Taking a Toddler and a Newborn to Ikos Aria, Kos: Our 2026 Review
Why we keep going back to Ikos Aria
This is our fifth stay at Ikos Aria, and our first with both of our little ones: our three year old and our ten week old baby. For us, Ikos is the benchmark for all-inclusive, and Aria has become our personal favourite.
If you're wondering whether it works with a newborn, the honest answer is yes. The hotel has had everything we could possibly need for the baby, the food has been excellent and the service really good. Here's our take, plus a few tips if you're planning the same trip.
Just so you know, this wasn't a hosted or funded trip. We paid for the whole stay ourselves, so everything here is our own honest opinion.
Where is Ikos Aria?
Ikos Aria sits on the southwest coast of Kos, looking out across Kefalos Bay to the tiny island of Kastri. It's only 20 minutes from the airport, which is exactly what you want after a four hour flight with a baby, and Kos Town is about 45 minutes away by car.
The resort is spread over more than 47 acres, so there's always room to find a quiet, shady corner. If you'd rather be on the beach, there are cabanas and lunch can be brought to you. Babies under six months should be kept out of direct sun, so that shade is a real help.
Our suite: Deluxe One Bedroom Bungalow Suite with Private Pool
We stayed in a Deluxe One Bedroom Bungalow Suite with Private Pool, and with a baby it's a brilliant set-up. At 80 square metres there's plenty of room for the cot and the buggy, the separate bedroom means naps can happen behind a closed door, and with our own pool and terrace we didn't have to pack everyone up every time we fancied a swim.
If you don't need a private pool, the One Bedroom Suite Private Garden still gives you that separate bedroom. For bigger families, the Deluxe Two Bedroom Bungalow Suite with Private Pool sleeps six.
As for baby kit, the hotel has had everything we could possibly need. Baby monitors, baby baths, toilet seat adapters and prams are all available on request. There are ramps and lifts for buggies around the resort, changing facilities in the public toilets, and the mini market stocks the essentials if you run out of anything. We book all of this in advance for our clients, cot included, so it's waiting for you when you arrive.
Is the Ikos Aria Deluxe Collection worth it?
For us, especially with children, yes. Our suite is part of the Deluxe Collection, and the difference shows in two places.
First, the service is even more attentive, with a dedicated Deluxe concierge looking after you throughout your stay.
Second, you can pre-book all of the à la carte restaurants before you arrive. With a three year old and a baby, being able to lock in early tables that fit around bedtime, rather than sorting it out on the day, takes a lot of stress out of the week.
Other Deluxe extras include:
Taittinger champagne on ice in your suite, plus champagne service throughout your stay
An extended Deluxe wine list with 30 extra labels, only poured at the Deluxe bars and restaurants
Breakfast at Seasons, which is only open to Deluxe guests
A Deluxe pool, Deluxe pool and lobby bars, and a Deluxe beach area with more space between sunbeds and cabanas
An upgraded beach and pool menu, upgraded in-suite dining (ideal for lunch on your terrace) and a minibar replenished daily with branded spirits, refreshments and snacks
VIP airport transfers and in-suite check-in
Anne Semonin bathroom amenities and a pillow menu
The electric MINI for two days instead of one
For the children, the Heroes Supper Club included for 4 to 12 year olds, plus a kids movie library and PlayStation
One dinner by the sea per stay, and two 25 minute neck and back massages per suite for the grown-ups
A beach bag and a farewell gift
Some of these are on request and subject to availability, so we arrange them for you before you travel. If you'd like the Deluxe perks without a private pool, the Deluxe Junior Suite Private Garden is the most affordable way in.
Ikos Aria restaurants, food and service
The food has been excellent and the service really good, which is a big part of why we keep coming back.
We've settled into a routine that suits us: breakfast at Seasons, then lunch from room service on our own terrace. We never actually eat in Flavors, the main buffet, although it's there if you want it. In the evenings there are seven à la carte restaurants to choose from, including Fresco (Italian, with a menu by Michelin-starred chef Ettore Botrini), Oliva (Spanish, by two Michelin star chef Andoni Luis Aduriz), Provence (French, by Pascal Barbot), Anaya for Asian, and two Greek restaurants, Ouzo and Kos.
Everything is included, from more than 100 premium wines to the ice cream at the Gelaterie, which is very handy with a three year old. Room service has been great too, and every single request can be made through the WhatsApp concierge, which is so handy with a baby in your arms. If we're being picky, the hot drinks could arrive a little warmer.
If you fancy a night away from the resort, the Dine Out programme lets you eat at a local restaurant at no extra cost. At the moment that's Kochylari, 2km away, or Mylotopi, about 4km away.
The Ikos Aria kids club: how Dottie got on
Dottie, our three year old, was a bit apprehensive at first, but she ended up loving it. What really put our minds at rest is that the team send messages and pictures during the session, so you can see how they're getting on without hovering by the door.
At three, Dottie is in the Heroes Crèche, which takes children from six months to four years. Worth knowing if yours are under four: the crèche is paid, at €42 a session (or €32 for the 13:00 to 15:00 slot), while the Heroes Kids Club for 4 to 12 year olds is included. Ratios are reassuringly low, as little as one adult to three children for under twos, so spaces go quickly and it's worth booking before you travel.
At ten weeks, our youngest is too small for the crèche, but there's a babysitting service at an extra charge if you want an evening to yourselves. For 4 to 12 year olds there's also the Heroes Supper Club from 19:00 to 22:00, normally €30 per child but included for Deluxe Collection guests. Older children have Just4Teens, a Football Academy, a kids pool and an adventure playground.
A day out in the MINI: Kos Town and Zia
Every stay includes an electric MINI Countryman for the day, or two days if you're in the Deluxe Collection. On this trip we took ours out for the day to Kos Town and then up to the beautiful mountain village of Zia.
Kos Town has the harbour and the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, while Zia sits up in the hills with views right across the island. If you're taking little ones, ask for child seats when you book the car.
Your stay also comes with a Culture Pass, giving you free entry to places like the Archaeological Museum of Kos and a tasting at the Akrani winery.
Tips for flying to Kos with a baby
Direct flights from London take around four hours, with British Airways, Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair among the airlines on the route. A few things that help:
Apply for the baby's passport as early as you can, as even newborns need their own.
Feed on take-off and landing to help with ear pressure.
