Park Hotel Cala di Lepre & Spa

The room had a pretty great view, but I barely slept, so that didn't make up for it. For €250+ a night at a four star hotel, I expected a mattress better than a slab of rock. I've had more comfortable beds in hostels. It was the worst night's sleep I've had in a hotel.

Palau has plenty of restaurants, and the hotel makes a handy starting point for boat trips to La Maddalena. The nearby beach was lovely, with comfortable sunbeds, and the area around it is stunning. We also enjoyed the evening live performances by the terrace. For exploring further, renting a car is a good idea. We recommend snorkeling, hiking to Bear Rock, and visiting Gorrupu Canyon. We might have spotted dolphins too, if you're lucky. The hotel grounds felt like a beautiful park, and the little carts were always around to take us where we needed to go. Our room was spotless and spacious, breakfast had loads of choice, and every staff member was friendly and funny. Giordano gave us wonderful service at the pizza restaurant by the swimming pool. The free takeaway included with half board was a real highlight. There were several pools, including a small one that felt almost private and was heavenly. The gym felt almost private too, and I trained there five times with hardly any other guests around. The only downside we could think of was mosquitoes. Everything else was just right, great value and a lovely setting.

The room and hotel setting were lovely, but poor service and a very disappointing breakfast cast a shadow over our stay. We spent four nights there last week and were baffled and offended by how little interaction we had with staff. At breakfast, by the pool and pool bar, and at reception, nobody seemed able to greet us, chat, or engage with us. We had planned to raise the service and the unusually poor, bland breakfast when leaving. The receptionist didn't even ask how our stay had been, which summed up those four days. We'd never before stayed somewhere that didn't ask, especially after we'd spent a lot of money. The staff seemed to have an end-of-season attitude, as if they couldn't be bothered. That wasn't our experience at the other four hotels we stayed at in Sardinia. At breakfast, nobody asked what hot drinks we wanted, so we had to find someone ourselves each day. We didn't know eggs could be ordered until we saw another guest doing it on day two. After that, we still had to follow staff into the back area to get an order in each day. Our luggage pickup was booked for a specific time, but they arrived late and we had to chase them. There was no personality or real interaction from the staff, and sometimes it was hard to find anyone at all. It felt like they might have brought in temporary staff for the end of the season. This was a shocking experience and put a real downer on the first four days of our trip. We'll make a formal complaint. The service and breakfast weren't acceptable for the price or for the way the hotel presents itself.

The dinner buffet was fantastic, and the hotel facilities were great. Everyone was kind and caring, with service that was easily the best. Don't hesitate to book, you won't regret it 😁