Castelsardo Resort

Castelsardo Resort Village made for a wonderful week, and we can’t wait to return. The bay views are stunning, and the whole place has a relaxing, charming feel. We loved the friendly, attentive staff, excellent food, comfortable rooms, and how well they were cleaned. The animation team made activities fun for everyone, and the hotel-organized excursions were a real highlight. There are lots of stairs because the resort is built on a hillside. It’s worth knowing that in advance, and once you do, the layout becomes part of the charm.

Entertainment was amazing, especially abdou. At first it was all French songs, games, and quizzes, even though lots of us weren’t French. He was the only one who wasn’t focused just on French culture and people, and he brought in some music from our culture too, making it fun for everyone. The beach was amazing for watching fish, and I had so much fun with all the lovely people. I do have a lot of complaints about how some staff treat guests, speaking as a cook and hospitality student. If you’re worried about scams and quality, read the rest. Some things were bad, but I don’t regret coming. I spent lots of time with my family and there were such happy vibes.

This is a really nice, clean hotel. The food is good, and the staff speak English, with many also speaking French, which was a plus for me as a Dutch-speaking Belgian. It’s in a lovely spot for a quiet night, and I strongly recommend it. We even saw foxes outside late in the evening. Don’t be put off by the frustrated Dutch comments.

Castelsardo Resort Village sits in a beautiful location, with spacious, clean rooms arranged around a central hub. Some have balconies and others terraces. We had clean towels and daily room cleaning, and the aircon kept the room at a comfortable temperature, cool or warm. The pool is very deep apart from a small shallow area, with easy steps in and out. There are no lifts, though, and there are lots and lots of steps everywhere, from the room to the pool, from the pool to the bar, and up to the restaurant. We managed fine, but anyone with mobility issues would really struggle. We asked for extra pillows three times and never got them, then gave up. You really need a car here. Olbia airport is about one and a half hours away, public transport to Castelsardo was practically nonexistent, and taxis were exceptionally expensive, quoted at €800 for a return trip. We hired a car, which felt like the only real option. If driving abroad isn’t for you, this hotel or resort isn’t a good fit. Parking is tricky: the hotel lot costs €12 a night or €70 for the week, while public road parking is a gamble. Some days you may get a close spot, other times you could be nearly back at the main road. That road is pitch black at night with no lighting. You can’t safely walk into Castelsardo from the hotel either, since there’s no coastal path and the main road would put you at risk. There are no pavements until you reach town. One night we asked for a taxi and were told they were hard to get. We were warned that Uber might take your money and then not show up. The hotel shuttle to the town centre costs €15 per person return and stops just after 8pm. There was also a Tuktuk service from town. Pool towels aren’t included, which you might expect at a four-star hotel. There’s a deposit and a daily €2 charge per towel. Wifi also costs extra, and even after paying, our device kept dropping off the network and needing the code entered again. We’ve travelled all over Italy, from top to bottom and across Sicily, but this was our first time in Sardinia. Our arrival was delayed by flight problems, and when we got there the hotel said our room had a fault and wouldn’t be ready until the next day. They moved us to another hotel in Castelsardo, which was a nice place. Italy seems to do all-inclusive differently from other countries, and that isn’t always a bad thing. The hotel food was Italian, which was fine, and never poor quality. Breakfast was pastries, bread, cold meats, and English breakfasts. Lunch was usually grilled meat and salads, and dinner one type of hot meat. There were plenty of pasta options for different tastes, and seafood was often on the menu, as you’d expect in this location. Meals were served at strict times, with nothing to eat between them if you missed a sitting. I liked that staff served some of the food, so people wouldn’t overload their plates, though you could have as much as you wanted and go back as often as you liked. I’ve seen a lot of food wasted at other hotels. Desserts were limited, but there was always ice cream and one other dessert in the evening. The biggest letdown was the all-inclusive drinks package: many drinks weren’t covered. The included beer and wine were OK, but not much else was included.