Ikos Resorts hails trade support as it marks 10th birthday

Ikos Resorts’ regional director of sales and marketing has thanked the trade for its support as the brand celebrates its 10th birthday.

The first Ikos property - Ikos Oceania in Halkidiki, Greece - opened in March 2015.

Speaking to Aspire, Lee Barker said: “We wouldn’t be where we are without the support of the trade or without them banging the Ikos drum.

“I think they’ve really taken Ikos under their wing and said ‘Right, this is a product I’m comfortable and confident with’.”

Barker described the 10-year anniversary as “quite a milestone”, saying: “I think people forget how young Ikos is, as 10 years isn’t that old for a brand, especially when we had Covid in the middle. But it’s nice to be celebrating 10 years of this brand that’s somewhat pioneered luxury all-inclusive in Europe.”

To mark the birthday, Ikos has planned a number of trade events and incentives for 2025. These include 10 agent brunches across the UK and a competition that will give 10 agents the chance to win a stay at the brand’s newest property, Ikos Kissamos, when it opens in 2026. The winners will be able to bring a plus-one to “experience the resort as a guest”.

Barker said: “We’re not just ‘sort of’ having a birthday – we want to support the trade with it as well and bring them along on the journey with us.”

Alongside the development of Ikos Kissamos, the group’s first property in Crete, the brand has a number of developments planned for 2025 across its portfolio of seven resorts.

This includes the completion of the ongoing enhancements at Ikos Olivia, which will see the addition of new restaurants and the refurbishment of rooms to be “brought in line with newer properties such as Ikos Porto Petro and Ikos Odisia”.

In Majorca, Ikos Porto Petro has introduced a new football pitch and three padel courts.

Across all its resorts, Ikos has also introduced a Hero’s Supper Club, where parents can drop their children off for the evening, and a number of child-friendly spa treatments and experiences.

Speaking about the group’s upcoming developments, Barker said: “What I love about the brand is we’re always developing. We’re always looking to see how we can enhance our product and reacting to clients’ feedback.

“The guest feedback is the most important. We want to innovate and change to suit the guest requirements.”

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, Barker said the brand’s main goal is to protect its relationship with the trade. “We’d love more resorts in new locations but, really, the goal is to remain at the forefront of the UK market from an all-inclusive luxury offering perspective and with our support of the trade,” he said.