Ikos Andalucia

When I was looking for a family holiday with our 23 month old grandson Sonny, I thought Ikos Andalucia had exactly what I was looking for and I wasn’t wrong! Our journey started at Heathrow where we took a British Airways flight to Gibraltar. This may seem odd to fly into Gibraltar when we’re actually holidaying in Spain but there were two reasons. The flight was cheaper and Gibraltar Airport is slightly closer to the hotel than Malaga. I pre booked a taxi transfer to collect us from Gibraltar Airport. The driver was there to greet us and he walked us into Spain where we went through passport control (we were the only ones there so no queues) and into our Mercedes van which was very nice! On arrival at Ikos Andalucia, which took about 45 minutes, we were greeted by very friendly staff. They immediately took our luggage away and didn’t see it again until we arrived at the rooms. We were taken into a beautifully designed bar/lounge area where we were handed a glass of fizz and were able to admire the surroundings whilst the staff checked us in. There were five of us so I booked two rooms. My husband and I had a Superior Double Room with Sea View and my two Daughters and Grandson had a Superior Double Room with Pool View. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the Sea View and thought the Pool View was better. The rooms were very light and airy with a well-stocked mini bar, Nespresso machine, kettle, iron/ironing board and toiletries. Our first impressions were that the grounds were huge and very aesthetically pleasing. It is also very accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs. With nine pools and nine restaurants, we were spoilt for choice and there were no sunbed wars going on here! Sonny (our grandson) had the best time in the toddlers pool. It was so safe, shallow and the water was heated so was easy to sit in the pool and watch him play. There was a play area attached to the pool area, which he absolutely loved. He really was in his element! We never had to wait long for one of the pool servers to take a drink or food order and they were so friendly, sometimes tempting us with different options. Also, little touches like handing our fruit bowls and doughnuts was a nice treat. Vegetarians, vegans, babies, kids and anyone with dietary requirements are all catered for in the restaurants. I particularly liked Fresco the Italian Restaurant. Before we arrived, I downloaded the Ikos app where I could make reservations for restaurants for three nights of our stay before we arrived. We took the free shuttle into Puerto Banus on a couple of evenings and to nearby Estepona on a cloudy day. My husband thought it would be a great idea to walk back to the hotel from Estepona along the coastal path. This took two hours and I wouldn’t have mind so much if I wasn’t wearing flip flops, oh and it was my birthday! There were some bars and restaurants en route but I was itching to get back for a lovely pizza and Aperol Spritz at Fresco’s! One aspect which really stood out, were the staff. They were all so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. Sonny would make a mess in the restaurants with his food and they never got fed up with him, they actually seemed to love him! I would highly recommend Ikos Andalucia especially for families with young children. It’s a short flight from the UK, it felt so safe and there was plenty to do.