Ikos Aria

Across 47 acres beside the sands of Kefalos, Ikos Aria is a five star beachfront resort where eight restaurants, beautiful pools and gardens and the brand’s exceptionally generous all inclusive concept turn the southwest coast of Kos into a remarkably complete Mediterranean escape.

Aria has the scale of a major resort, but it wears it particularly well. Low rise buildings are spread through gardens, palms and broad lawns, pools appear between the accommodation and the sea, and long views towards the coast keep the Aegean present as you move around the grounds. There is a sense of space here that allows the hotel to be many things at once, from a lively family holiday to a considerably more private stay beside the beach.

What Ikos does especially well is remove much of the usual decision making from an all inclusive holiday without making the experience feel prescribed. Restaurants are genuinely different from one another, activities can fill the day or be ignored completely and drinks, dining and service are handled with a generosity that encourages you to enjoy the resort rather than continually think about what is included.

Rooms & Suites

Rooms and suites are contemporary and calm, with private gardens and terraces drawing life outside whenever possible. Junior Suites add useful space for couples and families, while One Bedroom Suites give the living and sleeping areas greater separation and are available with private gardens and sea views.

The Deluxe Collection changes the experience more significantly. Deluxe Junior Suites have private gardens with either pool or sea views, accompanied by an enhanced level of service and access to dedicated areas within the resort. It is an appealing option when you want everything Ikos offers but with a little more space around you.

The Deluxe One Bedroom Bungalow Suite Beach Front is the one that really catches the eye. Sitting close to the sand with the Aegean immediately ahead, it combines the privacy of bungalow accommodation with the full breadth of the resort behind you and makes the beach feel almost like an extension of your own space.

Dining

Food is central to the Ikos experience and Aria gives it serious attention. Ouzo brings a contemporary Greek character to the table, Fresco looks towards Italy, Anaya draws on Asian flavours and Provence turns to French cooking, while Kos celebrates the island and its culinary traditions. Oliva, Seasons and the international Flavors restaurant complete a choice substantial enough to make dinner somewhere different each evening entirely realistic.

It is the freedom around that choice that makes the concept work. À la carte dining sits comfortably alongside the buffet, drinks and the minibar are part of the wider all inclusive approach and meals feel like evenings out rather than something simply provided as part of a package.

The Dine Out programme is an especially thoughtful touch. Selected local restaurants in nearby Kefalos become part of the experience, giving you a reason to leave the resort for dinner and allowing the island itself to contribute to the all inclusive stay rather than ending at the hotel gates.

Experience

Days at Aria can take almost any shape. Four outdoor pools provide different places to settle within the grounds, while the beach brings the holiday back to the Aegean with swimming, windsurfing, diving and other water sports. Tennis, cycling, fitness, aerobics and walking tours add plenty for those who prefer to keep moving.

Families are particularly well looked after, with a kids’ club, playground, dedicated activities and babysitting available, yet the size of the resort means family life does not define every corner. Couples can gravitate towards quieter pools, the beach and more secluded parts of the gardens while the busier areas carry on elsewhere.

There is also something refreshing about being able to change the mood of a day without leaving. You can spend the morning on the water, disappear to a quiet patch of beach after lunch, return for a swim and dress for dinner at an entirely different restaurant that evening, all without the experience ever feeling repetitive.

Wellness

The Ikos Spa provides the natural counterpoint to the more active side of the resort, with a sauna, treatment rooms and a menu spanning massages, facials and body therapies. A fitness centre and dedicated relaxation areas make it easy to build wellness into the day rather than treating it as a separate part of the holiday.

For many guests, though, the best reset will be considerably simpler. A morning swim, a long lunch and an afternoon beneath an umbrella beside the Aegean fit the spirit of Aria rather perfectly.

Where

Ikos Aria is located in Kefalos on the southwest coast of Kos, placing the resort within easy reach of the area’s beaches, traditional villages and the wider landscapes of the western end of the island.

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