There was a kids club although we didn't use it - it looked good though when we went for a look. Overlooking the small infinity pool and the ocean beyond. Its never a problem in the afternoon.WATERSPORTS:There is a good selection of watersports at both hotels, some of which is included in the price (e.g. I asked myself.Well the answer to that is a big fat absolutely YES and in fact overall the standard of service and the quality of the food was even better than last year!! at the sports facility, etc). Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me. Provence is probably the most sophisticated of the bunch with the renowned brothersJacques & Laurent Pourceloverseeing a Med-inspired menu bursting with flavour: think 'Steamed Mussels', 'Pea Gazpacho', Sea Bass with Bean Puree and Bouillabaise, Creamy Orzo Pasta with Pumpkin and Ricotta and Fig Tart with Yoghurt Ice Cream. All went smoothly on both occasions. I understand they may now have put a direct-access lift in to this restaurant now, perhaps to make it feel a little bit more high quality and not an annex of the main buffet. Thats the way we like it :-) The evening:The theatre at the Oceania is indoors on the same floor as reception/main bar/Helios bar. The resort is definitely designed for families. We couldnt book in anywhere that first night, but managed to book the rest of the entire 14 night stay in one go (no getting up early every day to queue! At both hotels service at poolside and on the beach is an excellent arrangement whereby the staff go along the row with an ePad and order your drinks and food (yes, they deliver food to your sun lounger! All of the constructive comments in my previous review (even the crockery suggestion) appeared to have been addressed! It has four restaurants, three pools, spa, private beach and various other amenities like tennis courts, bikes. This is an excellent arrangement whereby the local big all-inclusive hotel gives something back to the smaller community businesses. We had a couple of glasses of wine and ate some nice snack food (all in the price) while sitting on some comfy seats. On both holidays we took watershoes and made good use of them, if only to avoid burning our feet on the very hot sand!
TRAVEL DETAILS:My wife and I and out 17 year old daughter stayed at the Ikos Oceania from 29th June to 13th July 2015. It will haveseven restaurants and a more immersive approach to island life with plenty of side trips and activities away from the resort on offer. The pool by the beach was packed - we started to go to the one by the main building as I wanted to help my son practice swimming - much quieter yet only two mins walk apart. This building was right on the edge of the smaller infinity pool (over 12 years only) on the north-west side of the resort. It was nice. You also get a beach buddy attending to you here, as you do round the pool. It was quite expensive as well (certainly at the Olivia), for example it was 60 Euros for 15 mins on a jet ski/bike for 2 people. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The beach was nice. In the end we decided to go back to the bungalow and set-up outside in our little garden for the rest of the day. Based in Greece, the Ikos group of hotels is at the forefront of the new thinking, and is leading the way with its pre-paid-luxury approach to holidaying. My wife and I and out 17 year old daughter stayed at the Ikos Oceania from 29th June to 13th July 2015. The weather was 35 degrees every day and no rain. There are many fantastic reviews about both these hotels, so rather than just add more of the same I thought I would do a comparison of the two as we have been to both now on successive summer holidays in 2015 and 2016. All went smoothly on both occasions. The rooms were cleaned well every day and they would restock the mini bar too. When we wanted to be poolside we headed for the lagoon pool and it was excellent. It had a lovely colourful dcor that set it apart from the white or beige of some of the other restaurants. There doesn't seem to be too much going on outside the hotel. The return flight to East Midlands was straightforward on both occasions and the car was a 30 second stroll from the Departure exit FINAL THOUGHTS:Despite all the fantastic things about holidaying at the Ikos Oceania and Olivia (especially the quality of the food and drink) we have come away with one overriding memory, and that is the absolutely fantastic service provided by the staff. no rep) in 2016 from the Olivia, although a rep met us off the coach on arrival. The flight was straightforward on both occasions. Nespresso coffee machines with pods were also provided. The Asian was only open as an a-la-carte restaurant in the evening and we went there a few times.
This didnt take away the quality of the food and wine, both of which were excellent. There simply was no need for it. HOTEL CHECK-IN:Check-in at both hotels was smooth, professional and quick. The beach is nice but not the best. On both occasions we flew on a Monday afternoon flight from East Midlands, with a Monday evening return flight. The manager of the restaurant was mortified and although it was not the hotels fault, insisted that we put the dress in for dry cleaning at the hotels expense. Again the food was very good, with an excellent choice of wine.Greek:Oceania Was located close to the main pool and up from the beach via a steepish flight of steps. I would recommend it to everyone. This is an excellent hotel with great facilities. (and not for the last time that holiday!) To be honest there was nothing really that inspiring.
At the Olivia in 2016 we upgraded to a double bungalow (for 2) in the grounds. Directly outside are a few little shops and a few tavernas. Whilst waiting for the golf buggy we noticed other dining guests wearing beach flip flops and other shoes less casual than my husbands.. Fortunately the golf buggy never arrived. This is very much a family hotel. Meanwhile, making sure that every culinary whim is catered for, and for those times whenyou just want to stay put, theres even 24-hour room service also included. Overall, surroundings are design-orientatedand seductive and even when the hotel is full, it is one of the places where it never feels like it is. Thessaloniki is a fairly small airport and there isnt an awful lot there, but enough to keep you occupied. There is an adult area at the end. We went for a week in April as a family of 5 (3 boys - 13,12,9).Accommodation was fine (new, clean, good amenities), and the AstroTurf football pitch meant the boys were happy (playing football all day)Whilst I wouldn't say everything was perfect (and we are incredibly fussy !) It is clean and not once did I see a single piece of litter, they seem to groom it every day. If you don't like kids then use them. The room was clean, spacious, good air conditioning, with three TVs, two bathrooms, living room and two balconies. Apparently they are all in the process of making friends though and its expected that for 2017 Turkey will be back on the table (no pun intended).HOTEL CHECKOUT:We had an early evening pick-up from the hotel at both the Oceania and Oliva and so arranged with reception for a late check-out, which was a small charge but well worth the cost considering we got the whole day on the beach. He even sought us out the following day to make sure everything was alright and to ensure we got the dress cleaned.More. I actually took a small 4 socket extension strip on a short lead in 2016 to the Olivia, but need not have bothered as there were 2 spare sockets on one side of the bed and 3 on the other (although I cant say what was available in the building in the main building).Conversely I would highlight that we found the Air Conditioning in the bungalow at the Olivia in 2016 not cold enough. It certainly looked very good. There was one dine out option at the Oceania in 2015 (free 5 min shuttle bus into Nea Moudania) and two at the Olivia in 2016 within walking distance from the hotel. It was really nice to get out and eat some proper local Greek food. Dining in Provence is inspired by Michelin-standards. Also one evening in the Italian at the Oceania in 2015, a guest at a nearby table knocked over their wine pedestal, smashing a bottle of red wine with the resulting explosion showering my wife and staining her lovely new summer dress. Most of the kids were round the other pool. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. pedaloes etc) but most of which is extra charge. In the end we would go out in the evening and leave one card in the power-slot so the AC would stay on. We went for a week in June with two kids almost 4 and almost 1. They simply cannot do enough for you. 2022 Forbes Media LLC. In the evening it kicked into its a-la-carte mode and we had some very lovely, high quality meals.Italian:Oceania Was located high up in the main building, accessed via the main buffet restaurant. OUTBOUND TRIP: Some lovely menu choices with excellent wines to accompany, we had an excellent meal on every visit. Having jokingly said to the beach supervisor (Adam) on the first day that the only reason we came to back to Ikos was for the Espresso Martini, he went straight about getting us two, which were delivered to us 5 minutes later! On both occasions we flew on a Monday afternoon flight from East Midlands, with a Monday evening return flight. On both occasions we booked with Thompson-First Choice (Thompson site in 2015 and First Choice site in 2016 as that was the only one with Ikos Olivia). This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. every attempt was made by the staff to make it right. You can eat in or outside of all the restaurants. If I had kids I would go here in a heartbeat. Consequently its a more compact site. However, when we hit the bar after dinner it was pretty quiet and not many people to chat to, this could of course change from week to week. There is entertainment in the evenings. At a cost of 27 million, the hotel has enhanced all of its 290 rooms and suites, restaurants, spa and public areas.
It was a great evening, but it did mean we missed out on having another special Greek a-la-carte meal (and we were too near the end of the holiday by then to change anything else). Room service is of course 24/7 RESORT LAYOUT:Whilst many of the features of the two hotels are comparable, they are distinctly different in their layout. However, this year there were two days during our stay when this did not happen and we had to request extra water and capsules.Dress Code: When dining at the Italian restaurant an Irish waitress pointed out to my husband that his footwear was not acceptable and ordered a golf buggy for him to change his shoes.