The best all-inclusive hotels in Greece for a blissful summer escape

While the resort is large it’s far more charming than the average all-inclusive, mimicking a traditional Corfiot village. Splash around the two pools, kick back in the spa and sauna (each guest is entitled to a free 15-minute taster massage), or enjoy a choice of tennis, beach volleyball, water polo and aqua aerobics. Nightly entertainment for adults and children features great quality music and local dance. Beyond the buffets there’s seven-course private dining, La Spiaggia Italian restaurant, and à la carte Paralia restaurant, serving well-presented pan-European fare.

Read the full review: Aeolos Beach Hotel

• The best hotels in Greece

The far-off hum of a jet ski and the fizzing of crickets are about the only sounds you’ll hear at this get-away-from-it-all haven in Corfu, surrounded by citrus-scented pine forests on a low hill with views over the sandy arc of Karavostasi beach to Paxos beyond. There are 146 open-plan rooms in a dozen categories, although all have balconies with views of the ink-blue Ionian Sea and nearest islands (Paxos and Corfu). There are four restaurants (breakfast at main seaview restaurant Saffron is a really good buffet with great waffles) but the best for dinner has to be Pearl restaurant with an extensive Greek wine list and knowledgeable service. All ultra inclusive guests have three à la carte meals and one dine-out included.

Read the full review: Marbella Elix

• An expert’s guide to Athens

There’s a home-from-home feel to this friendly resort. The style is elegantly solid: sizeable, stone walled villas surrounded by carefully tended shrubs and flowers; well-watered lawns; restaurants with stunning sea views; a smart, glass-walled spa and lovely extra touches including the little Cretan museum in Ayeri restaurant. Pools – including a peaceful adults-only and a dedicated kids pool – are dotted around the grounds. Spacious classic and deluxe bungalows have bathrooms that are almost as big as the bedrooms, plus a terrace and a strip of lawn with sun loungers to soak up sea or sunset views. Some suites and bungalows share medium-sized pools; the luxury seafront suites have their own.

Read the full review: Ikaros Beach Resort & Spa

• The best Greek island hotels 

This stylish resort, built around one of Europe’s largest lagoon pools, is an adult’s-only water wonderland with a tropical ‘Love Island’ vibe (there’s even huge pink inflatable flamingoes in the pool). Style is minimalist: all white with lots of blonde wood, canvas and bamboo. Entry through the open-plan, glass-walled reception leads to the bar area with its low green canvas-backed seats and tables hewn from chunks of olive. Narrow bridges criss-cross the vast lagoon pool; couples lounge in sunken seating areas, or on islands dotted with beds and hammocks. The food is brilliant, the mezes in particular are delicious and fresh: try dakos rusks with tomatoes and grated graviera, cheese; laxanika vegetarian pies piping from the oven; pork with greens and the (very tender) lamb casserole. 

Read the full review: Stella Island Luxury Resort & Spa

• The best beach hotels in Greece

Daios Cove’s five levels are served by a funicular, which trundles guests between lobby, spa, restaurants and the resort’s heated outdoor pool. Despite its size, this Greek-hamlet-style resort is very low-key and friendly service lends a distinct village ambiance. Facilities include tennis courts, several outdoor pools and a comprehensive spa, with a Finnish sauna, indoor pool, hydro-massage facilities and treatments by Anne Semonin. There’s also a Crèche Club supervised by UK childcare experts Worldwide Kids, a game-stocked kid’s entertainment room and dozens of well-monitored watersports activities. Every one of the resort’s rooms, suites and villas have wall-to-ceiling windows with views over the clear waters of Vathi Bay. 

Read the full review: Daios Cove

• The best adults-only hotels in Greece

For an all-inclusive resort, this is a class act: the comfort of knowing you will have nothing else to pay for combined with five-star facilities and service. The resort consists of two buildings, Sea and Sky, each with a reception, lobby, shop, bars, restaurants and spa. Stretching between them is the long sandy beach and a beautifully designed array of pools. Included in a stay is a sunset cruise, dinners at a selection of restaurants around the island, an access pass for a choice of three of the island’s museums and the use of a Mini for the day. For such a large operation, the standard of food is high, if not exceptional. There are seven restaurants serving à la carte Greek, Italian, Thai and Mediterranean dishes. 

Read the full review: Ikos Dassia

• The best hotels in Corfu, Greece

It may be next to Malia’s (tatty) little port, and just over a mile (2 km) from the main Malia nightlife strip, but this eco-friendly Design Hotel is a world away from the primary-coloured package resorts the area is famed for. Décor is chic and quirky: custom-made tiles; black worktops and rattan furniture; bamboo, gingko leaves and other plant motifs on walls; big mushroom-shaped lamps or hanging copper tube lighting; wraparound chairs and sofas and big, plump beds and overall has a very soothing-to-the-eye palette. It all looks very adult, but it’s actually incredibly child-friendly too which is a bonus for families who don’t want to compromise on style (there’s a kids’ club too). 

Read the full review here: Cretan Malia Park

• The best hotels in Crete, Greece

A honeymoon favourite, Santo Maris is adults-only and is a great value, laid-back, peaceful resort in much-coveted (and super romantic) Santorini. Black-stone walls surround part-stone, part-whitewashed buildings in a labyrinthine complex. Each cluster of suites centres around one of five pretty infinity pools, creating four village-like areas in different parts of the property. All suites have heated whirlpool baths, cosy kitchenettes with a sink, coffee facilities and preparation space; bathrooms have bespoke concrete showers and Korres bath products. Honeymooners seeking privacy should book an Exclusive Sunset suite with private pool – they are at the bottom of the property and have the best sea views.

Read the full review here: Santo Maris Oia

• The best hotels in Athens, Greece

This adults-only beach resort, cradled by limestone cliffs above Agios Gordios village, enjoys some of the bluest views on Corfu’s west coast and is brilliantly affordable too, with prices starting at just £80 a night for a room (a little more for all-inclusive). As well as the sea-facing outdoor pool, there is a heated indoor pool and posh modern spa, including sauna and hot tub. The entertainment programme offers a fun, weekly traditional dance night, beginner’s Greek lessons, and well-attended musical events. Five restaurants keep things interesting, the finest dining is in à la carte Areti restaurant where all-inclusive guests can enjoy an evening meal here once per week. As in many large resorts, there’s a very useful shopping centre and hair salon.

Read the full review: Mayor La Grotta Verde Grand Resort

• The best family-friendly hotels in Greece

This has to be, without question, one of the best all-incluisve hotels in Greece, if not in Europe. Until the hotel came along the area used to be just a long, sandy beach and abode for sea turtles. But today this massive resort is itself the top destination in the Peloponnese. It has raised the profile of the Messinia region, tripled international flights to Kalamata airport and encouraged other entrepreneurs to create resorts ex-nihilo in remote but picturesque locations. The staff are smiling and efficient – but it’s on the facilities that the Westin comes up trumps. With a golf course, a spa specialising in olive oil treatments, two swimming pools, an aquapark with three water slides, 10-pin bowling, a basketball court, a racquet academy, cycling tours, a surf school, this is a tick-all-boxes resort behemoth.

Read the full review here: The Westin

• The best off-the-beaten-track hotels in mainland Greece

It may seem wildly expensive (rooms can start from £1,500 a night) but this is not a resort to ‘see and be seen’, this is a glossy hideaway with an emphasis on health and wellbeing where some guests only emerge from their enormous pavilions to watch the sunset or to borrow a book from the 1,000-volume library. Service is about providing what guests want, when they want it. There are no bath butlers; no endless parade of staff to replace the bath towels or check the minibar. But leave your room, even briefly, and it will have been serviced by your return, and the spa? It is run by absolute experts in their field, a place to make Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine, proud.  

Read the full review: Amanzoe

• The best hotels in the Peloponnese, Greece

This all-inclusive resort sits on north Crete’s rocky coastline. Most of the facilities are downhill on the beach side of the property, which means that guests on the mountain side have a long hike back up hill to their rooms. There is a good-sized main pool and other smaller pools dotted around the property. The spa facilities include a large pool with a full circuit of hydro massage jets, and a sauna/hammam. Food is really the strong point at the hotel. Cosmos is the main restaurant for breakfast and buffet lunch, and for both meals there is a vast choice of local and international specialties (try the salad-stuffed Greek pork gyros dripping with Greek yogurt tzatziki). 

Read the full review: Creta Maris

• More of the best hotels in Greece

Contributiuons by Fiona Duncan, Anita Isalska, John Malathronas, Maggie O’Sullivan, Sally Peck

Rates above are guide prices per person per night, please note that all-inclusive packages can differ across hotels. Please check the hotel’s websites for further information on what’s included.