner, with Hilton remaining at the helm of its management. The Athens Olympic Games bring renovation fever and Alpha Bank decides to renovate and expand the Hilton. The work starts at the end of 2001 and almost 60 million euros are spent on extensions, new conference rooms, rooms, etc.
At the beginning of 2003, its partial reopening begins, after it had been closed for some periods. 2004 is a landmark year for the Hilton as during the Olympic Games it served as the official hotel of the International Olympic Committee.
In February 2016, Alpha Bank decides to sell the Hilton, only to acquire it a few months later for 142 million euros to the company "Home Holdings" owned by the tourist entrepreneur Achillea Konstantakopoulos (Costa Navarino) and the Turkish company Dogus. 2017 Ioniki Hotels delists its shares from the Athens Stock Exchange and at the beginning of 2019 the company is transferred to the Konstantakopoulos group after the departure of Dogus.
Today
The departure of Dogus from Hilton's business model brought many changes. There were several scenarios that wanted well-known hotel chains – apart from Hilton – to take over its management. A few days before the contract expires at the end of this year, came the most brilliant announcement. Hilton will continue to manage the hotel, but... everything is changing!
The emblematic building of Athens is about to be transformed into an innovative and multidimensional destination that will offer high quality hospitality, residences and multiple experiences. In a strategic partnership between Hilton and Ionian Hotels, Hilton's most luxurious brands, Conrad Hotels &Resorts, Conrad Residences and Waldorf Astoria Residences will gain a presence in Greece and operate within the new destination. Over the next three years, wherever the works are completed, more than 130 million euros will be spent by Ioniki Hotel. It will include - in addition to hotel use - private residences, a private members' club, multiple restaurants and themed shopping areas, while they will also be available for permanent residence. The new Conrad hotel, which is expected to welcome its first guests in 2024, will include approximately 280 guest rooms and suites, as well as approximately 50 private Conrad Residences and Waldorf Astoria Residences. The project is the latest addition to Hilton's rapidly growing luxury portfolio across Europe, which currently spans locations such as Portugal's Algarve, Amsterdam and Rome. With a presence on five continents with 40 hotels, Conrad Hotels &Resorts addresses the citizens of the world, combining innovation with contemporary design and art.
And the story continues…
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