Carlos I

A pleasant place with an old-fashioned style.

The location in central Cagliari is excellent, though finding parking nearby is hard and it's paid. Communication with the owner was poor at first because he hadn't read my message about our arrival time, but Alessandro was courteous afterward. Our room was at the end of the entrance hall, between a wooden spiral staircase and a courtyard. The decor mixed Sardinian rugs, hung over the bed and used as curtains, with shabby chic and modern Ikea touches. It was spacious, with drawers, a wardrobe with a mirror, bedside tables, a chair, a fridge/storage unit for chilling water, and a reasonably comfortable bed, though the pillows were very firm. The bathroom was roomy and had a large shower, toilet, bidet, two sinks, big mirror, hairdryer, soaps, towels, and a rug. There was air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a TV in the room. A small shared terrace had sofas and a barbecue. Privacy and light were issues. Our French window faced the central courtyard shared by guests, with only a cream blackout curtain between us. It didn't darken the room much, and with the light on, our silhouettes could be seen from outside. Courtyard and hallway lights also came through at night. The bathroom window looked onto the courtyard too, and opening it meant losing privacy. Its curtain didn't cover the whole window, so someone seated on the toilet might be seen, though some plants offered a little cover. The bathroom needs work. Despite looking large and modern, it was very dark, and I had to use my phone's LED to apply makeup because I could barely see in the mirror. The shower alternated suddenly between hot and icy water, and the switch to the overhead shower head from the handheld nozzle didn't work. The door wouldn't close properly, and with no raised shower tray, water got across the bathroom. We also heard a lot of noise. The wooden staircase was behind our bed's headboard, with only a thin wall between it and the constant coming and going of guests, so we couldn't rest properly. Footsteps on the metal stairs to the courtyard and other guests' air conditioners were loud too. In our room the Wi-Fi signal was too weak to browse. I should mention that no receipt was given. At checkout, we had to leave the keys in the door and go, without a chance to tell the owner our concerns or suggestions in person. Although it's listed as a bed and breakfast, breakfast isn't provided, as I already knew before booking, and there isn't a place to serve it. Even a bottle of still water would've been nice. For the location and the fact that the place isn't all bad, the price is almost worth it. But it costs nearly as much as a hotel, and with these issues and no breakfast, I probably wouldn't return. I wouldn't stay longer than one or two nights at most.

The location is the one good thing. It looked lovely at first, but at 2 a.m. I saw rainwater coming through the ceiling. Alessandro said the upstairs neighbor had flooded his bathroom, so the place clearly needs maintenance. On the morning I was leaving, Alessandro argued with me for about half an hour because I hadn't opened my room door at 2:45 a.m. He also accused me of breaking the French window handle. Honestly, the owner should find another line of work.

The B&B has a good idea behind it and the price is low, but you're still paying, and a little consideration would go a long way for guests staying several nights. We were there for 5 days and got fresh towels just once. I'm not asking for much, but the bathroom could at least have been swept and cleaned every other day. We were also given the smallest room.