Is Ikos Worth It? Our Honest Opinion After Three Family Holidays
When a family holiday costs around £10,000, it's fair to ask one question...
Is Ikos really worth it?
We've now stayed at Ikos three times as a family of five and, despite looking at other luxury family holidays every year, we keep coming back.
This isn't a hotel review. You can read our full Ikos Olivia Review if you're looking for room types, restaurants and practical information.
Instead, this is my honest opinion on whether I think Ikos genuinely justifies its premium price.
Transparency: Every stay mentioned in this article was fully paid for by our family. Ikos has no involvement in this review and they have no idea I'm writing it. Everything below is based entirely on our own experiences.
Why is Ikos so expensive?
There's no escaping the fact that Ikos is expensive.
A family holiday during the summer holidays can easily cost around £10,000, depending on the resort, room category and flights.
If your children aren't yet in school, shoulder season offers considerably better value, which is why it's so popular with younger families.
When you're spending this kind of money, expectations are understandably high.
So what exactly are you paying for?
For me, it's not simply beautiful hotels or unlimited food and drink.
You're paying for an experience that's been designed to make family holidays feel effortless.
What makes Ikos different?
We've stayed at several luxury family hotels over the years.
Some have better beaches. Some have more spectacular rooms. Some are in more beautiful locations. But none have consistently made us feel the way Ikos does.
It feels like a holiday for the parents too.
That might sound obvious, but if you've travelled with young children before, you'll probably understand. Many family holidays revolve entirely around the children.
Parents spend the week organising meals, entertaining little ones and trying to keep everyone happy.
You often come home wondering whether you actually had a holiday yourself.
At Ikos, we never feel like that. We come home feeling rested. For us, that's what makes it different.
The service is what keeps us coming back
If I had to choose one thing that makes Ikos stand out, it would probably be the service.
Every member of staff seems genuinely invested in making sure you're having the best possible holiday.
Throughout our stay, the concierge team regularly checked in to ask whether there was anything they could do to make our experience even better.
Not because there was a problem. Simply because they're constantly striving to improve your stay.
The staff are warm, positive and genuinely happy to help. Nothing ever feels like too much trouble. It's this attention to detail that quietly transforms the whole holiday and you feel looked after from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave.
The food genuinely feels five-star
Food is one of the biggest reasons we keep returning. The restaurants don't feel like typical all-inclusive dining not even the buffet which was amazing quality. Across our stays we've enjoyed beautifully cooked steak, fresh mussels, escargot, seafood and exceptional desserts—all included.
One thing I particularly appreciate is that there aren't constant supplements for premium dishes. At many luxury all-inclusive resorts, the meals you actually want often cost extra. That wasn't our experience at Ikos.
The wine list also deserves a mention. Although my husband doesn't drink, I do enjoy a good glass of wine on holiday, and I was genuinely impressed by the quality of the wines included.
We make full use of what we're paying for
Whenever someone tells me Ikos is expensive, my answer is always the same.
It depends how you holiday.
We used the kids' club every day. We ate in different à la carte restaurants throughout the week. We didnt stress over when nor how much the children ate at a meal. We appreciated the premium food and wine.
We made full use of the things that matter most to us.
Did we use every single facility? No. We didn’t play tennis or join the sports activities because that's simply not how we holiday at this stage of family life. But that's exactly the point.The things we personally value most are the things Ikos excels at.
Summer holidays vs shoulder season
We've now travelled both during shoulder season and during the summer holidays.
Like many parents, I was worried peak season would feel noticeably busier. Would the pools be crowded? Would we struggle to find sunbeds? In reality, we were pleasantly surprised.
At Ikos Olivia, it still felt calm and relaxed and we didn’t struggle to find sunbeds or feel the service was compromised at all.
Of course, every resort and every week will be different, but we came away reassured that travelling in peak season didn't change the experience as much as we'd expected.
If your children aren't yet tied to school holidays, shoulder season is still worth considering simply because the savings can be significant but from a service perspective it didn’t change anything.
Things worth knowing before you book
No resort is perfect, and there are a couple of things I'd recommend knowing before you travel.
Restaurant bookings require planning
Unless you're staying in the Deluxe Collection, you can only reserve three restaurants before arrival.
Once you're at the resort, you can book the rest, but it does mean thinking ahead a little if there are restaurants you particularly want to visit.
Book the kids' club early
The kids' club is excellent—and understandably popular.
If you know you'll want to use it during your holiday, I'd recommend booking before you arrive, particularly during peak periods.
Who I think Ikos is perfect for
After three stays, I genuinely think Ikos is one of the best luxury family holidays available.
I think you'll love it if you:
want a holiday that's just as enjoyable for the adults as the children
appreciate exceptional food and service
enjoy good wine
value trusted childcare
love the ease of an all-inclusive holiday and not having to worry about a bill at the end
are happy spending most of your holiday within the resort
want to come home feeling rested rather than needing another holiday to recover
That's exactly what we look for at this stage of family life, and it's why we continue to return.
Is Ikos right for every family?
Every family holidays differently.
If your perfect trip involves hiring a car every day, discovering hidden villages, eating in different local restaurants each evening and spending very little time at the hotel, another style of holiday would probably suit you better.
That doesn't make Ikos better or worse.
It's simply designed around a different type of family holiday.
For us, the whole point is switching off.
For someone else, the joy of travel might be adventure, culture and exploring somewhere new every day.
Neither is wrong—they're just different.
So... is Ikos worth it?
For our family, yes. Absolutely. We are yet to find another family resort that consistently delivers the same combination of exceptional food, thoughtful service, trusted childcare and complete ease.
It allows our children to have an incredible holiday while giving us the chance to properly relax too.
That's surprisingly rare.
Many parents come home from family holidays feeling as though they've simply survived another week of parenting in a different location.
We never feel like that after Ikos.
We genuinely come home feeling recharged.
The biggest compliment I can give it is this:
My husband and I compare almost every family holiday to Ikos.
And despite looking elsewhere every year, we still haven't found one we'd rather return to.
So yes...
We'll almost certainly be back again.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ikos really all-inclusive?
Yes. Ikos includes à la carte dining, premium drinks, branded spirits, children's snacks and ice creams, beach and pool service and many activities. Some experiences, spa treatments and selected activities are extra.
Is Ikos worth the money?
For our family, yes. We make full use of the restaurants, childcare, food and overall resort experience, which makes the value feel very different than if we only used it as a base.
Why is Ikos so expensive?
You're paying for far more than accommodation. The quality of the food, premium drinks, exceptional service, childcare and attention to detail all contribute to the higher price point.
Is Ikos good for toddlers?
We think so. The kids' clubs, family-friendly facilities, compact layout at Ikos Olivia and relaxed atmosphere make it particularly well suited to families with young children.
Is shoulder season better than the summer holidays?
If you have the flexibility to travel outside school holidays, shoulder season generally offers much better value. That said, we were pleasantly surprised by how relaxed Ikos Olivia still felt during the summer holidays.
Do you need the Deluxe Collection?
Not necessarily, but Deluxe guests receive additional benefits, including greater flexibility with advance restaurant reservations. Whether it's worth the extra cost depends on how important those benefits are to your family.
