Ikos Oceania

We visited Oceania in 2019 and it was fantastic. We returned in September 2023, and this time, my dietary requirements had changed as I became vegan since the previous visit. I was concerned about having good food options, as many places I visit have very few options for me.

Before travelling, I checked the menus and there were a few options. After we arrived, our first meal was daytime at Provence, and it was nice. In the evening, we went to Flavors, and I found the vegan options were very limited. I had a beetroot salad, and it was nice, but still, it was just a basic salad. I checked the other suitable foods, and there were fries, potatoes, boiled rice, and curry. I was a little concerned about my eating during the rest of my stay, as we were only booked into the restaurants for four of the nights, and I would be relying on Flavors for the remainder – plus, I didn’t want to be eating the same few dishes for every meal.

I thought it might be worthwhile speaking to someone at reception, and I couldn’t have been more right. I spoke with Alex, the Services Manager, and he is such a pleasant and helpful person. He instantly called one of the Executive Chefs, Panagiotis, and asked him to meet with me. Panagiotis arrived swiftly, and noted down ingredients I liked, and said he would come up with some dishes for me. He checked which restaurants we were booked into during our stay and said he would take care of my food. I was completely astounded at the service I was receiving.

That evening, we visited Fresco. Panagiotis met us there, along with another Executive Chef, Sotiris. We were seated, and the service from the staff was so lovely and friendly. They began bringing out our food, and I don’t even know where to begin in describing how great it was. The plates were like a work of art, and I almost didn’t want to disturb them by eating them. They were beyond delicious. There were so many options. I couldn’t believe the effort that the chefs had gone to, to accommodate my dietary requirements. It was a little overwhelming.

Over the remainder of our stay, we ate at Provence, Anaya, Ouzo, and of course, Flavors. At every visit, we were provided with many dishes, and each of them were beautiful in both looks and taste. I must also mention the Chef at Anaya, as she created incredible food for us too.

The views from this hotel are stunning. Watching the sun set as we headed over for our evening meal was beautiful, and wondering around the grounds at night was particularly nice.

Our lovely room was a superior side sea view. It was very well cleaned and the cleaning staff were all really pleasant. There is a safe, a Nespresso coffee machine, an iron and board, and a kettle, all included. There are also Anne Semonin products in the bathroom, and a well-stocked mini bar.

As we were repeat guests, we received private transfers and that was great to have a taxi waiting for us as we landed, and one to take us back at the end of our stay.

Poolside, Demi was fantastic, and couldn’t be more attentive. She memorised the drinks we liked and was always ready for a friendly chat. She’s delightful. The pools are lovely and there are always beds available. There are, of course, some patrons that put towels on beds and disappear for breakfast, and I would like to see staff remove them, so that people that are actually using the pool can choose where they want to settle. It didn’t affect us but it’s still one of those we all see at most resorts, and we did see other people wanting to bathe in that area and they had no option but to move to another pool. Thankfully, though, there are six pools to choose from.

Each Saturday night, there is a White Party on the beach, and that was great fun, with everyone dancing and enjoying the warm evening, and plentiful drinks. I would love to see an additional adult bar for the partying to continue, or see the club reopened, as it was closed during our visit. A member of staff told us it was closed as it wasn’t used much, and that’s a shame. The only option was the adult bar and that plays relaxing music, so once the White Party ended, there was nowhere for the party-goers to continue their night.

The spa treatments are expensive. I did indulge in a treatment in 2019. I opted for the 4-Hands Polynesian Massage and that cost €215. It was very nice, but I didn’t feel it was worth the amount I paid, and I chose not to partake in 2023. If you want a couple’s treatment, the cost can really rack up, anywhere from €170 to €210 per person. As this is an optional, and luxurious extra, it’s not a big deal.

The small cons are heavily outweighed by the pros. The level of accommodating during our stay was exemplary. The staff are so friendly and the chefs, Panagiotis and Sotiris, seemed excited to be creating the vegan dishes for me, which is extremely complimentary, and very unusual. I couldn’t have enjoyed my stay more. I have added photographs of just some of the incredible dishes we enjoyed, but I took A LOT of photographs.

There are a lot of photos at the seaside. There are a lot of hotels with pools. There are a lot of hotels with wellness spas. There are a lot of photos with excellent food.

But the services we experienced where sensational. And you can break it down to every single employee!

Really recommended.

Just fantastic. Had a brilliant time with my wife and little girl (2yrs). The staff were fantastic with her - she loved the ladies around the pool, Anna from the Greek restaurant and the girls and the children’s club were fantastic with her. The room we had was great with a nice garden and the staff could do more for us. We loved all the restaurants- Ozuo and The Beachclub were favourites but we loved the Asian and French restaurant also. The fact you can have la carte meals any time or buffet at the same time was fantastic. We borrowed one of the Teslas one day and that was also great - a fantastic opportunity and we enjoyed visiting the Oceania Ikos which was also lovely. Definitely want to visit again but will also try other Ikos hotels.