Ikaros Beach Luxury Resort Spa

"We had a really enjoyable stay at Ikaros Beach Luxury Resort & Spa in Crete. Pools and beach area were excellent, with plenty of sunbeds available throughout the day. We particularly liked the large double-bed style sun loungers and the various seating areas around the resort. The beach area was also very good. Food and dining experience were good overall, with a decent choice and quality of food. However, the dining experience felt more like a busy canteen than what you would expect from a luxury resort. We visited towards the end of the season when the hotel was reasonably quiet, so it does make you wonder how busy and hectic the restaurant might feel during peak season. Staff and service were very good, with friendly and helpful staff throughout the resort. Rooms – We stayed in the main hotel area. Our room was perhaps a little disappointing, feeling quite dark, although this may be partly down to the design and limited natural light. Having said that, some of the bungalow accommodation, particularly those around the pool areas, looked lovely and would certainly be worth considering when booking. Car hire was excellent. The hire facility was conveniently located in the hotel reception, making the whole process really easy and straightforward. The service was very good and it was a great way to explore more of the island. Outside the hotel, the nearby high street had a reasonable selection of shops and bars, although some areas were looking a little tired and could do with some investment. Bars and entertainment – The bar areas were very good, with a good selection of drinks, although the beer options could have been better. There were plenty of places to sit and enjoy a drink. One small disappointment for us was the lack of football being shown on the TVs in the bars! Overall, Ikaros is a lovely resort with excellent pool and beach facilities, friendly staff and a good atmosphere. There are a few areas that could be improved, particularly the dining experience and the rooms in the main hotel, but these didn’t spoil our holiday. We had a great week and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing holiday in Crete."

"This experience was something of a mixed bag and I wonder if part of that was due to the end of the season. If I am not mistaken this resort closes after November 1st, and maybe the staff was ready to be done. We were there for five days and there was a lot to like about this resort. The setting is absolutely stunning and the gardens lush and inviting. It is built on a hill so be aware you will be walking uphill a lot especially if your room is towards the outer edges of the property like ours was. There is a beautiful beach off to the right of the resort with plenty of lounge chairs. I wonder if it might be hard to find one during high season though as we kind of had to look around for two together, but eventually did find two together and spent some time relaxing and listening to the surf. Our room was lovely, large and airy with its own little private patio/seating area, large enough for me to practice yoga every morning. Our room was also one with a shared pool, and that was a special touch. It was rarely in use and I spent one afternoon enjoying myself and had the entire pool area. If you do not have a room with a private or shared pool, there are two stunning pools on different sides of the property, with fabulous views of the ocean. Again, I wonder about finding loungers during high season as they seemed pretty packed when we were there at the end of the season. Staff were either incredibly kind and helpful, or grouchy and a little rude. It was odd, there did not seem to be anything in-between. The first night we were there we had trouble with the television remote and they sent a very gruff and rude person to our room who kept snatching the remote out of my hand when I tried to explain the problem. We decided to forget TV since we were not there to watch television anyway and instead used our computer and netflix to watch a movie at night if we wanted. Another time when I called for room service, the individual on the other end, shouted at me over the phone for not using the in-room menu. Since we did not know there was one, I hung up and looked all over, finally realizing, it was on a placard with a QR code. As an aside, does everything have to be on a QR code? I absolutely hate them and it reduces the menu or whatever a person is looking up to a tiny screen. The hotel could try being a bit more open and inclusive for older people and those who may not see well. In any case, these are a couple of examples of the way some staff acted towards guests. For us the biggest disappointment was that the resort is in no way an all-inclusive. It is a partial inclusive and that means a lot of options for meals are not included. There is one main restaurant that is fine for breakfast or maybe a quick snack at lunch (closed between serving times), but it is simply not up to par, although the bread was great. The house wine was absolutely horrible and after trying it the first night we wound up purchasing our own that night for 34 euros and for any other night we wanted to have wine with dinner, even in the paid restaurants. Which brings this review to the restaurant options available. There are other restaurants on the property but not included in the all inclusive price. Instead they offer a "discount" of 12.00 per person. They call them "A la carte." I know what that means and it does not mean you pay when you thought you did not have to pay. Since the main restaurant was unacceptable for dinner, we paid for all of our evening meals (except one we were told was "free") at one or the other of the "a la carte" restaurants we could get reservations for. Each time, we purchased our own wine, rather than subject ourselves to what was offered as part of "all inclusive." We never had a chance to try the Mediterranean restaurant at all since there were never any open tables there. The Greek restaurant was kind of so-so, I had a salad absolutely drowning in salad dressing (too bad because it really looked great) and cannot remember what I ordered as an entree. Just not memorable. Our one meal at the Italian restaurant was the best of everything we ate while staying at Ikaros. We ordered the saltimbocca and recommend it to anyone who chooses to stay at this hotel. The service at the Italian restaurant was also outstanding. If you want to eat anything when the main restaurant is closed, your only options are snack bar food and we tried that once. It was just awful -- some kind of pre-prepared pizza crust with a cursory dab of sauce and cheese on top. Nothing you would expect to be served in a 4 star or a 3 star restaurant. I suppose the good news was that we were not charged for that as it was part of the "all inclusive" plan. No waiters bring food or drink to guests if you are at the pool or the beach, or really anywhere on the property. It is set up to go get it yourself and take back to wherever you are. No food is allowed in the bar, if a person wants to brave one of the nasty pizzas and have a drink at the bar. Even the "minibar" in our room was a real let down. At Ikaros, a minibar means a handful of "free" sparkling waters that are not replenished unless you want to pay for them. No soft drinks alcohol or wine are included in the minibar. When I think about this resort, I am frankly disappointed and would not go back. It was a "could have been" experience that was simply not up to par. If you plan to visit Ikaros, your best bet is simply not to choose the all inclusive plan. There are plenty of restaurants just outside the resort within walking distance. I might recommend the bed and breakfast plan if you simply do not want to go looking for something to eat the first thing in the morning, but since I do not know how much that might cost am unsure it is worth the price. The all-inclusive package is definitely not worth the price. Maybe if you are a heavy drinker and only stick to what is included in as part of the plan, it might be worth it, For us, two comped mojitos and a couple of beers simply did not add up to the price we paid. In the end, for my one (and possibly only) trip to Crete, Ikaros was kind of a drag."

"We stayed for 1 week and it was just perfect from start to finish. The food was amazing. So much choice, definitely something for everyone and everything was delicious. We went at different times and the food was always fresh and lovingly made. The facilities are spot on, clean and plenty space for everyone. We had one of the basic rooms but it had everything we needed including towels, water and toiletries. The drink were lovely, my favourite was the pina colada which was equally delicious day and night. Having its own beach was a big plus as we explored the other beaches around and they were not the best. All the staff were lovely and attentive and the place feels like it was run very well. We had a massage which was pricy but amazing! They did try to upsell products and more massages but they were not pushy. Honestly, this place is pure heaven, beautiful facilities, food and views. My only negative is the area outside of the hotel. Stalis was a bit of a let down, nothing special. We did eat out a few times and we can’t knock any of the restaurants we went to but it is not a picturesque place to visit."