...Just back from
Ikos Dassia, Corfu
A perfect place for the whole family
If you could design a hotel that offered parents and children everything they could want, you would find it looking an awful lot like Ikos Dassia. Bailey Robinson's Katie gives her verdict on the luxury all-inclusive Ikos Dassia.
Superstar Service
Even before we left for Ikos, I was impressed with the service. We had an app that gave us information about its restaurants, how to book childcare… even what we wanted in our mini bar. When we arrived, the staff were so helpful and kind to our weary children, and this extended throughout the holiday. Via our own WhatsApp PA, restaurant bookings were changed with ease, spa treatments smoothly arranged, with gentle reminders about the many daily activities.
Pool time was always accompanied by the offer of a drink and snack with towels appearing as if by magic. Smiley staff were ever-present when you needed them and often had time for a chat or at least a high five with the kids.
"As a mother of two very young children, this beach holiday was simply perfection for all of us and I loved every minute of it."
Katie Oxley-Brown
Happy Kids, Happy Holiday….
An adage that rang true for us. We had booked our two boys into the kids’ club in advance but frankly the thought of time for just the two of us seemed unlikely. However, friendly childcare professionals welcomed the boys in, and soon they were racing to get to the club, lured by soft play, the kiddie pool, craft, playdoh and bread-making. Footloose and child free we headed to one of the nine (yes, nine!) pools and the spa – I had a thoroughly replenishing anti-fatigue massage – right up any sleep-deprived parents’ street.
The fabulous thing about Ikos though is that they make family time so easy and fun. You can hire bikes (plus kids bikes with stabilisers) to head off for family bike rides, take a pedalo out to sea, hang out in the water park, or go for an ice cream. And with no meals to plan, dining out at Ikos where high chairs and plastic cutlery is provided took the stress out of typical family flash points.
ALL THE EXTRAS
All-inclusive can often be synonymous with poor quality, but we were happily surprised at the generous and high-level offering at Ikos. Our mini bar was replenished daily, and if you wanted to drink champagne all day you could.
There are seven different restaurants, and the food is excellent and the wine list, as directed by our sommelier, was vast. We loved Ananya, its Thai curries were straight out of Bangkok, the miso salmon similar to Nobu (the chef trained under Nobu) and the boys loved slurping up noodles. The only problem was finding a reason why the kids couldn’t have another ice cream! All-inclusive extends to select restaurants on the island, and also unbelievably the use of a brand new Mini to get around Corfu. We had a great day exploring the hilly interior and amazing sea views plus pretty Corfu old town, stuffed with churches, castles, cobbled streets and markets.
The Verdict
For us, Ikos really ticked all the boxes. Having reliable and great childcare meant we could carve out space for a game of tennis, spa treatment or simply read our books by the pool. Time spent all together felt much more meaningful, especially as we were so refreshed! I would give top marks to the friendly staff, who worked so hard to keep us all happy.
If we were lucky enough to go again, I would probably splash out on a two-bedroom villa as our Deluxe Collection suite did feel a little cramped for four for a week. And the issue of Ikos being so perfect in so many ways meant we didn’t explore Corfu as much as we would like – but I can’t really complain about that.
Good to know
Book hire of the Ikos Mini in advance as it is a very popular activity. Also, choosing your restaurants and reserving prior to your stay is invaluable, so you don’t have to worry about availability whilst on holiday.
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Booking with Bailey Robinson means access to the finest travel experiences. When planning your holiday we do all the hard work – in-depth research and meticulous organisation. You can be confident in the individual care for your holiday from your dedicated and experienced Personal Travel Designer and Concierge.
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