4 Amazing Hotels in Sardinia
Often overlooked in favour of the lures of mainland Italy, Sardinia is a truly spectacular destination! In fact, it’s where many Italians themselves go to holiday. With over 1,200 miles of turquoise sea lapped beaches, the intriguing cities of Cagliari and Alghero, and the famous Costa Smeralda resorts and beaches to the northeast. Step back in time in the rugged, mountainous interior where shepherds still tend their flocks and village residents embrace their age-old traditions.
Though an autonomous region within Italy, Sardinian residents speak their own dialect, Sardo, and have their own unique calendar.
Here we present four wonderful hotel choices that can serve as scenic base to explore the various parts of this fascinating island destination.
Build the perfect Sardinian itinerary with our insider tips here – read more.
Hotel Villa Fanny, Cagliari
Tucked away in the tree lined residential Stampace neighborhood of Sardinia’s capital of Cagliari. Villa Fanny is an oasis in the city. This 19-room Art Nouveau villa provides a peaceful respite from the hustle of the capital, yet it is centrally positioned so that guests can easily reach the historic centre and nearby attractions such as the San Remy Bastion. The hotel is surrounded by a Zen Garden and situated opposite the city’s botanical garden.
Villa Fanny is a short walk from the historic centre of Cagliari, with its medieval walls and narrow lanes weaving around its citadel and port areas. Cagliari was built on the southern end of the island, surrounded by hills, and facing the sea. Pink flamingos feed on salt flats near the waterfront, and the beautiful beach of Il Poetto stretches for about 6 miles to the east of the city.
The Villa was named after the matriarch of a prominent Sardinian family, who taught her family the fine art of hospitality. Her uncle Lao was a well-known chamber orchestra composer who regaled her with stories about passionate artists and their lives. Fanny’s descendants continue the tradition of fine hospitality at Villa Fanny. Rooms have high ceilings, exposed beams, and black and white checked marble floors in the bathrooms. The hotel bar sports a lush garden backdrop and breakfasts are served al fresco. The perfect villa style escape in the bustling capital of Cagliari.
Faro Capo Spartivento, Capo Spartivento
The beautiful rugged southwestern coast is home to the Capo Spartivento Lighthouse. It was built in 1854 by the Italian Navy. After being decommissioned from its previous role in guarding the coast, the Lighthouse was imaginatively reborn as an exclusive 5-star hotel facing the sea on its promontory. It stands in a spectacular position at the end of a cliff overlooking the sea and placed in the middle of a protected natural area.
The Lighthouse was home to a family of keepers until the 1980s when it became obsolete with the automation of the beacon. A renovation project began in 2006 to create the unique 5-star hotel of today. It is the first example of a lighthouse used for hospitality.
Faro Capo Spartivento Hotel Pool
The Faro’s amenities include an infinity pool, jacuzzi tubs and eight crystal gazebos for atmospheric lunches and dinners with wonderful views. A centuries’ old olive tree sits at the middle of the modern gazebos. A second-floor terrace provides 360-degree views and provide canopy beds for relaxation and sun or star gazing. A spiral staircase leads down to the complex’s wine cellar where tastings are held, as well as a private cinema for guests.
Villa Las Tronas, Alghero
Perched on its own private promontory surrounded on three sides by the bay. The Villa Las Tronas is a spectacular escape in the medieval fortified town of Alghero, perched on a rocky ledge. The Villa was the former residence of royalty until the 1940s. Turned into a gorgeous seaside 5-star hotel in 1961, the Villa now provides a beautifully scenic setting for visitors.
Named after the pulpit like rock formations upon which the structure was built, Villa Las Tronas retains the feel of an aristocratic hideaway in its magical setting on the bay. It refreshes the body and mind with its spa, and its park setting buffers it from the city’s seaside boulevard. The Villa’s piers invite swimming and sunbathing in private surroundings, and there are two saltwater swimming pools, one outside with fabulous views over the Gulf of Alghero and the other indoor for year-round enjoyment. This is truly an amazing hotel in Sardinia, away from the resort style hotels often found in Alghero.
Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda
This hotel it set along the scalloped coastline and emerald waters of the Costa Smeralda of northeastern Sardinia. The Hotel Cala di Volpe was the brainchild of Prince Aga Khan in the 1960s. Built to resemble a local fisherman’s village, this beautiful 5-star resort pampers its guests in a gorgeous setting of private white sand beaches, elegant lodging, and first-class amenities amidst a spectacular natural landscape.
The northeast coastline of Sardinia was sparsely inhabited when the Aga Khan fell in love with the area. A consortium was created and dedicated to building a resort that would blend in with the beautiful rocky terrain and wild coast, using local materials. He engaged architect Jacques Couëlle in the early 1960s to start the ambitious project.
The finished resort stretched out along the bay, emulating a Sardinian fishing village with its wind-swept contours and towers. It became the place to be for international jet setters, known for its high-end amenities and the privacy it afforded. The hotel was opened in 1963 and features an Olympic saltwater pool, fitness centre, golf and tennis courses, boat rental facilities and private coves in which to bathe and relax. Its rooms incorporate colourful Mediterranean furnishings within whitewashed walls. You may recognise the hotel from James Bond’s “The Spy Who Loved Me” scenes.
