Ikos Reviews

A truly wonderful hotel. From the special greeting as you arrive to the special goodbye. This hotel has absolutely everything you could possibly want in a holiday. The food and restaurants are impeccable, the service and professionalism is faultless.

We would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel to anyone.

We went with family and the staff took great care of making sure the children were happy and the parents could relax right from before we even got to the check in desk! We had a suit with access from both the bedroom and living area to a huge patio which really made the room feel enormous.

Only two negatives. We went in May so the pools and sea were a little chilly, and there was a lack of nice quiet bar to sit outside in the evening, only the lobby or theatre room, which were a bit noisy for the children at that time.

My wife and I visited this hotel in May 2015. I have been to many all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, United States and across Europe and I can honestly say this was by far the best that I have stayed in, especially when you consider the reasonable cost in comparison to other places. From arrival to departure, every single member of the hotel team was excellent, attentive, polite and warm. The facilities were very good, the gym was well fitted out which suited me nicely! The food in the main buffet was good and was a varied selection each night, we also attended the Greek a la carte restaurant which turned out some lovely dishes. The only slight niggle would be that Nea Moudania was a bit lifeless but we did not visit in high season so this was kind of to be expected.

All in all just a fantastic holiday which we loved so much we are returning this year, 2016, to celebrate our wedding anniversary!! Great job

Fantastic place thoroughly enjoyed complex - shame about surroundings outside of the complex somewhat run down.

The Oceania fully deserves it's 'Best all inclusive in Europe' spot on Tripadvisor. This was our second visit within 6 months and certainly not the last. The service is truly exceptional throughout the hotel. The upgrades planned for the opening of 2016 will only enhance what is already a fantastic experience.

Great location,excellent food....will be booking again.

On arrival we were helped with our bags and welcomed to the hotel shown to a seat and given a glass of sparkling wine after filling in a form we booked the restaurants we wanted to eat in that week.our room was on the corner facing the sea which was great nice big bed best we ever had very comfy food and drink was excellent staff serving were always very nice, lovely grounds, pools, and facilities,one point to make is if you have been given offers as I was such as welcome basket 75 euro spar credit email them and get them confirm back or you may be told as I was even though I had it in writing from my booking agent ,that it was not on their booking form and told to take it up with them...not very 5 Star way to treat a customer.

Outside of the hotel there is very little to see don't waste your time.We went on the market trip but were not told it was just local farmers market chickens fruit and veg nice church in the town .

Evening entertainment is not much to get excited about you may get to dance on one night mostly solo jazz, or greek singer very laid back fri night the staff do a stage song and dance quite good,so if you take a good book enjoy the food and drink I think you can relax and relax some more,we did not have any children with us but there were areas for them, and a thank you to member of staff Fortina who made us feel very welcome.Would I go back maybe ?

Absolutely couldn't fault the this experience at all !..

From arrival, where we were greeted and checked in seamlessly and efficiently, and able to book our restaurant choices for the week...no queuing, waiting or stress..

Our Suite overlooking the Sea , was beautiful and spotless..

The restaurants were all top notch, beautiful food ...quality not just quantity..

Forget everything you expected all inclusive to be like -this is in a class of its own..

So much so, I am returning in April this year !..

We visited IKOS Oceania at the end of April/beginning of May and were so impressed that we returned at the end of September/beginning of October. This review is based on both visits. A taxi from Thessalonica airport is €70 and takes 30-40 minutes. The entrance to the hotel is via a security barrier where you are asked for your name and at the entrance to the reception a member of staff greets you calling you by your name – a very nice welcoming touch. In September we were greeted by Tania who by chance had waved us off in our taxi in May and was kind enough to remember us, as did several other staff. The friendliness of the staff is unbeatable and the overwhelming majority are also very efficient and courteous.

The hotel advertises itself as ‘ultra all inclusive’ and this translates as you do not need to (indeed, cannot) spend any money, save for tipping the staff, as everything is included in the price, from premium brand spirits to the four À la Carte restaurants (reservations required for dinner) and from each and every cocktail to bicycle hire.

The hotel’s position is superb, overlooking its own sandy beach, with wonderful sea views from several of the 5 residential buildings: building 4 is closest to the sea. The grounds are immaculate and very pretty.

The attractively laid out main buffet restaurant offers a really wide variety of good and well presented food, although, oddly, the only juice available at breakfast is orange. There is an adults only area, which needs to be bigger. Like virtually all buffet restaurants, we found a problem with the temperature of what was served. Food that we would have wished to be hot was usually just warm (and sometimes not even warm) and that which should have been cold (orange juice) was tepid. All drinks, whether alcoholic (lunch and dinner) or tea/coffee at breakfast, are waitress-served at the table, which can result in delays and drinks not always at an appropriate temperature. Breakfast and lunch are also served at the Greek and French a la Carte restaurants, albeit with a reduced variety of items available – a bonus, however, being that eggs are cooked to order and thus served hot!.

Dinner is also available in these restaurants and in the Asian and Italian À la Carte restaurants (reservations required) and apart from the pleasure of being served the food, rather than fetching each course from the buffet restaurant, offers the opportunity for food served at the correct temperature. Unfortunately our three main course dishes in the Asian restaurant were served too cold to be enjoyed, possibly because we had asked for a 20 minute break between starters and mains which might not have been conveyed to the chef in time. The food tasted as though it had been cooked long before it was served. We did receive a very sincere apology from a manager and an offer to replace the dishes. On the other hand we had very positive experiences in the other a la carte restaurants, particularly on our September/October visit. One big difference from May being that the Asian and French restaurants are now housed in a brand new building overlooking a superb ‘infinity swimming pool’ with fantastic sea views beyond. The quality of the buildings, grounds and internal furnishings is extremely high.

We would really recommend the ‘dining-out’ option. This is a meal at a local taverna, overlooking the harbour, to which you are taken in the hotel’s minibus (and collected at the end – choose you own times) and which represents an authentic Greek experience, with great food (my sea bass was the best I’ve ever eaten) and as much wine as you wish – served by the bottle. In May the mezze was seriously impressive, but the only mains option was a (huge) mixed grill, but by October the mains menu had sensibly been extended. The wine served is Ikos’ own brand and very nice it is.

The rooms (ours was a Junior Suite) are spacious, spotlessly clean and serviced every day by charmingly friendly and efficient domestic staff. A ‘turn-down’ team leaves a little ‘sweet’ each evening, although the chocolates in May had disappointingly been replaced by a biscuit type confection in October. Apart from a very comfortable, large bed, the suite contained a pull-out bed settee, flat screen TV with multiple channels, ample wardrobe storage facilities including padded coat hangers! Thick white bathrobes and slipperettes are also supplied. Tea and coffee making facilities were available including a N’espresso machine, although decaffeinated coffee sachets were not supplied: something one expects in a 5 star hotel, just as one expected a box of tissues, but none were supplied. The balcony is a good size and has wicker furniture with padded seats. There is also a short clothesline.

A limited, but varied room service menu is available 24 hour a day, and at no additional cost. Also free are the drinks in the well stocked mini bar which include UK/international brands of spirits, beer, soft drinks and full sized bottles of white and red wine. It is restocked on a daily basis. The bathroom, with its built-in over the bath, powerful, shower was quite sizeable and contained a variety of high quality complimentary toiletries, as well as thick, fluffy white towels changed as often as you wish.

The public areas in the main building are all very tastefully laid out and furnished. The main, lobby, bar is open from 9am to 1am with a very efficient and fast waiter/waitress service, provided by Georgia, and Kiki, among others. Nikos was one of the quickest, hardest-working barmen we have ever seen: it was a joy to watch him at work – and he was a really nice guy as well. The Theatre Bar opens at 8pm and is an adults-only haven, however the resident barman, Constantinou was possibly the least customer-friendly member of the entire staff; positively unfriendly, in fact, so much so that we avoided the bar when he was on duty. Alexandra, his assistant was the very opposite and could not have been nicer. The beach bar is small but there are plans to enlarge it, or even to relocate it. Bar staff patrol the beach taking and delivering orders (again without charge). In May, head-banging music was being played far too loudly and was very obviously for the benefit (‘pleasure’ would be the wrong word) of the staff, rather than the guests. Several of the staffs’ contracts ended on 30 September and they left, thankfully taking their ghastly music with them, leaving us to listen to the sounds of the sea – who needs anything more? Management should regulate the type and volume of any music played taking account the average age of the guests. By contrast the music played at the pool bar was pleasant and not intrusive. One day during our September/October stay, the beach bar was without milk from it opened, at 10 am, until after 12 noon, thus denying anyone a latte – a popular early morning drink. This should never have happened since a supply from the pool bar was a 5 minute walk away.

Overall, a really great resort with a few minor negatives that certainly did not spoil our holidays: indeed we have booked to return in April – our third stay in 12 months, AND again in October. One final point, nobody hassles you to join in games or entertainment, of which there is plenty.

Fantastic hotel lovely furnishing and defiantly a 5* , very friendly staff, the food was exceptional. The a al carte restaurants were wonderful I couldn't have chosen the best, they were all so good. One evening was our wedding anniversary and we were even given an anniversary cake to celebrate, a very nice touch along with a bottle of champagne in our room. We never tended to go back to the same place twice but will definitely be going back.

For the previous ten years we have attended the Oceania and thought it could not be bettered. However this hotel is probably the finest we have ever visited. Its so well spaced out through beautifully kept grounds and gardens.

The main restaurants are set right at the beach - simply could not be bettered and with no steps to climb.

A wide choice of pools - again spread out so no feeling of being on top of each other and presenting the right atmosphere for complete relaxation.

Coupled with all this and gels it together is the impeccable service received - from the personalised care at reception, the restaurants and certainly by the staff looking after yo around the pool.

Absolutely fabulous!! Two things that could be improved - there was no socket near the dressing table for a hairdryer, so you had to plug in by the drinks console - therefore had to dry hair standing up peering through cups and glasses. And the acces from the Deluxe area to the main hotel up a lift past the kitchen store area - not Good. Otherwise fantastic. We will return.

Had a wonderful time despite the weather being a let down. Only grumble is that with it being the end of the season, the choice of drinks became very limited. They had run out of most things which we were not very happy about. This was the only disappointment.

We rarely stay all inclusive but here it was ideal, with everything a hoilday maker could require. The room with a lovely sea view was very comfortable, the service everywhere, including the beach was excellent, the selection in the buffet restaurant was better than any resort we have visited. I understand that the a la carte restaurants (at no extra charge) have been expanded, we particularly liked the additional facility of an individual trip to a local traditional restaurant.

This hotel was recommended to us and we couldn't have been more pleased. Our room suite was spotless with the most fantastic sea views with a huge veranda complete with sun loungers. The choice and quality of the food and the fast wine lists at each of the individual restaurants are the best we have ever experienced on a all inclusive holiday The staff could not do enough for you and always with a smile, even the lovely girl that walked up and down the beach all day long offering drinks and snacks so that we didn't even have to leave or sun lounger.

It is very rare that we ever go back to the same resort twice or even bother to write a review , but without a doubt we will go back to Ikos.