Ikos and Sani, explained

Ikos and Sani belong to the same hospitality group, but they answer different booking needs. Ikos is the more predictable all-inclusive model. Sani is a large Halkidiki estate with five hotels, a marina and more pay-as-you-go choice.

Which one are you comparing?

Choose Ikos if you want the holiday cost to include the parts that parents usually keep paying for during the week: à la carte meals, branded drinks, kids' clubs from age 4, one local restaurant meal, a hire-car day and some local site entry. It still needs planning because early restaurant slots, crèche sessions and room position can decide whether evenings feel manageable.

Compare Sani if you want a bigger resort area in one place, with five hotels, beaches, a marina, forest trails, restaurants and academies around the same estate. The trade-off is that Sani is usually sold on bed-and-breakfast, half-board or similar board arrangements, so drinks, some dinners and activities need a separate cost check.

What Ikos includes

Ikos Resorts is an all-inclusive brand in Greece and Spain. The difference from a standard package all-inclusive is what sits inside the rate: à la carte restaurants, branded drinks, room service, a restocked minibar, kids' clubs for ages 4 to 12, local dining, local site entry and an included electric MINI Countryman for one day.

The restaurants are included, but they still need booking. If you are travelling in school holidays or need early sittings, use the app or pre-arrival booking route as soon as the resort allows it.

The menus are created by chefs who hold Michelin stars at their own restaurants. That does not mean the resort restaurants are Michelin-starred, so treat it as a menu-consultant detail rather than a restaurant-award claim.

• Food and drinks: à la carte restaurants, buffet options, branded spirits, more than 100 wine labels and 24-hour room service are included.
• Local extras: the Dine Out meal usually includes transport, while Culture Pass and the one-day electric MINI Countryman help if you want one or two outings without building a full self-drive holiday.
• Children: the Heroes Kids Club is for ages 4 to 12 and is included. Teens have a separate programme at some resorts. The crèche, babysitting, some academies and Heroes Supper Club cost extra unless your booking tier includes them.
• Other inclusions: most non-motorised water sports, beach watch and spa pool or sauna access may be included, while hands-on spa treatments usually cost extra. Deluxe Collection adds a concierge, exclusive pool and beach areas, transfers, extra wine labels, two short spa treatments per suite and two days with the electric MINI Countryman.

How Sani differs

Sani Resort is one large resort estate on the Kassandra peninsula in Halkidiki. It has five hotels: Sani Beach, Porto Sani, Sani Club, Sani Dunes and Sani Asterias. Check the current child policy and room setup for Asterias before treating all five hotels as equal family options. Families use the wider estate for beaches, pools, restaurants, the marina, forest trails, sports academies and evening walks.

The main difference is how the holiday works financially. Ikos sells a rate with meals, drinks and several extras included. Sani gives you a large estate, but you need to compare board basis, drinks, childcare, academies and dinners before you treat the two quotes as equivalent.

Compare Sani if you want more space to walk, a marina setting and several hotel areas without changing resort. Compare Ikos if you want more of the bill settled before you arrive and you are happy to spend most of the week inside one resort.

What changes with younger children

At Ikos, the free childcare starts with the Heroes Kids Club from age 4. If your child is under 4, the crèche is the important line to price and pre-book, because it is paid and availability can matter in peak weeks.

Ikos says its children's clubs and activities are run by qualified staff in line with UK Ofsted standards. For UK parents, that signals a structured childcare setup, but it does not remove the need to check your resort's exact age bands, session times and booking rules.

Baby and toddler equipment is request-based. Ask before booking about cots, highchairs, baby baths, toilet adaptors, baby food, nappy-changing facilities, buggy hire and lift access if any of these would change your decision.

Ikos reduces the food planning because child menus, ice cream and baby food on request are part of the family setup. For fussy eaters, still check recent restaurant photos and reviews for plain options such as pasta, rice, bread, yoghurt, fruit and simple grilled food.

The Ikos resorts

There are eight Ikos resorts open in Greece and Spain as of June 2026. They share the same brand model, so the decision usually comes down to flight length, transfer, beach, resort size, walking routes and how much you want nearby outside the hotel.

In Greece

• Ikos Oceania Halkidiki
  The original Ikos, on the Kassandra peninsula. The hillside setting makes room position and pushchair routes worth checking.
• Ikos Olivia Halkidiki
  A lower-rise resort in olive groves on Sithonia. Often the easier Halkidiki Ikos to compare if you want a flatter feel.
• Ikos Dassia Corfu
  A large east-coast Corfu resort with a long seafront, several pools and more movement around the resort. Compare room position and evening noise if you need early bedtimes.
• Ikos Odisia Corfu
  A newer Corfu resort on the same bay as Dassia. Its size means more restaurants and pools, but check walking distances between room, pool, beach and dinner.
• Ikos Aria Kos
  On the south-west coast near Kefalos, with a sandy beach and most family time likely to sit around beach, pool and restaurants. Transfers are longer than the Spanish Ikos resorts.
• Ikos Kissamos Crete
  Opened in 2026 on Kissamos Bay. Check early family reviews for shade, room layout, buggy routes and restaurant booking pressure.

In Spain

• Ikos Andalusia Estepona
  The first Ikos outside Greece, on the Costa del Sol near Marbella. The beach is sandy, but the water entry can be stony, so pool setup matters for toddlers.
• Ikos Porto Petro Mallorca
  A smaller-feeling resort around coves and a village harbour on Mallorca's south-east coast. Check cove access, steps and room position if you use a buggy.

More Ikos resorts are planned, including Portugal's Algarve, another near Marbella and a larger Halkidiki project. Opening dates have moved before, so only compare them as options once the resort is taking bookings for your dates and the family facilities are listed.

How to choose without getting distracted by the brand

The brand tells you the broad model, not whether your particular week will work. Before you pay a deposit, compare the exact room type, whether the cot blocks floor space, the route from room to dinner, how early restaurants can seat children, pool shade, beach entry, lift access and how hard it is to book the restaurants you care about.

If you are comparing Ikos with a cheaper all-inclusive, check what you would actually use. The price gap is easier to justify if you want à la carte meals, branded drinks, kids' club sessions from age 4, local dining, a hire car day and fewer paid extras during the week. If your family is happy with buffet meals, a basic splash pool and one or two short local walks, the price gap may not repay itself.

If you are comparing Ikos with Sani, price the same week honestly. Match room type, board basis, childcare, drinks, transfers, dinners, academies and any paid activities. Sani can look closer in price before extras, while Ikos can look expensive until you add up the things already included.

Who owns Ikos and Sani

Both brands sit under the Sani/Ikos Group. The correct name is Sani/Ikos, not Sana. The business grew from the Andreadis family's original Sani hotel in Halkidiki, which opened in 1971. The Ikos brand was brought into the same group structure in 2015.

Since 2022 the majority owner has been GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund. The founding family and group partners remained involved as the business expanded across the Mediterranean. For parents, the practical point is that this is a growing resort group, not an independent one-off hotel.

Last updated 15 June 2026. Inclusions, childcare ages and opening dates change, so check the official resort pages before you book.