Why book?
We may have entered the era of meaningful travel, but for many of us, a holiday remains synonymous with ease, minimal decision making and simple pleasures. Enter Ikos Andalusia: gallantly redeeming the all-inclusive model with elevated food, smart minimalist rooms, and the underrated privilege of switching off.
Set the scene
Fanning out across a 15-acre patch of Marbella’s golden mile, Ikos Andalusia is a sumptuously fresh reinvention of all-inclusive. Giant palms flank a Gatsby-esque water feature. It flows past bathers splayed out on reassuringly heavy sun beds, lulled to sleep by whiffs of lavender and hibiscus and the pool water gently lapping the cream stone. A salty breeze pours into restaurants, warming the shoulders of families diving into las croquetas de jamon and shrimps al pil-pil tapas. Glasses suspended from the alfresco bar twinkle in that film-grade sunlight. The serenity is broken only momentarily by the odd ice bucket or enthusiastic golf buggy—the clever separation of family pool and play areas guarantees this.
An eclectic mix of shirts and T-shirts, loafers, and flip-flops line up like cinema goers under creamy parasols for sunset, Mojitos in hand. Conversation seems to coalesce around nearby golf courses (some of the best in Europe with an inclusive green fee for nearby Naranjos) and the resort’s inexhaustible variety of restaurants. Yes, first impressions may fixate on Ikos Andalusia’s blocky, compound-like sensibility, but stay a while, lean into the fuss-free booking culture, the elaborate breakfasts and the softer-than-life sun beds, and watch prejudices melt away with that yolky, Mediterranean sunset.
The backstory
The Costa del Sol is getting a second chance, rising like a Phoenix from concrete barbarism with its sun guarantee and easy flight. Faith in its redemption boldly manifests itself in the opening of Ikos Andalusia—the vast-yet-subdued Spanish outpost of the Greek Ikos empire. Subsequent openings in Kos and Corfu followed and the next generation of this hotelier family has now set their sights on Mallorca and the Algarve. The nature of Ikos Andalusia’s location, occupying a sun-soaked stretch of coastline between Marbella and Estepona, makes the cliché-shaking proposition all the more ambitious. But there are tangible luxuries of fuss-free car hire (a day of exploring in the hotel’s Teslas is included), breezing into supper without the usual booking headache and diving into a variety of activities from paddleboarding to early morning yoga and cooling off in the wine cellar, sans admin. What’s more, the clued-up approach to family holiday demands instructs the layout, the amenities and the day’s itineraries, while still safeguarding various spaces for couples after a more adults-only agenda.
The rooms
Fresh, calm, spacious, and subdued—Ikos Andalusia’s rooms have seized on a clear narrative of elevated simplicity. Pools of natural light illuminate creamy hues, bounce off the mirrors framing an enormous bed and fan out along its crisp, white linen. Floor-to-ceiling windows peel back near-panoramic sea views and knockout sunsets, best enjoyed from the balcony. A standalone bath and vast rain shower make pre-dinner turnarounds an appealing notion—along with delicious-smelling Anne Semonin products. Most rooms can claim a sea view, and while interconnecting Family Suites and the Deluxe Category are noticeably more spacious, the design distribution of materials, fabrics, and styles seems democratic enough. Those with deep pockets can check into the Deluxe Suite peering out to sea, the keycard of which grants them access to the pretty beach cabanas, an alfresco bar where the crowd feels decidedly beau monde. The breezy WhatsApp concierge service alone is enough to break any all-inclusive skeptic.
Food and drink
You’ll need at least a week to fully explore the seven restaurants. Most assume an earthy tone with rustic ceramics, soft lighting, and coastal-chic lampshades evoking polished renditions of Pampelonne beach bars, or makeshift Greek Tavernas. Olivia was a stand-out, with its convivial atmosphere and beautifully presented plates: expect creative takes on classic Mediterranean dishes such as gazpacho soup with Jerez vinegar eggs and dry ham or Paella Valencia with chicken, rabbit, and artichokes. Breakfast at the Beach Club, where home-spun style wicker chairs and hanging basket lampshades set a casual tone, peers over manicured lawns and out towards a calm sea. Gym bunnies kick back with smoothies and egg white omelettes while multi-generational families fill several tables with kaleidoscopic spreads of breakfast goodies: ricotta pancakes, almond croissants, eggs Benedict, smoked salmon—all whipped up with top-notch produce and impeccably well-presented. A perk of this labyrinthine approach is that they all serve breakfast, apart from Provence and Asian joint Anaya, shaking up the same-egg monotony of smaller hotels. Ouzo, a smart-casual and fittingly Greek option, considering Ikos’ heritage, was another winner. Guided by Michelin-tipped chef Lefteris Lazarou, the slow-cooked octopus, traditional moussaka, and lamb kleftiko with oven-baked beans puree are the dishes to order.
The spa
The spa is by far the resort’s most impressive element—a sanctuary for weary souls with sultry-but-spacious treatment rooms, a large indoor pool, and Anne Semolin beauty products on tap. Sure, it’s not the Aman, but it performs exceptionally highly in the design and space stakes. Treatments range from an extensive list of facials, including cryotherapy and drainage, to a stress-busting, toxin-slaying hammam ceremony and a volcanic stone ritual. After a steam and sauna session, a hair salon and nail bar beckons.
The neighborhood
While Marbella is hardly famed for its cultural coinage, guests can zoom out of the blocky billboarded maze just beyond the Ikos’ walls in one of the hotel’s Teslas, exploring the fairytale hilltop town of Ronda or Estepona’s warren of whitewashed streets and charming independent shops. The Ikos Infinite Lifestyle concept cleverly interacts with the local area, featuring select local restaurants, museums, and a round of golf as part of the all-inclusive rate.
The service
Considering the sheer volume of guests when we stayed, the service was impressive. A hotel of this scale allows a reviewer to go incognito, with not every waiter, barman, or yoga instructor savvy on the situation—all were strikingly well-mannered, attentive to a non-bothersome level, and appeared to be having as much fun as the guests.
For families
This is where Ikos Andalusia really performs. The hotel has done its due diligence on exactly what helps parents relax. Keeping children and toddlers entertained is its first port of call, with a stellar kids club (giving posh London nurseries a run for their money), and a roster of fun activities throughout the day such as tennis classes, soccer academy, and cooking classes. Older children and teenagers are kept busy with kayaks, paddleboarding, and jet skis (all motor fun on the water comes at an extra cost), while babies are well catered for in the rooms with swanky Stokke cots, sterilizer machines, and baby baths. Add to this a parents’ ingenious viewing deck, separate from the children’s pool but close enough to monitor any brood, and the on-demand babysitting services, and Ikos Andalusia has skillfully redefined the very concept of a holiday for families.
Eco effort
The Ikos Green sustainability program carries across the hotel portfolio, implementing policies in step with UN Sustainable Development goals. This includes using heat pumps, solar panels, 99 percent LED lights, aerated flows in all taps and showers as well as roof and botanical gardens. While the hotel has reduced single-use plastic, the amenities were replaced alarmingly quickly, though the refill option may have been disregarded for hygiene purposes.
Accessibility
Lifts and ramps throughout all Ikos’ buildings make maneuvering wheelchairs and prams a breeze.
Anything left to mention?
Spacious desks in the rooms make this a feasible (and rather jammy) remote working destination.
N-340, Km 164, Malaga 29680
Spain
https://ikosresorts.com/resorts/ikos-andalusia
+34 951 02 90 00