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Review of Ikos Olivia, Halkidiki

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Ikos Olivia beachfront bungalow. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Ikos Olivia beachfront bungalow. Copyright Gretta Schifano

As I walked around the bungalow I imagined my family relaxing there on holiday. I’d spend a lot of time sitting on the terrace reading and looking out to sea. My husband would be off at the gym or going for a run. My son would be either in the pool or finding people to play football with or helping himself to soft drinks from the free mini bar. My daughter would have appropriated one of the two en-suite bathrooms for her exclusive use and would be either checking out the spa or sunbathing at the beach.

Ikos Olivia

I was on a tour of Halkidiki’s new Ikos Olivia luxury resort six days before it was due to open. The resort is near to Thessaloniki in Greece and is owned by the same company as the Ikos Oceania resort. I was staying at the Ikos Oceania on a group press trip and we were being shown around the Olivia on a sunny day in April.

Wherever we went there were people hard at work putting the final touches in place to welcome the guests who would soon be arriving. In the airy kids club there were packages of toys and equipment waiting to be opened. In the spacious beachside buffet restaurant the chairs and tables just needed their plastic coverings taking off. Down at the beach a final coat of something was being applied to the decking.

Ikos Olivia beachfront buffet six days before the resort opened for the first time. Copyright Gretta Schifano.

Ikos Olivia beachfront restaurant six days before the resort opened for the first time. Copyright Gretta Schifano.

All of the rooms that we saw looked great but my favourite was this two-bedroom beachside bungalow because it’s the type of accommodation which suits my family best. The kids (16 and 12 years old) are too big for us all to share a bedroom now unless it’s just for one night. And I prefer us to be together in a two-bedroom place or in interconnecting rooms than for us to stay in separate rooms. I filmed the bungalow because I liked it so much:

The Olivia resort is spread out across 22 acres of landscaped gardens next to the Aegean sea. It has a private sandy beach, various swimming pools, a spa, tennis courts, a kids club, 5 restaurants and 295 rooms. Like the Ikos Oceania, the Ikos Olivia is a luxury all-inclusive resort. Guests who stay at these resorts enjoy the Ikos ‘Infinite Lifestyle’ package which includes things like menus created by a Michelin-starred chef, room service, dining out at local restaurants, kids clubs, activities, waiter service to your sun lounger and childcare at the beach.

Naomi Moreno-Molgar is Head of PR for the tour operator Sovereign and she was on the trip with me. That evening our group went to a local taverna for dinner and I asked Naomi what she thought of the Ikos Olivia as a destination for Sovereign customers:

Blogger Alison Perry of Not Another Mummy Blog was also on the trip and this is what she thought about Ikos Olivia:

Verdict

I was very impressed with Ikos Olivia when I saw it and, if the quality and standards match those of the Ikos Oceania, where I stayed for three nights, then I think that it will be a great place to stay.

The lowdown

The price of staying at Ikos Olivia varies according to when you go. A sample price with Sovereign is £3299.52 for two adults and two children sharing  a one-bedroom garden view bungalow suite for seven nights from 6th June 2015 on an all-inclusive basis. For further information on Ikos Resorts please visit www.ikosresorts.com



Have you ever stayed at an all-inclusive hotel? Do you think that this would work for your family?

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About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Samantha says

    Hello I’m looking at going to either the Olivia ikos resort with my husband & 12 year old daughter. Which one is better? Thank you Samantha

    Reply

    • Gretta Schifano says

      Hi Samantha, they’re both great! I didn’t actually stay at Olivia, but I went on a tour of it. If I was going to one of them with my kids (they’re 17 and 13) I’d probably choose Olivia as it’s on the same level as the beach whereas at Oceania there’s a steep hill down to the beach. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  2. olivia says

    Olivia resort? With a name like that, it is bound to be brilliant. All inclusives do help with the budgeting, so I would be in favour with children in tow.

    Reply

  3. Alasdair Innes says

    Hello Gretta,

    Could you tell me, in your opinion, which is the nicest please, Olivia or Oceana?

    We are looking for our honeymoon in July but cannot decide between the two. Proximity to a local town for a few nice bars on an evening would be nice but I cannot for the life of me figure out where the nearest towns are or what they are like!

    Many thanks,
    al&lou

    Reply

  16. Ness says

    After a very wet and windy week reading this makes for the perfect holiday! I do like all-inclusive when you go abroad as a family as you have already budgeted for meals.
    Ness recently posted…Vote Cake!My Profile

    Reply

  22. Ginny Millard says

    Hi Gretta, great post and the Olivia resort looks lovely. As a family of five, (three teenage children – one girl, two boys), we always need three bedroom accommodation. Do you know if any of the bungalows have three bedrooms?

    Reply

    • Gretta Schifano says

      I think that the biggest is two bedrooms but also with a sofa bed in the living area – but if you check with Sovereign they will know the different room combinations.

      Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.