As previously mentioned, we will be posting extra photos and videos of our reviews on Instagram and Facebook, so please follow along.
Today I bring you part 1 of 2 where I review our recent trip to Corfu. In this review I will discuss the hotel in general and tomorrow’s article will be solely focused on the restaurants on offer.
In this post:
ikos Hotels
Luxury all-inclusive in Europe? Yes, it’s a thing!
For those of you who have never heard of the ikos brand. ikos was opened by the same family who own the famous celebrity holiday spot, Sani in Greece. Another luxury resort that isn’t all inclusive.
ikos is famous for their high end “true” ultra-all-inclusive business model. Each resort has multiple a la carte restaurants with extensive menus curated by Michelin starred chefs and a wine list 300 strong that you couldn’t possibly complete on a single holiday.
With ikos you get the opportunity to hire one of their own Tesla cars for free, as well as the dine around option which allows you to eat at local restaurants as part of your package. Throw in free non-motorised water sports and unlimited room service and it’s a very attractive model.
Constantly rated number one on TripAdvisor for best all-inclusive in the world, read on to see if our experience lived up to the hype.
ikos Odisia – Corfu
ikos Odisia is their newest resort in Corfu, Greece (they currently have five in Greece and two in Spain). The resort was opened in 2023 however they had to delay the opening by a few weeks as the new hotel wasn’t ready on time which meant our first holiday was cancelled. ikos were very good and booked us in for our new desired dates and paid any flight change fees that we incurred. We eventually stayed within the first couple of weeks of the rescheduled opening. When we finally arrived there were a lot of issues they had not ironed out which meant we didn’t get the full experience. Nevertheless, we had a good enough time and combined with a discount for this year as compensation we decided to give it another try as we were confident they would have found their feet by then.
Arrival & Check-in
The resort is only a 30 minute drive from the airport and we had hired a car (to qualify for BA’s Double Tier Points promotion – find out more about that here) even though we had a free private transfer.
We drove straight to the entrance where we were very warmly greeted by the check in staff and given a lovely welcome drink of sparkling wine for adults and apple juice for kids. The lobby area is a beautiful large space and the check in is dealt with at comfortable sofa seating, so no queuing at a desk. The only thing I felt was missing from the check in process was a “Welcome Back”. It’s always nice to know they are paying attention to who is a returning customer, but they missed this which is really disappointing.
Once the paperwork and a second glass of bubbles were dealt with we were then taken by buggy with our cases to our room.
The resort is very large with 4 separate villages, but they do have buggies that can pick you up and take you around the resort day and night. We didn’t feel like we needed the buggies as we were located fairly central to everything so only used it once during our stay. We did hear some grumblings around the resort about them not having enough drivers so people were having to wait too long to be picked up.
Room
We stayed in a Deluxe One Bedroom Bungalow Suite with Balcony and Sea View. The room is really bright and spacious. You enter into a living area with a large ‘L’ shaped sofa, armchair, desk, wardrobes and a mini bar area. One of the many benefits of staying at an ikos is that you can request to have your drink of choice to be waiting for you when you check in. We are dark rum drinkers so requested a bottle of Diplomatico and Zacapa 23 which were indeed waiting for us. These aren’t cheap bottles and retail for £40 and £50 a bottle respectively so it’s a lovely treat. Through sliding doors is the bedroom which also has a desk, armchair and even more wardrobes with more hangers than we’ll ever need.
Prior to arrival we had requested a suitable cot which was in the room when we arrived. It’s worth mentioning the quality of the cot and highchairs around the resort are top quality. The highchairs at the restaurants are the exact same one we have at home which are Stokke Steps. You can also request anything from baby monitors to bottle cleaners and ikos will provide them which is a huge plus for a family.
On the table in the living room was a chilled bottle of Taittinger with some welcome letters and a few macaroons which went down very well with our toddler. This is another Deluxe perk.
The bathroom is a really great size with double sinks that have ample surface space which seems rare these days, a bath, shower and toilet with separate closing door.
The balcony is a large space with a sofa, two chairs and coffee table, plus a reclining daybed, which is a perk of Deluxe. The view was beautiful!
The balcony was a great place for our child as he could play around without the risk of running off. We had heard from another family who opted for the private garden room that it wasn’t ideal as their child could open the gate and escape.
Deluxe Vs Non Deluxe
You have probably seen me mention Deluxe quite a few times by now, so to explain, it is an upgrade from the normal rooms you can book. With Deluxe you get a room in a prime location by the Deluxe only pool, which is closest to the sea where you can use the Deluxe only beach with its cabanas. I have listed the some of the official benefits of booking this room type below:
- Welcome bottle of Taittinger champagne
- Dedicated Deluxe Concierge
- Packing & unpacking service
- Dedicated Deluxe Collection swimming pool
- Exclusive Beach Area, with extra space between sunbeds and cabanas
- One Dinner by the sea per room per stay
- Upgraded in-room dining menu
- Upgraded beach and pool service menu
- Upgraded mini bar offering replenished daily with branded spirits, refreshments and snacks
- Two complimentary 25-minute neck and back massages per room per stay
- Anne Semonin upgraded bathroom amenities
- Complimentary raffia-style premium beach bag
Seeing as we have stayed in both the non Deluxe last year and Deluxe this year It’s probably worth us giving you our thoughts on whether Deluxe was worth the extra money.
The Deluxe Rooms are all close to the beach, however you aren’t guaranteed a brilliant sea view like we had and some of the rooms, I would say, are not in an ideal location as they are very close to the pool. We had done our research and specifically requested a room in a certain section (8000’s which has a beautiful uninterrupted sea view). Luckily for us, they allocated us exactly the room type we requested.
Last year we stayed in Sea Village which is next door to Deluxe. We definitely preferred the cocktails by the pool this year with the upgraded spirits however we preferred the Sea Village pool area, although there really isn’t much in it.
We had our dinner on the beach, but I mention in our restaurant review tomorrow that it just didn’t really feel luxurious and was a bit novelty.
Most of the benefits we didn’t use and would never use such as the packing and unpacking service, so this meant little to us but ultimately it came down to slightly better drinks and a slightly better room.
Was this worth the extra £1000 plus for the week? I’m not so sure.
Pools and Beach
There are 4 pool areas to enjoy. One for each village.
- Deluxe Pool
- Sea Village Pool
- Central Pool
- Kids Pool Area
We spent most of our time at the Deluxe Pool, after all, that’s what we were paying for. It never felt too busy, although we specifically remember walking through it last year (when we weren’t Deluxe) and thinking it looked very overcrowded and being thankful we weren’t there.
Every pool area has a shallow paddle pool for kids, however, none of the pools have any form of shade over them. Two of the days we were there it topped 40 degrees which was way too hot for our toddler to be running around in, so we had to go to the room. Had the shallow pools had a little cover, we could have stayed out.
Each pool area also has a larger wrap around pool with plenty of seating and notably, almost no lounger hogging in the mornings.
We went to the kids pool once, which is right at the entrance of the hotel, so the furthest point from Deluxe and the beach. Whilst it has a great splash and play area for kids, it felt, maybe inevitably so, crowded and slightly chaotic. Our 2 year old had a good time there, but was just as happy in the shallow Deluxe Pool with a few toys to play with.
The service around the pool was exceptional, the staff were constantly checking on us, but not in an irritating, persistent way. We knew if we wanted a drink, somebody would be by soon enough to help. The cocktails were delicious, and we enjoyed many of them throughout the day. Especially the Funky Ginger!
One thing that we do find slightly disappointing about ikos Odisia is the beach areas. We visited the Deluxe beach area a couple of times and had a look around the other areas, but the sand isn’t great, and it’s very pebbly to get into the sea. It may be that we have been spoilt with some beautiful beaches on our travels, but it just doesn’t feel like a comfortable place for us to enjoy. One other point to mention is that all beaches in Greece are public. Odisia seems to have a lot of locals using the beach right in front of the entire hotel which whilst it’s legal and absolutely fine with us, it does however lose any form of luxury or exclusiveness when quite literally dozens of people are setting up their own umbrellas and beach towels around you.
It’s worth mentioning that whilst the beaches here aren’t for us, they are clean and the sea is very shallow and crystal clear for quite a while so even the weakest of swimmers could enjoy this one.
Restaurants
The initial thing that enticed us to stay at an ikos Resort (we have also visited ikos Olivia and ikos Dassia too) was the amount of A La Carte Restaurants. Whilst I know some families find a buffet convenient and easier with children, we always find a fully sit down meal a much more pleasurable experience, especially at this price point.
ikos Odisia has 8 restaurants in total and we managed to visit nearly all of them, bar Anaya and Flavors (the buffet). One of the let downs from 2023 was the food, it was not on par with our previous ikos experiences. It is safe to say though that they have made some great improvements this year and we enjoyed most of our meals although I still think there is room to improve.
Our favourite would have to be Elia, a traditional Greek restaurant which is definitely ikos Odisia’s jewel. It is situated on the highest point of their private peninsula with breathtaking views, a beautiful bar area and delicious menu.
When you arrive at ikos they connect with you on WhatsApp and send daily updates of what is happening throughout the day, like yoga, water aerobics and also which restaurant will have live music that evening. The issue with this is that it is totally potluck as to whether you have managed to book anywhere with the live entertainment as you have to book your reservations months in advance, and there is almost zero flexibility to change on the day as the resort is usually so full.
We have put together a specific ikos Odisia Restaurant guide.
Bars & Entertainment
As well as a restaurant having live music each night, there is also mention on the WhatsApp messages about nighttime entertainment in one of the bars. There is a weekly white party at the pool bar with a DJ and often live music at the lobby bar who were fantastic on the evenings we spent there.
There is also a kids theatre with entertainment each night. We unfortunately never made it there in time as we were usually still eating dinner, but our little boy is happy enough with any music to dance to.
Water Sports
We took advantage of the free, non motorised water sports on a few occasions. The staff at the Water Sports hut were really friendly, approachable and helpful, even though we were only using their free options. From past experience, the staff can be a bit frosty if they aren’t making money out of you, but we felt welcome and able to keep coming back. We made use of their Pedalos and the Paddle Boards on many occasions.
Kids Vs Adults Only
The most commonly asked question on the forums before we visited was always based around whether there were too many children (it is a family resort after all) and whether couples could enjoy a holiday here without worrying about screaming kids.
I would say absolutely, yes. Odisia is large enough to not feel busy, even at full capacity and ikos do a great job at very discreetly separating the two types of holiday makers.
There are adult only sections at all pools and beaches. They also have adult only sections in most restaurants and families with kids tend to eat earlier at night and most couples usually book a little later, meaning at dinner time it’s unlikely that they would mix.
My final thought on this subject is this. ikos is built around being an all-inclusive family resort. If you’re a couple staying here, it’s very likely you’re going to encounter kids at some point in your stay. If this is a problem for you, there are countless other adult only hotels you could choose instead that would totally eliminate the risk to you, however, if you do book an ikos and you don’t have kids, I am certain you will have a great time, as we did in 2020 when we stayed at ikos Olivia before we had our little man.
Summary
We absolutely love the look and feel of ikos Odisia. The resort and grounds are truly stunning and some of the best kept gardens we have ever seen, and the staff are a credit to the company. Every member of staff we encountered were friendly and seemed to take pride in their job. Quite a few remembered us from the year before too and went out of their way to acknowledge it and welcome us back.
We had an excellent week at the resort, and we ate and drank really well. One thing we have noticed with ikos however is that the price has increased year on year and not just by a small amount. We have come to enjoy our ikos holidays, especially with a small child, because of the ease it provides. However, we are starting to feel like we are being priced out of the ikos market and it’s hard to see who their target audience may be.
If you are expecting Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental level of quality and service you will need to manage your expectations. ikos is not that.
They are however in a niche of their own and one they do very well in. Hence how quickly they are expanding and it’s a testament to them we have now been four times.
7 comments
If you stayed as a non-drinking couple, would this still be good value?
We don’t drink lots or eat that much although it is hard when there are so many lovely options.
Ikos is lovely (see other post below) and certain things they do really well but there is no doubt they are expensive and getting more so. So I personally, would say there aren’t good value
You definitely don’t have to drink to be able to take advantage of the all-inclusive as it really is a true all-inclusive and they have great mocktails too. As Andy said though, it is expensive anyway, so that needs to be considered.
Great review!
However, it sounds like you went to get drunk as much as anything else. With a two year old in tow.
I drink. A lot.
Just not around toddlers.
That’s a very strong opinion to form from a few small comments made on a single review.
The one thing you don’t do is question peoples parenting. Especially when you don’t know them and especially on a public domain.
totally agree with the Deluxe / non-deluxe view. we’ve been both and unless you get a really good deal the difference isn’t worth the money. There is a long list of proposed benefits on the ikos site but the reality is most don’t make the slightest difference. Being non deluxe you certainly don’t feel like second class citizens.
We stayed at Olivia and Porto Petro last year, Porto Petro was a stunning location but the food all round wasn’t as good as Olivia.
As far as beaches go Ikos are taking the p!ss with their promotional pictures, their beaches always look like white pristine Caribbean beaches and the reality just isn’t the case. There are only 2 tiny beaches at Porto Petro which were ok, the beach as Olivia you really needed sea shoes certainly once in the water because of all the small rocks and pebbles. If you google street view Andalucia you will see the same thing
Apart from the constantly rising prices the other annoyance as you touch on, is at this price point to have to book your restaurants months in advance and with very little flexibility to swap when you are there really isn’t good enough.
Unfortunately as is the case all round these days there are a lot of entitled people who seem to think when on holiday they don’t need to take any control of their children. It was worse at Olivia as the resort is much smaller and last year their weren’t adult only pools or restaurant areas. Porto Petro or by the sounds of it, Odissia are much larger but it can and probably will happen. I’d say if you aren’t tolerant to feral children then a high end adults only might be the way forward as this is an awful lot of money to spend to be at the mercy of other people. Certainly at Olivia the staff looked the other way rather than risk any confrontation
It’s good to hear that you agree about the beaches. Luckily, they have made some great pool areas, but on any other holiday, we would favour a beach.
We visited outside of school holidays, so all of the kids were quite young and we didn’t feel like any families were causing more of a disturbance then necessary. It definitely does help that they split the restaurants at Odisia in a discreet way.
Comments are closed.