If your idea of an all-inclusive Mediterranean resort is a flurry of sunburnt forearms frantically grabbing at soggy chips, and badly dressed bodies banging into each other as they do battle over the cheap plastic sun loungers, I’m afraid you haven’t been keeping up. Or at least you haven’t been to IKOS. Just weeks into the opening of this opulent Greek brand’s eighth property at the far western end of Crete, its 414 rooms and suites are already booked out!
In little more than a decade since its inception, IKOS has acquired an almost mythical status among its legion of dedicated followers, the most devoted of whom would appear to fall between the ages of about 3 and 10. For young families in particular, it seems to press all the right buttons in delivering everything they’re searching for in a stress-free sun-soaked vacation. Pitched purposefully at the upper end of the hospitality hierarchy, levels of service are more reflective of a discreet luxury hotel.
Whilst not aimed exclusively at young families, the 30 and 40 somethings ambling contentedly about, invariably trailed by a couple of hyper-excited small children, tend to dominate the guest profile, with the tech and media industries strongly suspected of backstopping a lot of the bills.
Positioned at the mid-point of a large inky blue bay, with a backdrop of craggy mountains folding dramatically away into the island’s interior, IKOS Kissamos, is Instagram catnip. At 2 kilometres, it’s far enough away from the sleepy village of Kissamos, yet close enough to absorb a little local culture. The nearest airport is Chania, 45 minutes away, where B.A. have just added a new Gatwick service to their existing Heathrow route, and which represents a more user-friendly option than Crete’s principal airport, Heraklion.
The 56-acre low-rise resort wrapped around 600 metres of beachfront blends seamlessly into the landscape with the help of a neutral colour palette interspersed with a widespread use of drought resilient plant varieties, and a plethora of delightfully gnarled olive trees. It appears, inevitably, a little sparse, but give it another year or two and this will undoubtedly evolve into the dune-side statement of stylish sustainability it was intended to become.
The property is divided into four ‘villages”, which might sound a bit theme park, but with the kids running the show a lot of the time, that’s not entirely inappropriate. Two of the villages are deluxe, delivering a curated guest experience incorporating 24/7 concierges, villas with pools, and complimentary spa treatments. Accommodations are all minimalist in essence, spacious, and very elegantly conceived, again relying on earthy natural tones, the entire experience embellished by a solicitous attention to detail.
The six à la carte restaurants set the gastronomic bar predictably high. La Plage, serving up a very refined interpretation of Provençal cuisine is overseen by Pascal Barbot, whose Parisian flagship L’Astrance has held 3 Michelin stars and featured in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. I have to confess to being fully unprepared at finding French cuisine of such exceptional quality tucked away in a resort outside a village down the sleepy side of Crete but remain extremely gratified that I did. Dinner there proved a memorable experience.
Ettore Botrini, meanwhile, whose Italian heritage is self-evident, though he actually comes from Corfu, enjoys a similarly exalted status within the Greek gastrosphere, where his Athens restaurant, Botrini’s, has held onto its Michelin star since 2014. Botrini oversees the resort’s other restaurants which embrace Italian, Peruvian, Asian, Mediterranean, and Cretan cuisines, all of which benefit from a solicitous sourcing of local produce from across the island. The accompanying wine lists, comprised of over 100 references, are equally as impressive, with champagne, in a nonchalant nod towards the resort’s understated opulence, made freely available.
As I linger over a decidedly delicious linguini Frutti di Mare in Fresco, the Italian restaurant, the inquisitive (ok, suspicious) side of me enquires of the young and effusively friendly waitress (I didn’t encounter any staff who weren’t young and effusively friendly) if Mr Botrini actually comes there very much. “Oh yes, he’s right over there”, she darted back. And sure enough, there he was busying away in the background. “He’s here all week, actually” she continued confidently as I buried my head back into my linguini- no wonder it was so good.
Children, from 7 months to 17 years are exceptionally well catered for at IKOS Kissamos courtesy of an oversight fully compliant with U.K. Ofsted standards. Whether in one the resorts 8 pools, the padel or tennis courts, football academy, or creche, the very ethos of IKOS is to deliver top level childcare in a secure and safe setting that enables parents to relax into their own recreation. The kids even have their own supper club! One wonders how they find the time to fit their parents into any of this endless underage nirvana, though one thing is abundantly clear from wandering around the resort – they’re absolutely loving it.
Prototype Mediterranean all-inclusives may have had to contend with a guest profile determined to do nothing other than spend all day trying to drink the resort dry. At the 21st Century’s preeminent all-inclusive, however, and there are many who would describe IKOS as precisely that, guests are more likely to be found in an early morning reformer class, on a vinyasa yoga mat, hauling weights about, or finessing their back hand with the tennis coach. Water sport enthusiasts are equally well served from kayaking and paddleboarding to canoeing and water skiing. State of the art fitness and wellness opportunities, it emerges, are every bit as embedded into the IKOS DNA as the top-class childcare facilities are.
The expansive spa, under the auspices of Paris-based Ann Semonin, boasts a thermal area encompassing a Himalayan salt room and an ice room, outside which a queue will probably be forming by August, given where Southern European Summer temperatures are heading. The spa, though, remains a secluded sanctuary of tranquillity with a notably extensive and diverse array of treatments on offer, from cryofacials, to white sand scrubs, and even specialised pregnancy massages
Getting around is made easier by bikes that can be booked out each day, although mine disappeared from outside my front door within an hour. “Oh the kids just take them” said a passing security guy with an air of resignation. While I was starting to suspect that children secretly ran the place, I hadn’t realised they’d got as far as establishing their own crime syndicate. I made sure my replacement bike came with a lock.
Exploring the world outside is facilitated by a fleet of electric Mini Countrymans, with a day’s rental included, two days with deluxe reservations. Chania’s picture-perfect Venetian harbour is one of the locations many make a beeline for, but well aware of how busy it can become, I decided instead to point my Countryman at the countryside and headed off in the opposite direction.
The far west of this huge sausage shaped island delivers up a considerable degree of respite from its more familiar role as a relentlessly popular holiday hotspot, and within minutes I’m immersed into a time-warp world of tranquil villages enveloped in never ending swathes of undulating green. A toothless shepherd emerges brandishing one of those crooks you only ever see in nativity plays, barking at his dog, who just barks back as he tries to eat the car, while in another village a parade of turkeys fanning out their feathers like peacocks, parade aimlessly across a deserted road. The few locals that were spotted could have been extras taking a break from filming Zorba the Greek – Crete as Crete should be. Crete as you’d want it to be.
This is spectacular driving country and, even better hiking country, with this end of the island also home to some of its most sought-after beaches, including Falassarna, Elafonisi,and the fabled turquoise waters of Balos Lagoon, located just across the bay from the resort.
IKOS Kissamos represents the single largest hospitality investment in Crete to date. The mainly family-owned operation has taken the concept of upscale, slickly run resorts catering primarily to affluent young families, and honed it into a carefully cultivated blueprint for success. Their latest opening hidden away in this endearing little corner of Greece’s largest island leaves little doubt as to just how exclusive the all-inclusive has now become.
@ikosresorts | ikosresorts.com
British Airways Holidays offers seven nights, at the 5* Ikos Kissamos, from £2329pp (includes €53pp environmental fee payable locally), travelling on selected dates between 1 May – 31 May 2027 inclusive. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport, one checked bag per person and accommodation on All Inclusive board basis. Book by 31 August 2026. For reservations visit britishairways.com/crete.
