Hotel Il Faro di Molara

What a mess. Just before reaching the hotel, we realized we’d been scammed. A sign on the door says to close it because the AC is on, and they can’t even afford a self-opening entrance like other hotels. The manager greeted us while I was struggling with the door, and check-in went normally. But the room was a disaster, nowhere near a three-star hotel, let alone the four stars it claims for itself. Everything looked old and uncared for, from the walls and furniture to the curtains. There was also a very strong lemon-bleach smell, as shown in the photos. When we arrived, there was no water. The manager hadn’t told us before we went to the room. We reported it to another assistant, who said the handyman was working and water would be back in a few minutes. He didn’t apologize for the inconvenience, answered with attitude and tried to stop me talking. Right after that, we went to the hotel bar for food and saw a worker using water to clean the floor. The local restaurant was just as unprofessional. We ordered tea, but the water came warm. When we told the waiter it wasn’t hot, we could see from our table that he was using steam from the coffee machine to heat it. Disgraceful. The area is boring, and the local beach is no better than the hotel. I’ll never come back, and I’d tell others to stay away so their holiday isn’t ruined.

It’s a lovely property in a great spot in Porto San Paolo, within walking distance of restaurants, beaches and the boat to Tavolara Island. The rooms are clean, fresh and simple, with everything you need. Front desk staff are friendly, breakfast has a decent selection, and parking is reasonably priced: €7 per night in shoulder season and €10 in high season. It’s excellent value for the area. I’d recommend a Comfort room with a balcony, since it’s nice to have outdoor space.

There’s underground parking for a daily fee of 10 euros, and the staff are very friendly. The continental breakfast buffet was decent too. The room was clean and functional, but unfortunately the bathroom smelled very bad and the water wouldn’t drain from the sink.

The beach is really close, and the location worked well for us. My room was clean, but the shower broke and I had to wait for someone to fix it. He was friendly, and since it was Sunday, I understand he couldn’t arrive quickly. Breakfast was fine, though the savory selection was a little limited. When I arrived, nobody was there at first, so I had to wait before tracking down the staff. I also wish there had been a water fountain, since tap water isn’t drinkable.