You probably could have gone to the Maldives for the cost as August is cheaper season. Weather not guaranteed but beautiful quiet beaches and excellent food. I’ve looked at Ikos as a single traveller and opted for the Maldives twice instead as it was cheaper 🤣 and I did maldives when my kids were little and it was great. Not an ad for the Maldivian tourist board 🙄
I would have felt EXACTLY the same as you Ruth! I went to Ikos Dassia in 2018 and loved it but we only (only!) paid £3k for our then-family of 3 including flights and it was May so not that busy. Has Ikos contacted you about your experience? I’d be so interested to know what they have to say.
This really sums up how we felt too after coming home from our stay at Olivia this summer.
We’re a family of four with two young children (8 and 6), and we’ve been lucky enough to visit a few Ikos and Sani resorts over the years. This was our first time at Olivia. It’s still a lovely hotel with lots to enjoy, but we both felt that a bit of the sparkle was missing compared to other Ikos properties. Maybe it’s because it’s one of the older resorts, or maybe we’ve just been spoiled by how incredible the others have been.
Like you, we found the prices have climbed across all-inclusive holidays in recent years, and while we still think Ikos offers good value overall, this particular trip didn’t quite deliver the same wow factor we’ve had before. It was good, just not amazing, especially for the cost. The main problem we came away with was that the overall experience just didn’t live up to the price tag.
We’ve also stayed at Sani and Domes resorts in the past. Sani offers lots of different options and packages, but we found the process of booking restaurants and the sheer size of the resort a bit off-putting. It just didn’t feel relaxing, and we wouldn’t go back. Domes was good, but for us it didn’t quite reach the same standard as Ikos. Of all the European beach and resort holidays we’ve done with the kids, Ikos has definitely been our favourite, just not Olivia.
That said, we’d absolutely book another Ikos holiday in a heartbeat, just probably not Olivia next time, and maybe not during peak season when the experience doesn’t quite match the price tag. Dassia, Aria (our favourite by a country mile) and Porto Petro in Majorca were all incredible. Those trips really felt worth every penny.
Now that our kids are getting a bit older, we’re also starting to think differently about summer holidays. At these price points, especially in August, there’s a whole world of options opening up, from a decent family safari to a two-week adventure in Asia or Australasia, or even a Disney experience, all for around the same cost. It feels like the right time to start exploring a bit further afield.
Thank you, this is really helpful. Lots of Instagram DMs too from people who have done multiple Ikos holidays saying that Olivia doesn’t compare to the rest of them…
If I paid more than 10k+ for one week holiday I would also expecting the best of the best. So I completely understand your rant. I would rant too!
I was lucky that I stayed in Ikos Oceania couple of years ago during autumn holidays, so we were kind of gambling with the weather, but in the end it was perfect weather all week and for that we paid around 3k for family of 4 (2kids below 12yo). I was actually impressed that there was nobody reserving the sun lounger and the pool staffs were really proactive about it.
The food in the hotel were also mid but at least we can book restaurant inside or outside the hotel and that is where ikos shine because now i keep comparing other all inclusive hotel to Ikos 😂.
I also heard good things about Sani and Domes but never been. Might be a good alternative when Ikos price is skyrocketing.
I have been to Olivia twice, once June once Sept before my daughter started school. Absolutely brilliant both times, far exceeded expectations and loved every second. However it’s really small, I would not go there in August for exactly these reasons.
Now we are confined to school hols we went to Dassia for the 3rd time this summer, but for the first time upgraded to Deluxe (7th Ikos holiday- I confess I love them so much). We had a Deluxe junior suite which surpassed expectations and had two quite separate rooms which was great. For the three of us we paid £8.4k for 8 nights with BA flights from LHR. It was the best holiday ever (and we’ll be probably go back next year 🫣)
We went to the Grecotel White Palace in Crete at May half term. Everyone told me it was just like Ikos. lol I don’t think so. Renamed it the Grot hotel. Worst £5k I’ve ever spent. The only word I heard from staff all week was “no”. It’s was dreadful.
I’m sorry you had such a disappointing experience- I really wouldn’t totally discount Ikos though.
Grecotel on Corfu…was there two weeks ago on my second October visit . Not their fault the weather was rubbish. Staff amazing, food excellent, various resort beaches, very quiet. Biggest problem was MILLIONS of wasps. I know we have had a bad summer with them in UK too and that it’s obviously a natural phenomenon. However the resort had done nothing in terms of wasp traps. There was very clearly a nest in a shrub by the beach bar ….it made eating and drinking inside and out really stressful..I’m severely allergic with EpiPen etc but even if not , if you had small children or whatever it would make it hard to relax. Big shame as it’s a lovely place
Argh I absolutely hate wasps!! They had a problem with them at the beachside at IKOS too. Meant we always ate inside which was a real shame. I didn’t mention because sort of not their fault but at the same time…it’s really a downer isn’t it?!
No- we’re at Mar-Bella. It’s nice. A bit less stylish than Domes but bigger rooms. We did look at some of the Grecotel ones and they also looked similar.
We went to Olivia the week after you ! We hadn’t been before but been to Oceana, Dassia x 2, Andalusia & Aria. We did change rooms at first as I had a pool view in the main building and was expecting panoramic which is always of the sea. So they did move us the next day. We went to the pool where the main building was and wasn’t as busy as the other pools, we always got a lounger & went to the beach a few times. We only booked it in May and after scouring a while I found an offer on Tui which was over £2,200 off. We’ve never paid that much as we usually go in October but was expecting it to be more expensive and busier.
I agree the local area isn’t amazing but we went to the arcade opposite a few times as my two liked the punching machine - my two are 11 & 16.
We are going to Porto petro next week and going deluxe! Never been deluxe before but booked this last May and the price has since gone up 30%!!
Can’t wait. And booked the new kissamoss for next October. Then would like to try Odisia too.
Oh my god you’re like the official IKOS expert!!!!!!
Right so the week after was about 40% cheaper when I was booking, and I would definitely have been happier with things at that price. It just was EXTORTIONATE for the peak weeks for what it is…
I see the prices sometimes and it’s more than some people earn in a year!! But I’m also sure I saw Jude Law when we were there and definitely sounds like him!
Thanks for this Ruth. Makes me feel better! We’re currently in Corfu, at a standard 5 star all-inclusive (having a perfectly lovely and… fine holiday) and kept having that sneaking feeling (after hearing about it from- it seems- just about everyone I know) that if only we’d been able to spend the £6k-ish on Ikos, instead of the £3k-ish we could actually afford we’d be having the ultimate holiday of a lifetime, when in fact it sounds like it would be fairly similar (ok, with posher wine, which I hardly drink anyway).
I’d be interested in how you think it compares to the Domes brand? We went to one of those before after you recommended Domes of Elounda, and really liked it.
I’m currently in the Domes of Corfu, and I think, that for the price I paid for the same week in sani last year this is as good. The food is actually better. We saw people heading to the Ikos- but your review has made me feel better. The sting about sani was a glass of local wine being €16. It all added up!
Ive been envying all my Ikos friends! This made me feel better but im so sorry you had to have a seven out of ten time for a ten out of ten price - ugh!
I went to Dassia (Corfu) last October and loved it. I can see that in peak season it might not quite be the same. The beach at Dassia is amazing. My favourite part, and I’m not even a beach person. I’m in Mexico right now and it’s not a patch on Corfu. It quite honestly ruined me for all inclusive. I feel sad that yours wasn’t amazing - especially at that price.
You probably could have gone to the Maldives for the cost as August is cheaper season. Weather not guaranteed but beautiful quiet beaches and excellent food. I’ve looked at Ikos as a single traveller and opted for the Maldives twice instead as it was cheaper 🤣 and I did maldives when my kids were little and it was great. Not an ad for the Maldivian tourist board 🙄
I would have felt EXACTLY the same as you Ruth! I went to Ikos Dassia in 2018 and loved it but we only (only!) paid £3k for our then-family of 3 including flights and it was May so not that busy. Has Ikos contacted you about your experience? I’d be so interested to know what they have to say.
This really sums up how we felt too after coming home from our stay at Olivia this summer.
We’re a family of four with two young children (8 and 6), and we’ve been lucky enough to visit a few Ikos and Sani resorts over the years. This was our first time at Olivia. It’s still a lovely hotel with lots to enjoy, but we both felt that a bit of the sparkle was missing compared to other Ikos properties. Maybe it’s because it’s one of the older resorts, or maybe we’ve just been spoiled by how incredible the others have been.
Like you, we found the prices have climbed across all-inclusive holidays in recent years, and while we still think Ikos offers good value overall, this particular trip didn’t quite deliver the same wow factor we’ve had before. It was good, just not amazing, especially for the cost. The main problem we came away with was that the overall experience just didn’t live up to the price tag.
We’ve also stayed at Sani and Domes resorts in the past. Sani offers lots of different options and packages, but we found the process of booking restaurants and the sheer size of the resort a bit off-putting. It just didn’t feel relaxing, and we wouldn’t go back. Domes was good, but for us it didn’t quite reach the same standard as Ikos. Of all the European beach and resort holidays we’ve done with the kids, Ikos has definitely been our favourite, just not Olivia.
That said, we’d absolutely book another Ikos holiday in a heartbeat, just probably not Olivia next time, and maybe not during peak season when the experience doesn’t quite match the price tag. Dassia, Aria (our favourite by a country mile) and Porto Petro in Majorca were all incredible. Those trips really felt worth every penny.
Now that our kids are getting a bit older, we’re also starting to think differently about summer holidays. At these price points, especially in August, there’s a whole world of options opening up, from a decent family safari to a two-week adventure in Asia or Australasia, or even a Disney experience, all for around the same cost. It feels like the right time to start exploring a bit further afield.
Thank you, this is really helpful. Lots of Instagram DMs too from people who have done multiple Ikos holidays saying that Olivia doesn’t compare to the rest of them…
If I paid more than 10k+ for one week holiday I would also expecting the best of the best. So I completely understand your rant. I would rant too!
I was lucky that I stayed in Ikos Oceania couple of years ago during autumn holidays, so we were kind of gambling with the weather, but in the end it was perfect weather all week and for that we paid around 3k for family of 4 (2kids below 12yo). I was actually impressed that there was nobody reserving the sun lounger and the pool staffs were really proactive about it.
The food in the hotel were also mid but at least we can book restaurant inside or outside the hotel and that is where ikos shine because now i keep comparing other all inclusive hotel to Ikos 😂.
I also heard good things about Sani and Domes but never been. Might be a good alternative when Ikos price is skyrocketing.
I have been to Olivia twice, once June once Sept before my daughter started school. Absolutely brilliant both times, far exceeded expectations and loved every second. However it’s really small, I would not go there in August for exactly these reasons.
Now we are confined to school hols we went to Dassia for the 3rd time this summer, but for the first time upgraded to Deluxe (7th Ikos holiday- I confess I love them so much). We had a Deluxe junior suite which surpassed expectations and had two quite separate rooms which was great. For the three of us we paid £8.4k for 8 nights with BA flights from LHR. It was the best holiday ever (and we’ll be probably go back next year 🫣)
We went to the Grecotel White Palace in Crete at May half term. Everyone told me it was just like Ikos. lol I don’t think so. Renamed it the Grot hotel. Worst £5k I’ve ever spent. The only word I heard from staff all week was “no”. It’s was dreadful.
I’m sorry you had such a disappointing experience- I really wouldn’t totally discount Ikos though.
Grecotel on Corfu…was there two weeks ago on my second October visit . Not their fault the weather was rubbish. Staff amazing, food excellent, various resort beaches, very quiet. Biggest problem was MILLIONS of wasps. I know we have had a bad summer with them in UK too and that it’s obviously a natural phenomenon. However the resort had done nothing in terms of wasp traps. There was very clearly a nest in a shrub by the beach bar ….it made eating and drinking inside and out really stressful..I’m severely allergic with EpiPen etc but even if not , if you had small children or whatever it would make it hard to relax. Big shame as it’s a lovely place
We went to Corfu in 2020 (just an air bnb) and have never been bothered by wasps as much anywhere else in my life and I’ve travelled a lot.
Argh I absolutely hate wasps!! They had a problem with them at the beachside at IKOS too. Meant we always ate inside which was a real shame. I didn’t mention because sort of not their fault but at the same time…it’s really a downer isn’t it?!
No- we’re at Mar-Bella. It’s nice. A bit less stylish than Domes but bigger rooms. We did look at some of the Grecotel ones and they also looked similar.
We went to Olivia the week after you ! We hadn’t been before but been to Oceana, Dassia x 2, Andalusia & Aria. We did change rooms at first as I had a pool view in the main building and was expecting panoramic which is always of the sea. So they did move us the next day. We went to the pool where the main building was and wasn’t as busy as the other pools, we always got a lounger & went to the beach a few times. We only booked it in May and after scouring a while I found an offer on Tui which was over £2,200 off. We’ve never paid that much as we usually go in October but was expecting it to be more expensive and busier.
I agree the local area isn’t amazing but we went to the arcade opposite a few times as my two liked the punching machine - my two are 11 & 16.
We are going to Porto petro next week and going deluxe! Never been deluxe before but booked this last May and the price has since gone up 30%!!
Can’t wait. And booked the new kissamoss for next October. Then would like to try Odisia too.
Oh my god you’re like the official IKOS expert!!!!!!
Right so the week after was about 40% cheaper when I was booking, and I would definitely have been happier with things at that price. It just was EXTORTIONATE for the peak weeks for what it is…
I see the prices sometimes and it’s more than some people earn in a year!! But I’m also sure I saw Jude Law when we were there and definitely sounds like him!
Thanks for this Ruth. Makes me feel better! We’re currently in Corfu, at a standard 5 star all-inclusive (having a perfectly lovely and… fine holiday) and kept having that sneaking feeling (after hearing about it from- it seems- just about everyone I know) that if only we’d been able to spend the £6k-ish on Ikos, instead of the £3k-ish we could actually afford we’d be having the ultimate holiday of a lifetime, when in fact it sounds like it would be fairly similar (ok, with posher wine, which I hardly drink anyway).
I’d be interested in how you think it compares to the Domes brand? We went to one of those before after you recommended Domes of Elounda, and really liked it.
I’m currently in the Domes of Corfu, and I think, that for the price I paid for the same week in sani last year this is as good. The food is actually better. We saw people heading to the Ikos- but your review has made me feel better. The sting about sani was a glass of local wine being €16. It all added up!
Oooh is it the Grecotel? My friend went to the one in Corfu and it sounded great.
Uh oh, we’re going there at half term…
Omg Ruth I’d be furious, poor you! I am also so guilty of building a holiday up in my head… But at those prices you bloody expect it don’t you!
Can I ask, sorry - maybe I’m missing something because I’m ill, but are you saying there was a bill on top at the end, too - surely not??
No, just the balance! X
Ive been envying all my Ikos friends! This made me feel better but im so sorry you had to have a seven out of ten time for a ten out of ten price - ugh!
Ha! Glad it made you feel better though 🤣
I went to Dassia (Corfu) last October and loved it. I can see that in peak season it might not quite be the same. The beach at Dassia is amazing. My favourite part, and I’m not even a beach person. I’m in Mexico right now and it’s not a patch on Corfu. It quite honestly ruined me for all inclusive. I feel sad that yours wasn’t amazing - especially at that price.
I wish I’d actually just booked Dassia as that was the one my friends were raving about! What a plonker!