Grand Terme

My wife and I treated two good friends to a spa package here, about a two-hour drive from our home in Sant’Antioco in Sardinia. We were both very impressed by this five-star establishment and had a wonderful one-day, one-night stay. Lunch, dinner, and breakfast were included, and the food, wine, and service were first class. The rooms were a good size and well appointed. Staff throughout the hotel were attentive, helpful, joyful, and kind. I can certainly recommend this spa to others visiting Sardinia.

It looks luxurious, but the actual stay was mediocre, about 2.5 stars for me. The view of the low hills was okay, nothing special, and every pool was the same temperature. A hot tub would have been nice. The rules and signs, and there are a lot of them, were all in Italian, which didn’t feel welcoming to non-Italians. Maybe that’s intentional. All the pools close for a couple of hours in the early evening, right around when many guests arrive. When they reopen, you have to pay extra to use them. You also have to pay extra for the head cap required in the pools. It felt like I paid for a room and then had to pay more to use the facilities, which isn’t a good business model. Every massage was booked up until 24 hours later, so that was no use for a one-night stay. WiFi didn’t reach my room either. If you’re calling yourself a four-star hotel, repeaters should be installed to provide a basic service. If you’ve been to thermal baths, spas, or hotels around the world, don’t expect this place to measure up.

The room was set to 24 degrees, and the receptionist told us several times that the heating had been turned off, but we were boiling in there with our baby. There was a heating control panel, but it didn’t work. The place is nice overall and the service was really good, but the heating issue overshadowed everything and left us frustrated, so we couldn’t relax as we should have. Our two-year-old eventually got a fever. I can’t say for sure it was because of the temperature, but I can say it didn’t help. Not the best experience overall.

This is still my favorite spa getaway. I visit twice a year and it never disappoints. The facilities are fantastic, with different pools and whirlpools, plenty of places to relax, and other sauna rooms. Dinner was impressive too, with a great buffet of appetizers and three choices each for the first and second courses. The dessert selection was a little lacking, which was a slight disappointment, but I absolutely love this spa.