Ikos Dassia Review: Corfu’s All Inclusive Family-Friendly Resort

The Ikos resorts are renowned for being some of the best family-friendly luxury breaks in Europe.

All-inclusive, located right on the beach and promising 5-star service, it’s hard to fault an Ikos holiday. But they don’t come cheap — which is why it’s worth working out whether it’s the right choice for your family before you lay down that credit card.

We recently took our two little ones (ages 2 and a half years and 5 months) to Ikos Dassia, which is located on the Ionian coast of Corfu for a 7-day break.

🚨Spoiler alert — we had an amazing time. But we’ve compiled all our honest thoughts and tips in to a full Ikos Dassia review below, so you can see if it’s a break you want to take with your family.

Quick Facts on Ikos Dassia

• Corfu, Ionian coast
• All inclusive, including 24-hour room service, fully-stocked mini bar and service at the pools and beach
• 411 rooms, suites and villas
• Across 25 acres on the beach
• 7 restaurants
• 7 pools, including Deluxe pool, adults only, and kids’ paddling pools
• 600m long private beach area
• Two spas
• Dine Out option at local restaurants
• Other ‘Local Discovery’ options outside the hotel
• Adults only area
• Kids’ clubs available from 4 months up to 17 year olds
• Babysitting available
• Lots of sports facilities, including a fitness centre
• Evening entertainment
• Playground and splash park

What’s It Like for Kids?

The first thing we look at when booking a holiday is just how well it’s going to work with our kids.

Long gone are the days of lazing round the pool all day and then (over)indulging in food and drink into the early hours… 😭

Ideally, we’re looking for good pools and play areas, some child-friendly activities and options for childcare. After all, it’s meant to be a holiday for us as well!

Ikos Dassia ticked all three of those boxes for us — and we’d go so far as to say that it’s far and away the best European luxury resort for families with kids under 5.

Kid-Friendly Pools and Play Areas

If you’ve got a water baby on your hands, you’re probably going to be spending plenty of time in the pool during your holiday — gotta make the most of it, right!

There are an impressive number of kid-friendly pool options at Ikos Dassia and our toddler certainly enjoyed the novelty of playing in different ones every day.

The two main pools are Sky and Sea, while Sky also has a lovely little paddling pool section attached that our girls loved splashing around in. We also spent a lot of time in the Deluxe Collection pool, which also has a little paddling/splash area.

We’d recommend bringing inflatables with you in your luggage and inflating them once you arrive if possible. There is a limited (and somewhat expensive) selection of them in the shop in the Sky building if you don’t, however.

Just behind the big Sea pool is a brilliant little splash park that our toddler nicknamed ‘Baby Shark’ thanks to the little dolphin shooting water (she’s not quite au fait with animal recognition yet…), and a proper playground with slides, swings and frames. Make sure you check out the gelatérie next to the splash park for delicious ice cream afterwards!

Kids’ Activities

Aside from the kids’ clubs that we’ll discuss shortly, there are plenty of child-friendly activities on offer for little ones as well.

Here’s just a taster of some of the things you can book for the kiddos:

• Football academy and toddler sessions
• Table tennis for beginners
• Swimming camp
• Mermaid academy
• Mini disco

Kids’ Amenities

One of the most attractive things about travelling to Ikos Dassia with kids is just how well set up they are for your little ones’ arrival.

We requested a variety of baby and toddler gear for our room, including steriliser, cot, bouncer, high chairs and a baby bath, and it was all waiting for us when we arrived.

Nappies and formula — as well as a host of other such necessities — can all be brought from the resort shop, which meant we could really cut down on the amount of luggage we brought. And thankfully, cut down on the formula that would be required for the trip!

Car seats are already in place when your transfer vehicle collects you from the airport (and the in-car TV is already showing Peppa Pig!), and high chairs and kid-friendly cutlery is all ready for you in the restaurants.

Every little detail was thought of and prepared in advance. Heaven for busy mums and dads who’ve just come off a flight with a toddler!

Childcare

We’re not ashamed to admit that the fantastic childcare options on offer at Ikos Dassia were a big part of the reason that we all had such a brilliant holiday… and probably the reason that we actually returned feeling rested and rejuvenated, rather than that we needed another holiday to recover!

Of course, not every family or child feels comfortable going to kids’ clubs and that’s totally your call. We’re lucky in that our girls are social animals — the toddler is already well-used to nursery at home, and the little one just loves hanging out with her big sister.

If you are a little anxious but still want to take advantage of the childcare options available, hopefully you’ll be reassured by the fact that the workers are childcare experts and the clubs themselves operate in line with British Ofsted standards and staffing ratios.

We booked our girls in for a number of 3-hour afternoon sessions during the week and loved that we could fully debrief with the staff at drop-off and pick-up so everyone was on the same page. They serve healthy snacks (and lunches if you book in for the lunch session), do lots of arts and crafts, physical play in the soft play and shaded outdoor area, and even fun experiences like a kids’ tour of the resort.

Because of their ages, our kids were both in the Heroes Crèche so we only have experience of that, but the older clubs look great too and continue to offer age-appropriate activities such as sports, cooking, water sports and more.

There are 3 separate ‘clubs’:

• Heroes Crèche: for 4 months to 3 years. Morning sessions (10am-1pm), lunch sessions (1-3pm) and afternoon sessions (3-6pm) available. €38 a session (lunch session €28)
• Heroes Kids Club: 4 to 12 years. Morning sessions (10am-1pm), lunch sessions (1-3pm) and afternoon sessions (3-6pm) available. Free of charge
• Just 4 Teens: 13 to 17 years. Morning sessions (10am-1pm) and afternoon sessions (3-6pm) available. Free of charge

If you don’t fancy booking them into a kids’ club but would still like a little bit of respite, they also offer a free-of-charge beachside childcare service for 30 minute sessions. Ideal if you fancy a quick cocktail on a sun lounger!

Babysitting

We were also really impressed with the babysitting on offer, which we booked twice during our week — make sure to book in advance as they have to find suitable staff. We really liked that they sent girls from the crèche that our kids had already met and so were already comfortable with.

It’s priced at a reasonable €15 an hour with an additional €15 to pay for reservations ending later than 11pm, so they can pay for a taxi home.

And don’t worry if your little ones aren’t perfect sleepers — the babysitters are childcare experts and are happy to help soothe them to sleep or to follow your direction as to how they might best settle. For instance, while our baby slept soundly (at least until the early hours 🤪), our toddler wanted to party for a few hours. The babysitter checked in with me on WhatsApp and we agreed that the best course of action was to read her a story and sit with her until she started to doze off.

Meanwhile, in the wine bar, we eagerly awaited confirmation that she had finally dropped off… cue the champagne once she had!

Amenities

Pools and Beach

When you’re heading on a resort holiday, two of the most important things to consider amenity-wise is the pool and beach. What are they like? Are they somewhere you can imagine spending much of the day, every day?

We absolutely loved the pools at Ikos Dassia. There are 7 in total, each offering something a little different.

The two largest and ‘main’ pools are Sky and Sea, and we also spent plenty of time at the more intimate Deluxe Collection pool as well, which was handily located next to our suite.

Most of the pools, aside from the smaller children’s ones, have a bar on site as well as waiter service, so it’s easy to grab a bite or a drink while you’re there.

Unlike many less luxurious resorts, no one is waking up early in the morning to reserve sunbeds or cabanas. There are plenty to go round!

As this is a family-friendly resort and most of the guests are younger families, you should expect plenty of little ones splashing around, as well as inflatables. But if you’re here without kids or you want some child-free time while your little one is at kids’ club, definitely head to the adults only pool area for some relaxation time.

The beach at Dassia is similarly impressive at 600 metres long and jaw-dropping views over the Ionian sea and coast. It isn’t a sand beach, so that may be something to consider if you plan on spending much of your time beachside. Again there’s waiter service and plenty of sunbeds to go around, as well as cabanas if you’re in Deluxe Collection accommodation.

Spa

Unfortunately we can’t get too in-depth on the spa as we didn’t get a chance to visit for a treatment or even a dip in their tranquil pool during this trip. They offer Deluxe Collection guests a complimentary neck and back massage so we will definitely be claiming this next time!

But as a brief overview, the spa is an incredibly relaxing space stocked with products from French beauty brand, Anne Semonin. Facilities include the indoor/outdoor pool, a sauna and steam, hair salon and nail salon. They offer a full menu of face and body treatments, including specialist services for pregnant ladies, men and teenagers, as well as cosmetic treatments.

Activities

If you fancy breaking up all that pool and beach time with some sporting activities, you’re pretty spoiled for choice at Ikos Dassia.

They have a huge number of activities included with the cost of your holiday, as well as some more special experiences that you’ll need to pay separately for.

Check these out:

• Tennis
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Football
• Canoeing
• Scuba diving (extra cost)
• Pedalos
• Windsurfing
• Zumba
• Aerobics
• Water skiing (extra cost)
• Windsurfing (extra cost)

They can also arrange private boat tours, excursions and even yacht rentals if you so desire. There’s also a nightly sunset cruise to nearby Vida island every evening.

You can also use one of the Ikos Mini Coopers for a day to explore the island, which would be especially useful if you didn’t have great weather or if you’re staying for a longer trip and fancy breaking out of the resort.

We didn’t take advantage of these activities during our trip just because of the young age of our kids — perhaps once they’re a little older and we’re more confident leaving them or even bringing them along, we’ll be able to be a bit more adventurous!

Entertainment

Ikos really push the boat out when it comes to entertainment, ensuring that your days and nights won’t be easily forgotten. You’ll find live music sets across the resort most days — sometimes it’s traditional Greek, other times 90s hits, and plenty of pop and jazz.

Add to that musicals, kids’ shows and even movie nights, you’ll be able to mix things up most days.

There’s also a weekly mini disco for little ones and even kids’ karaoke if you dare…

The Rooms

Anyone who has been on holiday with kids knows that choosing the right room for your family is half the battle.

There are a whopping 411 rooms at Ikos Dassia with plenty of variety so you’ll easily be able to find something that fits with your needs and budget.

Rooms start with the Doubles and Superior Doubles that only allow for 2 occupancy so these are the ones to go for if you’re not bringing any children with you. Then you’ve got Junior Suites, Panorama Junior Suites, One Bedroom Suites and Family Rooms. These are all located in the large Sea and Sky buildings in the centre of the resort.

One big tip that we have for staying in hotels with kids is to make sure that you’ve got a separate space away from the children — whether that means they’re in a separate bedroom or even if you’ve just got a balcony. That little bit of extra space will mean you can relax away from their sleeping space at night and nap times. Thankfully, all the rooms and suites at Ikos Dassia have their own private balcony at least!

The next step up in accommodations is with the Deluxe Collection, which is definitely worth considering if your budget stretches a little further. We’ll go into all the pros and cons of this shortly.

The deluxe offerings include:

• Junior suite with private garden
• Junior suite bungalow with private pool
• One bedroom suite
• Two bedroom suite — this is what we went for
• Two bedroom suite with private pool on the beach front
• Three bedroom villa with private pool on the beach front

All the Deluxe Collection rooms come with a number of other benefits so these are incrementally more expensive than the standard offerings, even when the room size is similar.

Is the Deluxe Collection Worth it?

In our experience, we would definitely say the Deluxe Collection is worth it.

We booked a Deluxe Two Bedroom Suite as this had the space we were looking for as a family of four. This featured two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a good size lounge, as well as a lovely balcony.

If you fancy a private pool, you’ll definitely want to look at the Deluxe Collection as well.

Some of the benefits that come with a Deluxe Collection room include:

• Access to the Deluxe Collection pool — this was a smaller, quieter pool next to our suite with impeccable service and upgraded drinks/snacks offerings compared to the main pools. We loved it!
• A welcome bottle of Taittinger champagne
• Upgraded mini bar
• Pillow menu
• Personal concierge — another incredible service where you have a personal concierge at your fingertips. George was our concierge and he was always available on WhatsApp to assist with restaurant bookings, helping us with late check-out and any general enquiries. He really made everything so smooth and easy for us — it’s hard to overstate the value of this when you’re travelling with young children!
• Romantic meal on the beach
• Access to the exclusive Deluxe Collection beach area with cabanas
• Two complimentary neck and back massage treatments

Staying at Ikos is already a luxury experience but opting for a Deluxe Collection room was really the icing on the cake for us.

Eating and Drinking

This was the first all-inclusive holiday we’ve been on and we were definitely a little wary of this when we booked — would the food be up to standard? Would there be enough variety and enough to satiate our somewhat fussy toddler? Would the alcohol be premium quality or something closer to toilet wine…?

Thankfully, it was amazing. Both food and drink. There are 8 restaurants on site, and you’ve also got the Dine Out program where you can visit restaurants nearby to get a real local feel. They’ve also got a 24-hour room service menu, which we used a few times for our toddler.

The restaurants:

• Ouzo — à la carte Greek on the beach front. Feels very authentic with incredible views. We also enjoyed their lunchtime buffet.
• Grill House — this is where we indulged in buffet breakfasts every day, where they had plentiful selections that the whole family were keen on! They also offer à la carte dinners focusing on grilled meat and seafood
• Fresco — an all-day à la carte Italian. We had plenty of delicious lunches here
• Anaya — an Asian restaurant featuring cuisine from China, India, Japan and Thailand. We had a date night here and were really impressed with the food and loved the cosy atmosphere
• Provence — a French à la carte restaurant. We didn’t make it here this time — but will next time, for sure!
• Kerkyra — another beachfront restaurant serving up local Corfu cuisine and incredible views. We absolutely loved the food here and enjoyed the al-fresco style of restaurant
• Ergon Deli — modern Greek dishes for lunch and dinner. We didn’t make it there this time
• Flavors — an incredible Mediterranean-style buffet that we visited a few times and was a huge hit with our toddler. It’s got beautiful sea views and a light, airy feel — ideal!

We’re likely not alone in the fact that it can be a little anxiety-inducing taking young kids to restaurants, especially when they’re as beautiful and luxurious as those in Ikos Dassia. But the fact that they are so well set up for kids with incredible helpful staff, high chairs and kid-friendly cutlery and crockery, makes it feel like a breeze.

Plus, there are so many young families here that everyone just fits in and it’s simply not a big deal if you make a bit of a mess or start getting excited about pudding..! All the restaurants we visited had a separate adults-only area for those without kids who wanted a bit more peace and quiet so it really does feel like everyone is catered for.

There are also a number of bars dotted around the resort — including pool bars at all the major pools, lobby bars in the Sea and Sky buildings, and even a dedicated wine bar with over 300 labels and a sommelier to guide you through a tasting if you so desire.

Pros and Cons of Ikos Dassia

We’ve prattled on for a while now about our holiday at Ikos Dassia and you’re likely able to tell that we’re big fans.

For ease, we’ve compiled our quick pros and cons to the resort so you can see if it’s somewhere that’s a good option for you and your family.

Pros

• Amazing for families with kids under 5
• A high standard of childcare options available
• Lots of amenities, activities and entertainment
• Variety of pools
• Long beach
• Plenty of sun loungers and cabanas to go around
• Excellent selection of food and drink no matter the time of day
• Brilliant service from all staff
• Deluxe Collection option for luxurious finishing touches
• Close to the airport (no long car drives!)
• Resort transfers (these were included free with the length of our trip) were fantastic with car seats provided, TV options, cold water and comfortable seats
• Spa and adults only pool if you’re after peace and quiet
• Adults only sections in restaurants for when you don’t have the kids
• Everything you need is on site, including a shop
• Dine Out option and ability to use a car for a day to explore the island
• Lots of other young families in attendance so you never feel conscious of noisy/messy kids!

Cons

• Expensive
• Not a sandy beach
• It books up quickly in advance, especially for school holiday dates and popular room varietals

Verdict on Ikos Dassia

We absolutely loved our holiday to Ikos Dassia and have been recommending it to everyone we know with toddlers and young kids as a great, luxury all-inclusive European resort.

We loved it so much we booked in another week there for the end of the Summer…

It’s definitely an expensive option but if it fits within your budget, we think you’ll agree that it actually offers fantastic value for money considering all that’s on offer.

Not sure which Ikos resort is right for you? Take a look at our Ikos Resort Comparison Guide.

Have you been to an Ikos resort? Let us know your thoughts and recommendations!