Adrian Grade 4.2 out of 5 stars
Overview
This 5-star all-inclusive resort was the first resort of the Ikos chain and was rebranded to the Ikos Oceania in 2014. The resort has since gone through a full refurbishment in 2017. There are 290 rooms in the resort, so it is not too big that the experience doesn’t feel personal, but there is also a nice atmosphere around the resort. The resort itself is perched on a hill with truly stunning views of the Aegean Sea below.
There are 4 restaurants to choose from that are part of the all-inclusive package as well as 6 bars to grab a drink. The resort has 5 heated pools, a lovely premium spa, and a nice long sandy beach.
The resort oozes luxury with its contemporary design, top-class service, and premium food and drinks offering. You really can’t go wrong with booking a vacation here. Our review is based on the experience of the resort.
Location
Located in the area of Halkidiki, it’s just a few miles from the town of Nea Moudania. This town is a fishing port and has a lovely promenade where there are loads of Tavernas and bars to sample if you want to get outside the resort.
The closest airport to the resort is Thessaloniki International which is around a 25-minute drive away from the resort. If you are in a Deluxe room the airport transfers are part of your package. A Lot of times if you book through the Ikos website they also add in complimentary airport transfers if you book directly with them. If you are getting a Taxi it’s quite pricey at €70 each way to the airport.
Top Tips
- You do need bookings for the evening meals at all of the restaurants at this resort. One of the things that we did notice over the first few nights was that it was difficult enough to get a booking in the restaurants. So we started to book for later in the week after the first few days. You can book tables at the restaurants through the Ikos’s app as well as calling reception or your personal concierge if you are staying in a deluxe room. We highly recommend that a few days before you travel you book into the restaurants you want to eat at for your stay ahead.
- Although this is a resort that caters for families,if you’re a couple or a group of friends I wouldn’t let the family element put you off this resort. The Ikos Oceania does a great job at catering to different demographics. Yes, they do have all of the features that are aimed at families, but they also have a number of elements aimed at adults only. Things like adults only pools, which are in a secluded spot away from the kids pool. Families rooms are typically put in one area of the resort while adult vacationers have rooms in the other side.
- Like all Ikos resorts they really make an effort to get the guests out exploring the local area. There is a complimentary car rental that all guests can avail of for one day during their stay. With that you also receive free tickets to local attractions with their “Culture pass” feature. They also have the “Dine Out” feature which allows you to eat in local restaurants as part of your package.
- The resort is located on the side of a hill, so if you or people travelling with you have any issues with mobility, this might not be the resort for you.
- If you are a wine lover then Ikos Oceania is for you. Typically with all-inclusive resorts the wine selection is very limited. They normally just have a house red and white that is included in the package and then the options to purchase from a wine list. At the Ikos resort a really superb feature is the “Wine Cave” feature. Where you have the choice of 300 different wines and they are included in the all inclusive package.
Check-In
Once you arrive at reception you are greeted with a truly stunning view of the resort and ocean below. The design of the resort is modern contemporary and there is a touch of class throughout. Once we arrived our bags were taken from us and we were brought straight to a check-in desk.
We were greeted with a drink and from there a member of staff checked us in and gave us a detailed overview of the resort and all of the amenities that we could make use of. We were also offered a drink while waiting, which was a nice touch. The process was smooth and efficient.
Is the Ikos Oceania family-friendly resort?
Yes, the Ikos Oceania is a great spot for families to vacation with a host of features that are aimed at making your family’s vacation run as smoothly as possible. From an extensive kids and teens club, creche facilities, and kids menus. The Ikos is the perfect spot for families. The kids’ pool and play areas are also really nice. The only call out we had for the suitability of this resort if you’re traveling with kids is that the resort is located on the side of a hill, so there are lots of steps that can be difficult to navigate if you have small ones.
Heros Kids Club
(Free of charge)
(Ratio: 1 adult: 8 children)
Open between the hours of 10 am – 6 pm there are multiple sessions that run throughout the day. This kids club is available for kids that are aged from 4 to 11 years old. Although some extra activities may incur an additional charge, such as for water sports or ice cream trips. The majority of activities are included in the cost of the all-inclusive.
Just 4 Teens
(Free of charge)
(Ratio: 1 adult: 12 children)
The perfect place for teenagers to chill out for the day with an arcade and a host of things for them to do.
ages 12 +
Heroes Crèche
(Additional Costs Apply)
(Ratio: Ages 4–23 months: 1 adult: 3 children / Ages 2–3 years: 1 adult: 4 children)
On average the sessions cost around €30 per child, but the price is dependent on the age range. If you book multiple sessions in a day then it only costs €50. This is the perfect option if you want to drop off the kids and have a few hours by the adult’s pool or to go for a nice meal in the evening.
Amenities
There are lots of things to see and do at the Ikos Oceania. They have a heavy emphasis on sports and exercise in the facilities they have as well as the activities they put on. Tennis, Water Sports, Biking, Beach Volleyball, Basketball, and five-a-side football are some of the things that you can do at this resort. We did try and use the bikes to go for a cycle, but a word of warning: the bikes are very small, so if you’re over 6 feet tall, you probably won’t be able to cycle them.
Pools
There are also three main pool areas with one of them being reserved for Deluxe status members only. We were a little disappointed with the pool offering here. If you were staying in a standard room, you only had the choice of two pools and one of them was the main kid’s pool. So, during peak times it was definitely difficult to get a spot by the adult’s pool. As we were told the resort was near peak capacity when we visited.
Gym
There is a well-equipped gym on-site, which we did make use of for a number of days. It’s one of the better resort gyms we have visited with Technogym equipment. It has both free and machine weights. As well as a host of cardio equipment to get the heart pumping. We also found the size of the gym to be really good considering the resort is on the smaller side. So, even in peak times, you shouldn’t have much issue getting a workout in.
Golf
In Greece golf is not a huge sport and specifically, in the area of Halkidiki, there are no courses of note in the local area. So, if you are looking for a golfing holiday, we suggest you look at areas like the Algarve in Portugal or the Ikos Andalusia that is located near Marbella in Spain.
Day/Evening Entertainment
If you are looking for a resort that puts on a large slate of entertainment. Then Ikos Oceania is not the resort for you. We at InspoVacay actually prefer a more low-key setup and the Ikos evening and daytime entertainment and activities were right up our alley.
During the day most of the activities we focused on fitness classes with Yoga, pilates, and HIIT classes, but that’s really the extent of it. There are a few things put on around the main pool, like water aerobics, music, and DJs but there aren’t the likes of cooking classes and language classes that are available at other resorts.
In the evening the entertainment was focused on music, which was really nice. They also put on three shows a week that take place in the main theatre, but we didn’t actually make it to any of them. We would call out that overall the evening entertainment was quite low-key. Everything seemed to end around 10.30 pm. At times it kind of felt like the staff was trying to get guests to head off to bed.
Beach
The beach at the Ikos Oceania is very nice. As the resort is located on a hill there is a little bit of a walk to get down to the beach, but once you are there. This is a private beach which makes it feel even more luxurious. The beach area can get busy during peak hours, so you do need to be down there in the morning in order to get a sun lounger.
The waters are very swimmable and calm enough to make the most of the water activities if that’s your vibe. The beach is also very private, so there isn’t really any footfall from non-Ikos guests. There are beachside drinks and food service by the beach which is really important to luxury all-inclusive resorts.
Spa
It’s a beautiful spa with a full spa menu on offer. Although we didn’t actually go for a treatment or massage we did take a walk around the facilities and they were lovely. The spa treatments were very expensive, but I suppose that is the expectation for any 5-star resort.
The one main callout for the spa is that the treatments book up incredibly fast. Even if we had wanted to go for a massage, we couldn’t because on the day we arrived there were no slots for the week ahead. We recommend booking the spa treatments before traveling to ensure you get a spot. This can be done through the app or by calling the resort directly.
The Service
Throughout the resort we found the service to be very good. It genuinely felt like all of the staff were doing their utmost to make sure your vacation flowed smoothly and you were having a good time.
The only complaint we really had was when we were enquiring about the culture pass at reception on the day we had the mini rental. The staff didn’t seem to know what this was. It took a few members of staff to chime in, in order to find the information and get our tickets to the local attractions.
Cleanliness
Although we traveled prior to the Covid the resort was really clean throughout. From the housekeeping and bar staff to the staff at the restaurants the entire resort was impeccably clean. The rooms were cleaned at the same time every day, which was really handy for planning your days.
Booking during Covid
The Ikos chain of hotels has a number of procedures and protections in place to make sure that you have a safe and enjoyable vacation. Their Covid policy is called the “Infinite Care” policy and has a host of features. Before booking it’s worth double-checking that these are still in place.
Free Antigen testing on arrival
Once you arrive at the resort you will receive a complimentary antigen test to take. Although guests aren’t required to perform an antigen test, it’s highly recommended from the Ikos that guests do use them. PCR tests can also be organized if you need one before returning to your home country, but this does come at an additional cost.
Multiple Al Fresco dining options
One of the great things about the Ikos resorts is that most of the restaurants have outdoor dining options as well as doors that open out to bring the outside in.
Touchless elements throughout the resort
The Ikos resort has really thought about the physical touchpoints that guests go through on a day in the resort. They have really optimized every area, by adding sensors to doors that open automatically, regular sanitization to door handles, and reduced points of access to name a few.
Deposit Refund Commitment Scheme
Currently, for stays in 2021, there are free cancellations up to 2 weeks prior to arrival as well as the full deposit refund too. There is no information regarding vacations in 2022, so be sure to double-check with the Ikos, to see if this benefit is still available.
Rooms
The standard of rooms available is pretty strong here. Although we feel that they weren’t a 5-star offering they were definitely a strong 4.5-star room. The room sizes are a little bit smaller when you compare them to rooms in some of the other Ikos resorts. This seems to be a running theme with the Ikos Oceania being a more condensed resort.
Most of the rooms have the option of adding Deluxe status to them.
Double Room
Although this is the most basic room in the resort. They are actually more than adequate for most people vacationing here. The room has a lovely design and has a smart layout given its smaller size. There is a king-sized bed, a small seating area, and a nice balcony. The room is perfect for two people. You could get a coat in there too, so if you’re traveling with a small baby this room would work, although it may be a little bit tight.
There is also the option of a superior double room. The only difference between this and a double room seems to be that the superior room has a bathtub in it.
Junior Suite
Coming in 5 sq.m bigger than the double room, you gain the extra space here in the living area. As opposed to chairs in the double room you get a couch in the living area as well as a more expansive balcony. This room is suitable for two adults and a child, or a spacious room for two adults.
This suite has the option to have a private garden attached to it, which only costs an extra few euros a night.
One-Bedroom Suite
The interesting thing about how they describe the one and two-bedroom suites on the Ikos website is that they describe them as family suites, so it seems like the Ikos has really made these suites to cater to families, so if you are a couple of friends we suggest going for the double or junior suite.
The one-bedroom suite is a large offering coming in at 55 sq.m. It has a separate bedroom and living room and is suitable for two adults and two children. There is a nice long balcony or terrace with these rooms. If you are traveling as a family the nicest part is the separation between the two rooms. If you are traveling with older kids, the living area is the perfect place for the kids to have their own space.
Two-Bedroom Suite
These are the largest suites on the resort, coming in at 75 sq.m and have enough room to cater for 6 people. With two bedrooms, a large living area, and a massive balcony/terrace, this is the perfect room for a family.
Price Range + Packages
The Ikos Oceania and the Ikos resorts, in general, are definitely on the premium side, but considering the quality of experience that you get. We believe that it’s actually a reasonably priced resort for the offering. You can definitely find more cost-effective resorts, but they won’t match the luxury that you get at the Ikos Oceania.
On average a 7-night stay in a double room will cost you around €2,000 for the week.
What’s included in the all-inclusive package
All food, drinks, and use of amenities are included in the package. Pretty much everything at the resort is included. There are one or two elements that aren’t included and you can count them on one hand. The spa and water sports are the only real additionals that are not included. The other element is tipping, but we will cover that in a bit.
There are also mini-bars in the rooms which are included in the price of the package. The mini-bar contains soft drinks, beers, wine, waters, and an assortment of spirits.
Room service is also included and available 24/7. The room service menu is very extensive and you can also order drinks to be brought to your room too.
Food + Restaurant Options
If you have been to an Ikos resort before you will know that the food is very impressive. Typically with all-inclusive resorts, the food is the area that is very inconsistent, but at the Ikos they have hit it out of the park again with the Oceania resort. All of the menus at the restaurants at the Ikos are curated by Michelin-starred chefs. Although the Michelin-starred chefs are not cooking in these restaurants, it’s nice to know the flavor combinations and dishes on offer have been designed by the best.
The resort also does a great job of having multiple options for most dietary restrictions. There were great veggie and vegan options on offer at all of the restaurants.
Ranking the Restaurants
- Provence
Definitely our favorite spot on the resort. This French restaurant not only has a really strong food offering but also has some stunning views of the adults-only pool and ocean below. It’s kind of a running theme throughout the restaurants. For starters, the seabass carpaccio and tuna tartare were really good and our favorite main was the slow-cooked lamb. They also offer really nice cheese plates for dinner too. What more could you want?
- Ouzo
Another restaurant with a great view. This Greek offering is legitimately good and felt like you were in a local Taverna. The menu was cultivated by Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou. Like most of the restaurant’s Ouzo was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and we ate there a number of times. We were really impressed with the zucchini bites with tzatziki as well as the lamb kleftiko.
- Beach Club
We really like the menu at the Beach Club. It has a great range of dishes that were all cooked very well. The rib-eye steak was cooked to perfection.
- Fresco
An Italian restaurant that seriously delivered the views, but faltered a little on the food. Located on the 4th floor or the main building and with some spectacular views below. We really enjoyed the pasta dishes here, but the pizza was really disappointing. The dough tasted as if it wasn’t made in the restaurant.
- Flavors
This is the only buffet in the resort and is definitely the busiest restaurant at the resort. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and we ate here on a couple of occasions. Honestly, we found the experience to be quite loud and hectic. There seemed to be a lot of kids at Flavors due to the variety of food choices on offer, but if you’re looking for a quiet meal, then this is not the best option.
- Anaya
We have been to a few of the Ikos resorts before and Anaya, the Asian restaurant has always been our favorite spot, so we had high expectations for this restaurant. We’re a little disappointed with Anaya at the Ikos Oceania. It may have just been the night we went but the food just wasn’t great. We got the pad thai and it was super salty and was close to inedible. The Gyozas were good, but the mains left us disappointed.
Dine Out
Although this is not per se a restaurant. It is a really unique offering at an all-inclusive resort. As Well as the 5 restaurants on offer at the resort, you also have access to e local restaurants in the surrounding area. It’s a great way of getting out into the local area and taking in the culture. These all-inclusive resorts have so many amenities, restaurants, and bars. That there is no real reason to leave the resort if you don’t want to. The Dine out the offering is a great way to get out and explore.
Room Service
Available 24/7, we ordered room service on a couple of occasions. On the day we arrived we had just missed the lunch sitting and were a little peckish so ordered a snack from the room’s service menu.
There is a lovely choice of dishes, with a kids and toddler menu too, so it’s a great option. The service was very prompt too, we never waited for longer than 30 minutes for the food to be delivered which was good going. The food also arrived piping hot, which is the litmus test for good room service.
Bars and Drinks Offering
The bars here are really nice. As the resort is located on the side of a hill, pretty much every bar has really stunning views of the ocean below. There are three main bars at the resort that are open to all guests and a further two are only available to deluxe guests and an adults-only offering. The is also a nightclub-style bar that has extended opening hours.
The selection of drinks on offer is also very robust, with a great range of premium and international brands on offer. This is definitely not one of those resorts that just have local drinks brands on offer. If you are staying in a Deluxe room the drinks offering will be even more premium with access to some great top-shelf drinks like Grey Goose, Taittinger Champagne
Is the Deluxe Status Worth it?
At the Ikos Oceania, we felt like the Deluxe status was worth the premium. Deluxe rooms typically cost around 30% more than standard rooms. There are a host of features that come with deluxe status and the following are the features that we saw the most value in.
Private Beach and pool area
This resort is on the smaller side in regards to pools and beach areas. The access to private beach and pool areas is a real game-changer here. We walked by the main pool area during the day and through the beach as well and both areas were pretty packed. In order to get a lounge by the beach in the standard area, you really do need to be there early in the morning.
As there is more than enough space in the deluxe area for the number of guests with Deluxe status. You will never have any issues getting a spot by the pool or beach at any time throughout the day. As well at the beach you also get beach bed-type areas as opposed to sun loungers which really adds that premium touch.
Access to a Private Concierge
With Deluxe suites you get access to your own concierge who is contactable via Whatsapp. This concierge is in place to make sure that your vacation runs as smoothly as possible. So whether you want to book into a restaurant for dinner, make a reservation in the spa for the next day, or simply want some food or a drink delivered to you at a Sunlounger. The concierge is there to help. We have to give a shout-out to our concierge Loli, who really looked after us on our visit.
Complimentary Transfers
Again this isn’t a necessity, but it’s a nice tuck-in feature that does add value. The closest airport to the Oceania resort is a 25-minute taxi away, so the private transfers do save you some cash.
Tipping
At InspoVacay we believe that Tipping should be considered mandatory. The level of service that you get at the Ikos Oceania is top quality and the staff does everything in their power to make your trip extra special.
Typically in Greece when you’re at restaurants you should tip between 10-12% per meal and for drinks, you should tip a few euros each when you finish at the bar or when you sit by the pool/beach. We roughly followed these guidelines for tipping at the resort.
Conclusion
This is another really premium offering from Ikos. Although the resort is more condensed than the likes of the Ikos Andalusia, Oceania still manages to keep that level of separation between adults and family areas. So, it really does cater to all people.
From an experience standpoint, everything was top class. The food, the service, the look and feel of the resort are all of the highest standards. The beach in Oceania is also one of the best in the Ikos chain of resorts.
The only real negative is that the resort is quite hilly, so if you’re with young kids or mobility is an issue, this resort may be a bit of a challenge. If you’re a couple or a family with kids in their early to late teens, then the Ikos Oceania is a solid option for your next vacation. You won’t be disappointed.
FAQ’s
Q. Does Ikos Oceania offer a shuttle service from the Airport
A. There are transfers provided by the resort. If you are staying in a deluxe room, then the transfers are included, but if you are not then you’ll need to pay for the transfers.
Q. Is parking available at the resort
A. Yes, parking is available for guests and it is complimentary
Q. Is Wi-Fi included
A. Yes, Wi-Fi is available to you in your suite as well as throughout the resort.
Q. What local attractions are there?
A. There is a good amount of things to see and do in the Halkidiki area. Here is a great article that covers things to do.
