Hotel Stella Maris

We stopped by one evening for drinks. The complex is beautiful, right by the beach, and the staff were great. Walk-ins aren’t allowed, though. To get a drink, you have to register your ID at reception. Renting a bed means registering and paying €40 for two beds and an umbrella.

The music goes on loudly late into the night and bothers everyone in the nearby hotels and resorts. It’s tacky and tasteless. In response to your reply, I checked, and this is the right hotel.

The beach is beautiful, with clear water and sand, and the pool and surrounding area were clean and well kept. The ice cream was delicious. On windy days, though, it was hard to enjoy the beach. You have to go down there to pick up towels and take them back to the pool, and there’s no service at either spot. We stayed in a Superior Suite. It was clean and satisfactory, with a lovely view, plenty of towels and bathrobes, spacious mirrors, and large balconies. But the room wasn’t as modern as the booking photos suggested. The hotel seems to use AI-enhanced pictures to make the rooms look more attractive. The listing mentioned a living room table and armchairs, but there was no living room table and only one small chair in each room. The balconies had just two small chairs and a small table, so they weren’t comfortable places to relax and enjoy the view. At breakfast, you can order eggs cooked how you like them at the table, and there was a good choice of pastries. Outdoor seating was only available Wednesday to Sunday. Extras cost more: adding bacon to your eggs, or vegetables or cheese to an omelet, was €2 per item. Fresh orange juice was €7 for a tiny serving, smaller even than their latte glass. Dinner came with a large buffet of desserts and fruit, and there was a good wine selection. The service was very disorganized. Only one person took orders while the others served and cleared dishes. Some waiters rushed chaotically between tables, while others stood around chatting. Even with 8-9 waiters for 20-25 tables, we waited more than 30 minutes just to order. My suckling pig was mostly fat with very little meat. I asked for a replacement, then waited another 30 minutes before they realized they’d forgotten it. We had half board and could choose three dishes from the menu plus dessert. The pasta and beef were generally good, but the starters and main courses often disappointed. The worst was a starter described as fresh marinated scallops with lemon and coconut milk. What came was salted grey pieces with no coconut taste, and it seemed more likely canned than fresh. The staff were generally friendly, though most had limited English.

The grounds and beach really are beautiful, and the hotel's style is lovely. But poor service took over the whole stay. When we arrived in the evening, staff seemed focused on wedding guests and barely acknowledged us. Check-in eventually happened, but our room was awkward: no useful outlets by the bed, just one in the bathroom and a couple hidden under the desk, so we had to move furniture. They gave us one extension cord. The air conditioning barely worked, the door was broken and hardly shut, and even the minibar water cost extra. We had several suitcases and were told nobody could help, so we got a trolley and moved them ourselves. One very petite employee did offer, but she was clearly struggling with the heavy bags while management nearby ignored it. My birthday also passed without any acknowledgment. Check-out was at 10:00, with only 15 extra minutes allowed. We asked if we could stay on the beach a little longer, but were told no, although we could remain on the hotel grounds. It was odd to be barred from the beach when other visitors just metres away were using it freely. Breakfast was weak on vegetables, cheese, and cold cuts. There were only cherry tomatoes, though the dessert table was big and there was fruit and yoghurt. It took four tries to get fried eggs cooked properly. The property has a lot going for it, especially the location and design, but the service didn't feel like four-star service. Of the four Sardinia hotels we stayed in, this was sadly the worst.