The famous spectators of the Hilton Athens – A story in pictures
The Hilton, the emblematic hotel which left an indelible mark on the tourist development of Athens, raising the standards of quality and luxury, enters a new era. On January 31, the Hilton closes and the radical reconstruction begins of.
Since its official inauguration in 1963, it has become a symbol of the economic, cultural and social development of the time, a trademark of the capital for decades.
All these years the main entrance of the impressive building, with the relief compositions of Giannis Moralis, passed the foam of domestic and international jet set. State leaders, singers, actors, and famous Representatives from the field of Fashion, Arts and Sports stayed at the Hilton Athens, thus connecting their name with the long history of the hotel.
“I agree with those who believe that the Hilton Athens hotel is the most beautiful Hilton in the world,” said the founder of the well-known hotel chain, Conrad Hilton, at the opening. From the first day of operation of the Hilton Hotel there has been a lot of attraction for studying personalities of social, cultural and political life. Its cosmopolitan character, combined with the luxury it offered, made it the first choice for Greeks and foreign celebrities.
Aristotle Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Anthony Quinn, Chios Hefner and Juan Carlos, just some of the celebrities who crossed the threshold of the Hilton Athens. In 1971 the Hilton hosted great actors for the shooting of the movie “Le Casse” (“The Burglars”.) This film has one of the most characteristic chase scenes in the history of European and American cinema. Against the backdrop of Athens and Piraeus, Omar Sharif is chasing him Jean Paul Belmondo, with cinephiles to consider the pursuit in Paraliaki, Piraeus, Mikrolimano and Castella equal to the corresponding movie “Bullitt” with “The King of Cool” by Steve McQueen.
In the rich archive of the Hilton Athens, the photo with Jean Paul Belmondo in the hotel bar occupies a prominent place.