Ikos Olivia

The Resort Overall Anyone familiar with Ikos knows that the resorts are spacious, beautifully designed and exceptionally well maintained. Ikos Olivia is no exception. Although it is one of the older Ikos resorts, a great deal has been renovated and renewed over the past two years, including the restaurants and guest rooms. Everything is beautifully designed and maintained down to the smallest detail. You feel completely at ease from the very first minute. Ikos resorts are primarily designed with families in mind. However, we have been returning to Ikos regularly for the past five years because of the dedicated Adults-Only areas, including areas of the beach, pool and restaurants. As a couple, we have therefore never felt disturbed by families. We particularly appreciate Ikos because of its exceptional all-inclusive concept: all drinks are included, including an extensive selection of wines and cocktails. Add to this the excellent à-la-carte restaurants, outstanding cuisine, beautiful beaches, immaculate grounds and, last but certainly not least, exceptional service. It is precisely this combination that makes Ikos so special to us.

The Beach The beautiful sandy beach stretches for several hundred metres and is genuinely a proper sandy beach. The sun loungers are well maintained and equipped with thick, comfortable cushions, with a generous parasol for each set of loungers. There is plenty of space between the loungers, allowing you to enjoy a real sense of privacy and tranquillity. We particularly appreciate the separate Adults-Only area on the beach, which is genuinely reserved exclusively for adults. For couples, we consider this an excellent feature. The beach service is equally impressive. Drinks are brought directly to your lounger as part of the all-inclusive concept – it is difficult to ask for more.

Restaurants & Food All of the restaurants are beautifully and stylishly designed. If anything, we feel that the table settings, particularly in the evening, could convey an even greater sense of luxury, perhaps with tablecloths or elegant runners. However, the beautiful ambience more than makes up for this minor point. The food is simply a dream. There are six restaurants to choose from – five à-la-carte restaurants and one buffet restaurant. As we clearly prefer à-la-carte dining, we only visited the buffet once, for breakfast. The selection was absolutely excellent, although for us personally it was a little too lively due to the number of families with children. The à-la-carte restaurants are one of the main reasons why we have been returning to Ikos for several years. The choice is extensive, and the quality of the cuisine is simply outstanding. From the starters and main courses to the desserts, there are constantly new creations of the highest standard. For an all-inclusive resort, this is truly exceptional. There is also an extensive wine list featuring a great selection of local and international wines. What we particularly enjoy is that each restaurant offers its own wine selection, carefully matched to its individual concept and cuisine. And, of course, these wines are also included in the all-inclusive offering. Wine lovers will definitely be in for a treat.

Service The service at Ikos – and this is something we have experienced across different Ikos resorts – is truly something special. The staff are incredibly warm, attentive and friendly. Within just a day or two, they know their guests and their preferences. Throughout our entire stay, we were treated like royalty and genuinely made to feel exceptionally well looked after. Every effort is made to fulfil your wishes. If something is not quite right, for example, a dish or a bottle of wine is replaced immediately and without any hesitation. Always friendly, always attentive and always with the goal of making the guest's stay as perfect as possible. Simply outstanding. You can also see that this level of service does not happen by chance. The management is highly visible throughout the resort and actively involved in the daily operation. Even the Food & Beverage Manager can be seen clearing plates, taking orders and advising guests. The management leads by example and demonstrates genuine team spirit, making them true role models for the entire team. This kind of presence and hands-on leadership is something you rarely see in hotels. This attitude is equally evident when it comes to everything else – whether reservations, special requests or organisational matters. Every effort is made to ensure that the guest's stay is as enjoyable and effortless as possible. Simply outstanding.

Rooms & Grounds As mentioned above, the rooms are beautifully and modernly renovated. Our Junior Suite even had direct access to the sea, which made our stay even more special. The entire resort is exceptionally well maintained and beautifully landscaped. Trees, flowers and thoughtfully designed areas can be found throughout the grounds. Everything feels harmonious, immaculate and incredibly well cared for – a true little paradise in which to relax and feel at home.

Conclusion Ikos Olivia has once again confirmed why we have been returning to Ikos for the past five years. The combination of beautiful grounds, a stunning beach, outstanding cuisine, an exceptional selection of à-la-carte restaurants, a superb all-inclusive concept and, above all, the incredibly warm and attentive service is very difficult to beat.

We will definitely be back.

We had our 11 month old son and 3 year old daughter in swim lessons at Ikos Olivia. Despina and Effie were incredible swim instructors. My daughter is very cautious and did not initially want to participate but Effie made it really fun for her and eased her into the experience which ended up being her favorite activity during our stay.

Our very last-minute trip to Ikos Olivia

Sometimes you just need to go with your heart… and that’s exactly what we did this time. We booked and arrived at Ikos Olivia in less than 24 hours.

We genuinely couldn’t have made it happen without Athina. She was amazing and made everything feel so easy. Knowing we were coming back to our happy place made the decision even easier.

From the moment we arrived, it felt like we’d never been away. There’s something about Olivia that is very hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. The whole resort has such a lovely atmosphere, the team are incredibly welcoming and somehow everything just runs like clockwork.

There are, of course, a few people who deserve a special mention…

Athina and Nikki – always there with a smile and somehow always one step ahead. Thank you for looking after us so well.

Nickolas – thank you for always going above and beyond. You couldn’t have done any more for us during this stay. It’s those little things that make such a difference.

Thanos, Petros, Antonia, Aggelos & Nikos at the Deluxe Pool – another brilliant few days with you all. You’ve become such a familiar and important part of our Olivia visits.

Vicky – our wine tasting was as wonderful as ever. This time it was even more special because you made our friends, who were visiting for the first time, feel so welcome.

Vasilis – it’s always lovely to see you and you have such a way of making us feel genuinely welcome.

Vicky, Effie & Agapi at The Garden – thank you for the lovely evenings and the warm welcome, as always.

Kristina at Ouzo – thank you for making our visit so enjoyable.

Nickolas, Christos, Alberto & Eva at Fresco – another lovely evening and fantastic service. You all made us feel so well looked after.

Leon & Lyubov at Flavours – thank you for the lovely welcome and for always making breakfast enjoyable.

The Heroes Kids Club team – a huge thank you for everything you do for our son. You are absolutely amazing with him and genuinely go above and beyond every time. Knowing he is so happy, settled and looked after means so much to us and makes it possible for us to properly relax and enjoy our time too.

And Robert at Provence – thank you for looking after us and adding to another memorable stay.

We could honestly keep going with names because there are so many people behind what makes this place so special.

This was a completely spontaneous trip, but it reminded us exactly why we keep coming back.

We’re already counting down to the end of September when we’ll be returning with our friends. We absolutely cannot wait to show them why Olivia is so special to us.

Until next time, Ikos Olivia… thank you for another few days in our happy place.