Ikos Porto Petro, The Ultimate Family Luxury All Inclusive Resort, Mallorca

The chances are, if you love travel and you’ve got children, you’ll have heard about the renowned Ikos resorts. Ikos has become the name for luxury all inclusive family friendly resorts in Europe, starting in Greece {the group are sister to the equally well known Sani group} and now expanding across to Spain & the Balearics too.

For a few years it was all I heard from friends going on holiday with little ones and not once did I hear a single fault with them. They all came back raving that we had to go. Ikos has set the benchmark for the holiday industry; competitors may be described as ‘similar to Ikos,’ but the truth is, nothing else comes close.

So what is that makes an Ikos resort truly great? Here is everything you need to know about Ikos Porto Petro, Mallorca {we also stayed at Oceania in Halkidiki Greece last year so I’ll share a few notes on that too} *AD we were hosted as a press stay but paid for the rest of our trip and all opinions are my own…

This resort opened just three years ago and is set around two coves in Porto Petro, on the south east side of the island, near to Cala D’or. It’s beyond beautiful, the interiors, the perfect styling, the views and planting leave nothing to be desired. Your first view as you arrive to go into reception is the one above on the right straight out to the ocean. You walk around pinching yourself at the sparkling sea, boats sailing past and harbour views. It’s a large resort - I personally love a large resort so there’s lots of choice for restaurants, pools, bars and things to do - you can walk around {admiring the olive trees} or hail a golf cart at any point along the way {there are QR code scanners to request one or just flat one down} which our children found so fun to whizz around on across the resort.

Let’s start with the obvious: this is not a budget option, it’s a 5* luxury all inclusive where you’re completely looked after. Prices really vary throughout the year and depending which resort you go to {The Greek resorts tend to be a bit less as the cost of living is cheaper there compared to Spain}. But it really does include so much, you won’t need to pay for anything else during your stay and nothing compares luxury or food wise for a beach resort in Europe.

What does it include? How is it different from the typical all inclusive?

- All inclusive holidays get a bad reputation from the cheap and cheerful offerings with dodgy buffets, watered down drinks, loud music and battles for sun loungers. Ikos is miles away from that kind of trip. Instead you’ll find personalised concierge services, a direct WhatsApp for any request, a Tesla to take out for the day, incredible food, luxury drinks all included, a number of a la carte restaurants with menus designed by Michelin chefs, champagne - Taittinger if you’re deluxe. There are no supplements on menus here, you can order room service at anytime for no extra charge. Think thick padded, cushioned sun-loungers, the highest quality premium food, childcare for over 4s {and brilliant ofsted rated crèches you can pay per session for those under 4 from 6 months}, a dine out scheme where you can go out of the resort to local towns to eat at a local restaurant - again included, a full mini bar with wine, beer, spirits, toblerones and crisps. There are fitness classes, tennis, padel, bikes to hire. This is a holiday filled with luxury, no queuing at a bar, staff will come around to deliver you drinks to your lounger. Nothing is too much trouble, it’s like the staff predict what you need or want before you even have to ask.

How is it for kids? //

It’s extremely family friendly but not obviously in your face. There are no sticky tables or soft play to find here. I was talking to a friend about her view of Ikos and she said that she views it as a luxury resort for adults where you know the children will be taken care of. I agree, it’s definitely family friendly in the best possible way but not the only focus of the resort meaning it’s great for all ages and those on adults only breaks too. Some of the kinder mountain resorts we’ve been to I would not recommend if you didn’t have children. Ikos I 100% would. The resort decor is all catered for adults but in every restaurant you’ll find high chairs with bibs and plastic crockery ready to go, under every sink there’s a chic wooden stall for little ones to stand on, plush baby changing areas, an epic playground and trampoline, whole pages of baby weaning menus in each menu.

I really liked that in each restaurant there was a children’s menu specific to that restaurant {Spanish or Asian inspired kids dishes for example} but also always a page of classic kid friendly fare - pizza/nuggets/fish fingers/pasta - to be found. Children are very well catered for across the resort {minus a couple of adults only pools and areas} but without sacrificing chic style and luxury. You can ask for kids colouring at a restaurant and you’ll be presented with a beautiful Ikos designed colouring book and set of pencils. It’s not something many resorts can achieve but Ikos do it so very well and I expect this is why families come back year after year, especially because of the multiple, growing locations they now have {Kissamos in Crete will be open in the Spring}.

Our children adored the outdoor play area - that was under the trees so luckily never felt too hot despite the high temperatures when we visited. There’s a huge climbing frame our children nicknamed the gorilla enclosure since it rivals something at London zoo and a large trampoline. And of course they mainly wanted to spend their days when not at kids club in the multiple pools. There are two shallow children’s pools which are heated with lots of pool floats and toys left for them to play with.

Is there childcare included?

- The Ikos childcare is split into 3 groups; The Heroes crèche which is from 6 months - 4 years {they then subgroup this for activities from 6 months - 2 years and 2/4 years}. This is chargeable per session at €42 for 3 hours due to the extra staff ratios needed for little ones. They have some gorgeous activities on the schedule each week like sensory play, art, teddy bears picnics, baby yoga and mini chef sessions. They’ve got a soft air conditioned baby centre with plenty of toys and an outdoor covered splashy water play area. You can book them in from 10am-1pm or 3-6pm for the sessions or there’s a lunch free play session 1-3 but I’m guessing most children need to nap over that slot. Definitely prebook your childcare sessions in advance.

- For those aged 4-7 there’s childcare included from 10.30-6pm daily. Again split into structured sessions with different activities each day, 10.30-1, 1-3pm where lunch is included then 3.30-6pm. Our children are hit & miss with ‘camps’ but they met a friend on their first day and were desperate to go with him every morning! They absolutely loved it. They came out with piles of artwork and tales of all of the games, scavenger hunts and Lego that they played. Their sessions include yoga, eco explorers, mini chefs, science and water games. On their last day the staff gave them a playnchoc treat {one of our fav brands} and letter saying goodbye!

- For 8-12s they run a similar schedule but for older children. And then there’s the Just4Teens zone, with football tournaments, a photo scavenger challenge, padel & table tennis challenges and Mario kart tournaments, the activities change everyday and week.

- Ikos run a supper club from 7pm in the evening where the kids club team can take them for dinner & play games or watch movies whilst you go to dinner in peace but this is €30 and needs booking in advance.

- You also can book a babysitter for an extra charge.

- Every evening you’ll find a fun show on for children from 6.15pm-7 in the outdoor Teatro area - right next to the kids club. You’ll find either a magic show, a circus entertainer or mini disco with face paints/glitter tattoos and characters that come to say hi.

Room set up //

We were in a deluxe partial sea view junior suite which was a really spacious room for the 4 of us with a balcony overlooking the sparkly sea. There was a lounge area down a couple of steps which converted into two beds for the children with bed guards and a large bed for us which we sank into every night - we all slept impressively well with the blackout curtains and stupidly comfy mattresses, bedding and pillows. The bathroom was roomy with double sinks, a separate bath and shower and generous amenities - including baby bath/shampoo designed for newborns plus. We forgot to bring adapter plugs with us but within a few minutes staff had delivered two to our door. I’ll share a video walkaround on my Instagram stories and I’ll talk more about the benefits of booking a Deluxe category room below.

But I also checked out an entry level room {we booked this type for our stay in Oceania last year} which can accommodate one child and a baby cot. Again, still a stunning room with a terrace, it’s just that bit smaller than a Deluxe suite and without the added Deluxe benefits.

For families of 5 or more, they tend to book 2 interconnecting bedrooms or a deluxe one bedroom suite with a private pool with a kids bed set up like this;

And for larger families or those who want to splurge, these 3 bedroom extremely spacious pool villas were a total dream looking across the bay with private garden entrances.

The hotel pools all close at 6pm so families often choose the pool villas for to swim into the evening. You can find all room categories here.

Restaurants //

Ikos are best known for their dining options. The food really is such a highlight and was exquisite. It’s rare at an all inclusive for a la cartes to be included, sometimes you’ll get a token one chance at an a la carte per stay for example. But at Ikos, the unlimited a la carte dining steals the show. There’s always a generous, high quality market buffet for breakfast lunch and dinner but multiple a la cartes for all of those too. And the beauty of it being all inclusive is that there are no limits. No supplements, no choosing one dish off of the menu. You don’t need to deliberate over a main, order as many dishes as you like!Breakfast can be taken at the buffet {a dazzling array of anything you could wish for; even ice cream. You’ll find chia puddings, a huge selection of fruit, fresh honeycomb, delicious baked goods, a really good range of cooked breakfast options - even English sausages and baked beans ‘like the ones at home’ approved Freya, salads, pastries, cold cuts, crudities, avocado and juices. Or there are several restaurants for a fancy a la carte breakfast with a view alfresco either at Fresco or Oliva. If you’re deluxe you can also take it at Seasons. Or stay in bed/sit on your terrace and call room service!

Lunch can be ordered pool side to your lounger at any of the pools, at the buffet with all kinds of delicious options to feast on {and includes a whole homemade frozen yogurt bar daily that we ended up going to after our a la carte lunch}, at Fresco which is Mediterranean and includes a beautiful bbq buffet along with the salads and pastas and pizzas you can order there. We had a really delicious lunch there. Our favourite though by far was the Beach Club for grilled seafood and salads. The octopus and prawns were 10/10. The vibe and setting worthy of any European exclusive beach bar with a live DJ at the bar but with the bonus of no extra bill or struggle to get a reservation. {deluxe guests can also eat at Seasons for lunch}. We’ll definitely miss those virgin mojitos over lunch everyday.

The buffet has stunning views and feels like you’re right on top of the water. It varied enough to not get bored but everyday had plenty of grilled meats, a burger station, special sushi nights, whole grilled fish, jamon iberico ham and Spain’s famous grated tomatoes to top on a baguette, a large array of salads, a pasta station, pizzas, cheeses, fruit.

Don’t miss the Gelaterie underneath reception, full of ice cream, popcorn, layer cakes, Basque cheesecake, sweets, cookies and - oh my goodness you have to get the chocolate slab pieces, white chocolate cornflakes and dark chocolate crispies. It was way too tempting. We had some fun after dinner ice cream visits here with the kids listening to the live pianist each evening.

Dinner:

• For dinner you have; Oliva. A 10/10 no notes Spanish restaurant looking out across Porto Petro harbour. There’s an Iberico ham chef slicing in front of you, tapas, paellas that can be ordered the crispy traditional way or ‘juicy’. We went for the traditional. Followed by a Basque cheesecake. It was such a memorable dinner.

• Anaya offers an Asian inspired menu again in a stunning setting. I love how all of the restaurants there offer a large Al Fresco dining area.

• At Seasons you’ll find an International A La Carte. Fresco is Italian. The Beach Club also offers a Mediterranean dinner.

• And for deluxe guests you can book a special dining by the sea experience with dinner on the beach {although at Porto Petro it’s actually on a bit of sand just behind the beach whereas Oceania it was properly on the beach}. The menu for this was amazing though {ask them to email it to you as it’s not on the app}, definitely worth booking if you are Deluxe.

All of the menus have multiple pages of vegan options and the resort are very hot on allergies - asking before taking any order or serving anything. They’re also super accommodating for any request, we couldn’t see steamed veg on a menu but you can ask for any crudités or veg for kids. We actually don’t drink alcohol but asked for kombucha and within a day they’d sourced it for our mini bar! They’ll also ask if you want any milk delivered each evening for children.

And one thing you have to order… the Basque cheesecakes {on the menu at Oliva or in the buffet or gelataria} that will forever live in my head rent free.

In 2026 there will be an Ouzo restaurant open in Porto Petro, this was one of our favourites from Oceania with Greek food and bbq lunches.

The timings -

Breakfast: 7.30 in the buffet/8am for A la carte until 11

Lunch: is 1-3pm {12.30 for the buffet}

Dinner: from 6.30pm.

There’s always room service too for hungry kiddos {or adults!} or pool service.

One of the clever things that Ikos offer is a dine out local restaurant option where you can experience a local restaurant that they’ll book and shuttle you to. Personally I’d only do this if you really fancy leaving the resort or have a long time here because the hotel restaurants really are so amazing and plentiful! But it’s a unique option that’s worth a try.

There are countless stunning, sophisticated bar areas across the resort to hop between and with different live music, check the schedule sent to your WhatsApp or on the breakfast table to see what’s on where & when. My favourite was the main bar outside of reception, sofa areas interspersed with impressive fiddle leaf fig trees. And the most impressive I think is Sa Torre pool bar next to Fresco. They get the vibe just right absolutely everywhere.

I just wish that they had a few more non-alcoholic options that aren’t too sugary on the menu like green juices or kombucha. Although in true Ikos style, I asked if they happened to have any kombucha and within a day they had sourced a gorgeous organic brand in a couple of flavours and delivered it to our room everyday from then!

What is there to do? //

- There are two main pool areas complete with 3 pools in each differing in depth. We appreciated the shallow pools for our kids to play in whilst we could watch from a cabana next to it. The Beach Club pools were our favourite because they had lovely shade in the afternoon and we could jump between them and the sea easily. My pet peeve is when you go to a resort and the comfy, shady cabanas are an extra charge, here the daybeds are plentiful and available for all! And look at the depth of those plush cushioned loungers, the sign of a luxe resort.

- Then there’s a large adults only pool, a deluxe large palm tree lined infinity pool and a deluxe adults only pool.

- Staff would come around to take drink orders or offer freshly made sangria, watermelon, donuts or ice lollies!

- There are two sandy cove beaches, the one in the middle by the beach club pool had the best sea for kids to get in. It was everything you’d want from a Mediterranean beach, the water as clear as a swimming pool. Note that the beaches here aren’t private - no beach in Spain can be fully private, but the middle one has a lounger area for hotel guests on set back on the sand. Then there’s a large sandy beach area full of loungers solely for guests set back from the little cove just behind a gate at the other beach next to Fresco.

- Complimentary tennis and padel courts along with a padel tournament everyday.

- Don’t miss the beautiful Anne Semonin spa with spa pool and sauna/steam/relaxation areas. We spent a heavenly morning here using our Deluxe massage credit.

- There’s an array of bikes for all ages and cycle routes. The resort itself has some hills across it but our children still insisted and loved just borrowing a bike a couple of days to get around and ‘park’ up at different places around the resort.

- A 24/7 well equipped gym with a timetable of classes like HIIT, yoga, TRX or jogging included everyday

- You can book children into a football academy for an hour - one of the few things at an extra charge or hire jet skis £. Non motorised water sports are included.

Local area //

All Ikos resorts include a fleet of Teslas for guests to use. We took one out for a day which our children were thrilled about {Raffy has been obsessed with Tesla’s since he was about 18 months and used to point them out on any walk we went on!} and went to the famous Santanyí market - open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings - which was around 20 minutes away {but go early, it gets packed!} then onto two picture perfect beaches - I’d only recommend one of them for children & buggies though. Beach wise if you do want a special beach: Cala Llombards, Cala Anguilla, Cala Mondrago or Cala Domingos will give you those epically turquoise bays Mallorca is famous for. Ikos will pack you up a little picnic box to take with you & a stack of towels.

We only had a long weekend and there’s really no need to leave a resort like that but also Mallorca is such a beautiful island with some incredible beaches. We stayed fairly local to max out on the resort as we’ve been to Mallorca a few times before but if you have longer then we might have gone further. I’d really recommend driving to Soller and taking the tram through the orange groves, Valdemossa and Deia are stunning or visiting Palma, Port de Pollenca or Alcudia.

From the resort you can walk around to Porto Petro, a sweet little harbour town in about 5 minutes. And the resort runs a daily shuttle bus into Cala D’or, a local town a couple of times a day.

Tell me some top tips //

- You can book your restaurants in advance, bookings generally open at the start of the season {April time} so it’s worth emailing the resort as soon as you’ve booked. If you’re deluxe you can book all at once, for non deluxe it’s 3. Along with your Tesla day out - these do get booked ahead of time, childcare sessions and wine tasting. Don’t panic about this, the team are brilliant for trying to squeeze everyone in but just be aware in case there’s something you really want to do to secure a spot at a time that suits!

- You can book a special wine tasting slot with the head sommelier in advance.

- Get the Ikos App {is it embarrassing that I genuinely love browsing the restaurant menus on it in advance?!}. You can view what’s on which day on there and also then manage your reservation and restaurant bookings/gym classes/kids club etc.

- The Facebook fan pages can be really helpful in sussing up and for getting excited to see photos/read about other’s trips before you go. But as with any opinion page it can be mixed.

- All of this might feel overwhelming but the hotel are really great at giving you information on what’s on each day so you don’t miss anything. You get connected to a WhatsApp number on arrival which makes communicating really easy with any questions or requests.

- You won’t need to hire a car if you’ve got airport transfers included. Ikos provided us car seats for both the transfers and the Tesla day saving us from having to take ours.

What to pack?

- Resort wear for the day, swimwear and cover ups! On the dress code, most restaurants say no shorts for men so Ben packed some chinos but in reality almost everybody wore shorts so I’m not sure how strictly enforced it is. The evenings are dressy if you want to dress up and I really love that on holiday. Pack your whites for the White Night party if you fancy joining. Sportswear and trainers if you’re into tennis/padel or want to join a class or go cycling.

- It’s well worth taking a buggy for little ones, it’s all very buggy friendly and the resort is large. The golf buggies can pop strollers on the back if you want to jump on at any point.

- I’d pack a buggy fan for babies to keep them cool

- And ours are that bit too old for buggy naps now but for years we would use a snooze shade and portable white noise for every nap time on the go. That way you might be able to sit by a pool or eat a meal in peace.

- Pool toys/baby floats although there were some left by each pool to use

- Goggles/sinkies for those who like to dive under. Our children are just getting into this stage.

Other Ikos resorts //

This was our second visit to an Ikos resort. Last September Ben and I escaped for an adults only trip to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary at Oceania on Halkidiki Greece. The resort’s felt different in some ways, the setting/beach style/buildings/slight variations in food being Greek v Spanish. Porto Petro is a lot newer and larger but a lot of similarities in terms of the excellent service and food that Ikos are known for. If you go somewhere with more than one Ikos resort you can drive there in the Tesla and spend a day there if you check availability wise. So we spent a gorgeous day at Olivia from Oceania which was around a half an hour drive. And I believe that there are two just 20 minutes apart on Corfu.

Deluxe v non deluxe //

To deluxe or not? On top of the standard offering, you can choose a Deluxe room upgrade when booking. The price varies depending on the resort and availability. You’ll find enhanced suites, a dedicated Deluxe only pool, special Deluxe only menus at the pool or for room service, an exclusive roped off beach area at some resorts {not PP}, a bigger Tesla for the day, all of your restaurants booked in advance {non deluxe guests can only book 3}, a bottle of Taittinger on arrival, upgraded mini bar goodies, an exclusive concierge, a beach bag, gift pack for kids {a cap, bag and activity pack each}, two 25 minute spa treatments per room, a special fine dining dinner by the sea along with the option to go for breakfast or lunch at Seasons a la carte - this is only for deluxe guests, and a leaving gift for the whole family.

You can see the full break down of benefits here.

It would be worth checking the price to upgrade when you book and see how much the benefits feel worth it to you. You definitely don’t need to go deluxe to have the most wonderful Ikos holiday, all guests really are given such fantastic service. We weren’t deluxe last year but did appreciate the extra room space this time with 4 of us.

How to book //

Head to Ikos direct to book and you’ll receive free transfers, it’s definitely worth checking out their offers.

We really did have such a wonderful, heavenly time and did not want to leave. You’re guaranteed to all be really well looked after at an Ikos resort which feels like the biggest luxury and the beauty of an Ikos resort is feeling like it’s authentic. This Porto Petro resort in particular really feels like you are in Mallorca and not just on a soulless resort that could be anywhere in the world.

If you have any questions at all about the resort, booking, specifics with kids then please do let me know. I know how every little detail matters when you’re travelling with little ones especially and when you’re spending on a holiday you need it to be right!

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