We landed at Palma de Mallorca airport at 0930 and were through passport and collected our luggage pretty quickly. If you’ve booked an Ikos transfer, head out of baggage claim and the Ikos meet and greet is next to Paul Express. We must have been their only arrival at that time as we were greeted by name and escorted to our vehicle. The transfer is operated by Roig and took 45 minutes each way, through some lovely rural towns and olive groves. If you’re looking for tourism central in Majorca, this is not it.

Approaching the hotel, it’s unmistakably Ikos. The familiar, hand cut stone walls, icing smooth render to the walls, no expense has been spared in the refurb and the place is stunningly beautiful. As you step out of your taxi and take in the spectacular view out to sea, it’s impossible not to smile and get a little giddy. You have arrived.

The Ikos check-in experience is something I always look forward to. Your bags are whisked away and you’re seated in a comfy seat, offered a cold towel to wash away the airplane funk and a drink of your choice. A sparking wine, a G&T, a cocktail, a cappuccino? You got it. Your personal receptionist talks you through the resort whilst you sip your drink, soak up the atmosphere and instantly relax. If you need to make restaurant or spa reservations, you can, and you can also book in any other activities to make your holiday extra special. It’s the perfect welcome.

Luckily, our room (4206) was ready when we arrived so we were able to freshen up before lunch. I’m not certain, but I think we were upgraded to a superior double (we’d booked a promo double) as we had a spectacular side sea view whereas standard rooms have a garden view.

I was keen to try an entry level room to compare against the other hotels we’ve stayed at and the rooms at Porto Petro are much bigger than we had at Olivia and Dassia. Easily on par with the junior suite we had at Oceania, just minus the private garden. The double sink was a nice addition, as was the separate loo and shower cubicles. The room would easily be big enough for a family of three. Click here for a walkthrough video of the room.

Of the 4 Ikos hotels we’ve been to, Porto Petro wins hands down for views and scenery. The vista over the port as you walk around the corner to reception is breathtaking. Everywhere you look, there’s pine trees, olive trees and fragrant flowers with the glimpse of a quiet cove and a few little boats in the background. Admittedly, the resort only open a few months before my visit, but everything sparkles with newness and the level of detail and design is everything you would expect from a modern luxury resort. The Porto Petro Bar in particular is beautiful, with lots of comfy seats and views across the marina. It’s just perfect. My second favourite bar was the Sa Torre pool bar next to Fresco restaurant. Although the Beach Club is also stunning! Pictures do not do this place justice, seeing is believing!

Whilst the coves are beautiful to look at, the beaches here aren’t great. The hotel has made the best of what they’ve got and the beach next to Fresco is the better of the two. Otherwise, it’s all about the pools, and with ten to choose from including the two deluxe pools and the one in the spa, you’re well catered for. There was always plenty of sun beds and the cabanas are a nice touch. One thing I do like about Ikos is the comfort of the sun beds. Perfectly suited to sitting for eight hours a day! One disadvantage of the resort is that it’s east facing so the sun is behind you by midafternoon.

It’s not a small resort and blocks 3 and 4 are at the opposite end to the lobby, most of the restaurants, Porto Petro bar and the theatre. We didn’t mind the 10 minute walk but it would be too much for some. The electric golf buggies bopping about will happily stop and offer a lift and there’s little pick up points dotted around to hail a ride. Buggies are available on demand but can’t be pre-booked with any more than about 10 minutes notice.

Blocks 3 and 4 are separated by the adults only Central Pool with the Sa Torre pool and beach in front of block 4. Fresco, the gym and spa are all close by. I would absolutely pick block 3 or 4 for an adults only break, but block 1 is probably better for families as it’s closer to the main amenities.

The Ikos (and Sani) institution White Party happens on a Wednesday in the Porto Petro bar. We look forward to the White Parties but found it a bit lacklustre. I think because it’s in a normal bar and not a special area like it was at other Ikos hotels, it didn’t feel that special. The hula hoop woman was entertaining but the hippy DJ played some odd tunes which I don’t think resonated with people. The DJs in the other bars were great and added to the chilled out vibe around the pools. A little leaflet with the day’s activities was usually on the table at breakfast so you could plan if you wanted to catch one of the DJs or some of the other entertainment. The concierge will also send a link to the google drive with handy info via WhatsApp so make sure to have a read and make the most of your time at the resort.

Speaking of which, make sure to see the shows in the theatre. Being fully indoors; it’s a great space even if the weather is rubbish. We saw a Motown revue, songs from musicals and a legends of pop show which were all excellent. The signers and dancers were brilliant and it was a bit of shame that the audiences weren’t bigger. The bar at the theatre also serves the strongest drinks; no fixed measures down there! Shows start at 2145, 5 nights per week.

One of the main draws of Ikos is food, glorious food. We love to peruse the menus in the app and get excited about what we’re going to eat in the build up to our holiday. We strategically plan which restaurant we’ll eat at each night and make our three dinner reservations before arrival. The concierge booked all of our restaurants for us ahead of our arrival this time, which we appreciated. As restaurants require reservations for dinner, it can be tricky to get your preferred time if you don’t book before arrival so it’s pays to be organised. Deluxe guests can prebook restaurants for every night of their stay.

How to save money on your Ikos holidays

Considering the size of the resort, there’s fairly limited options for breakfast and lunch. We only stayed 5 nights and ate at Oliva (Spanish) and Fresco (Italian) twice each for breakfast as well as The Market buffet and room service on our last morning. The food is the usual spectacular standard you would expect from Ikos. Pancakes, waffles, brioche French toast and not to mention the huge cream and jam donut – all devine! Fresco was our favourite place for breakfast although I am devastated that the cream stuffed croissants I have loved from previous Ikos stays weren’t on the menu. There are healthy options (see, there’s fruit in the picture!) as well as bacon, eggs, sausage if that’s more your thing.

We ate at Beach Club and Fresco twice for lunch. If you’re staying for longer than a week, you might find you’re eating some of the same dishes (not always a bad thing!). Some dishes are repeated across lunch and dinner menus so, again, it’s a good idea to have a nosey at the menus in the app and plan ahead to make sure you get to try everything you want.

Lunch at Fresco gives a choice of a la carte or BBQ. The BBQ was better in range of options and flavours than we’d experienced at any of the other Ikos hotels, with pork, ribs, chicken as well as fish and seafood. Because of the two menu options, you could treat it as two separate experiences and there’s plenty of choice. The Parmesan roast potatoes were incredible and plenty big enough to share between two. Not quite sure why they’re on the menu as a starter, they’re more like a side. The pork chop was so tender, it just melted. The Parmesan bacon burger was also excellent although the sauces made the bread so soggy I couldn’t really eat it. Delicious, nonetheless!

There’s always The Market (buffet) and the range of options on the buffet is excellent, but it’s not the dining experience we go to Ikos for. The hotel has planning for around an extra 100 or so rooms so they will need at least one more restaurant for breakfast and lunch going forward.

Lunch at The Market was mostly ok. There was a good choice of Italian, Greek and Asian. I loved the poke bowls and the seared tuna and sesame octopus was lovely. The lamb chops though, were inedible and nothing but gristle.

We didn’t always have dessert in a restaurant but headed to the Gelateria and patisserie instead. Hidden away on the lower ground floor, underneath the lobby bar and opposite The Market, you wouldn’t know it was there and it’s probably the best kept secret of the hotel. With about 20 flavours of ice cream and a selection of amazing little cakes, it was one of our favourite haunts.

For dinners, there’s a choice of Anaya (Asian), Fresco, Oliva, The Market, Beach Club and Seasons. Beach Club was one of our favourite places to eat. The garlic prawns were great, and they served it as a starter for me although technically a main. The cinnamon bun dessert was amazing; but then I just love anything with cinnamon! The other half enjoyed the meat balls so much, he had them for lunch the next day!

We appreciated the tapas at Oliva as a smaller starter option to share at dinner. The empanadas were the best, with jamon croquettes a close second. The other half went for a full veggie main whereas I went traditional and had seafood paella, which was cooked either wet or dry.

I don’t know what it is about Fresco, even at other hotels, we’ve not been impressed with the menu choices but always end up enjoying the food. The other half had gnocchi and I had sliced pork. The portions weren’t massive but it was an excellent meal.

Seasons is open only for deluxe guests for breakfast and lunch, and we booked for our final dinner there as the menu seemed the most exciting. Maybe my expectations were high but it wasn’t my favourite meal. 3 prawns was a tiny portion even as a starter (glad we ordered burratta to share!) and the sesame salmon was only ok. Having said that, the other half was really impressed with his meal so it is as much down to personal taste.

Universally though, Anaya is consistently a fave across all of our Ikos holidays. Portions are small enough to get three of each course to share between two people and the flavours are always spot on. The creamy coconut broth with the prawn ravioli was immense, I could have drank it!

One thing we did miss was adults only sections in restaurants, like we have enjoyed at other Ikos hotels. Having a quiet area to enjoy your meal is much preferred to sometimes feeling like we’re eating in a crèche.

Despite being only open for a few months, it still feels like a well oiled Ikos machine. Helped, I’m sure, but the contingent of experienced, Greek Ikosians. We found the Greek staff that bit more welcoming and chatty and certainly seemed like they were setting the scene for their Spanish counterparts. One of the nice things about Ikos is the familiarity of the staff, and we even recognised some staff from our stay at Dassia last year.

Service was absolutely Ikos standard and in some respects, better than we’ve had at other hotels. We had a rocky night at Fresco and the waiter was bordering on rude; they were very busy and he was struggling to keep up. Not really an excuse but is what it is. It stood out because it was by far an exception. I also felt that the service in Seasons could have been more refined, especially as deluxe guests would almost certainly have higher expectations.

We don’t usually take the free Tesla out for the day, but we do make sure to do the wine tasting (the two things may or may not be related!). The sommelier, Maria, was great – really engaging and informative. This was one of the better wine tasting experiences we’ve had. Did you know; 80% of the cava made in Spain isn’t exported? Those thirsty Spaniards keep it to themselves! I also didn’t know that Majorca produced wine! Most of it is such good quality, it never gets off the island!

Much like the wine tasting class we did at Ikos Dassia, Maria taught us about the grapes and production but also how to pair with food. These are the most useful things to learn at a wine tasting.

Date of trip: October 2023

Price paid: £820 per person for 5 nights in a promo double room, ultra all inclusive (excluding flights). Booked direct with Ikos resorts.