Mediterranean luxury resort specialist Ikos Resorts has revealed plans for its latest resort, to be constructed on the Greek island of Crete.
The 414 room property will be developed in the Chania area of the island, overlooking Kissimos Bay. Ikos Kissimos will command an investment of around EUR150 million, which the company says will make the project the most significant luxury hotel development on Crete yet.
Opening resorts across the Mediterranean
Having pioneered the luxury all-inclusive resort format, Ikos already operates seven properties across Greece and Spain. The Kissimos project, the eighth, will open for business and welcome its first guests in April 2026.
The Kissimos project will be just 45 minutes from the island’s main international airport, a resort surrounded by lush gardens and rolling dunes. The design will draw on the region’s heritage, creating an atmosphere of relaxed luxury combined with Mediterranean warmth.
Ikos is joining a throng of other international hospitality brands that are helping to lift tourism in Crete to a new level. During early 2025, IHG signed two hotels in Chania, with the Chania Hotel Crete joining its Vignette Collection later in the year, and Kimpton La Mer Crete being developed for opening in 2028.
Hilton, too has eyes on Crete. It will open an 85 room Hilton hotel in Chania in mid 2026, on a beachfront location in the town. Prior to that, in late 2024, it will launch Hilton Garden Inn Chania City. Set in a more urban environment, it will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant for guests to enjoy.
The Ikos group has also been making plans for Ikos Cortesia, a 448 room property planned for Albufeira in Portugal. And in April 2025 came news of what could be the first Ikos Grand Resort, Ikos Kassandra. It will be designed around three remodelled hotels in Halkidiki, acquired from Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
The Athos Palace, Pallini Beach and Theophano Imperial hotels will have a combined 750 rooms, with extensive additional guest facilities, and around 600 metres of beachfront. The Sani/Ikos group has said the EUR400 million project is expected to open in time for the summer 2029 season.
Ikos is part of a combined leisure group, the Sani/Ikos Group, which was created in 2015 by combining two successful resort operators. In 2022, the group was acquired by Singaporean investment fund GIC, in a deal that recognised a value of EUR2.3 billion for the business.
Major investment backing growth
As a result of this new backer, the company has been able to progress a significant growth plan, which aims to deploy over EUR1 billion in five years expanding the footprint of the brands across the Mediterranean. At its Sani brand, the company has recently completed upgrades at Sani Asterias, and has a two stage renovation planned at Sani Beach hotel in Kassandra, Greece.
The group has taken a major stance on sustainability, launching its own Sani Green and Ikos Green ESG programmes. The new developments will be at the forefront of this push, aiming to achieve LEED Gold certification for design and construction. Once open and operating, the resort will eliminate the use of single-use plastics, targeting zero waste to landfill, and 100% water reuse.
