Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & Spa

This was our second visit to this fabulous hotel after the first trip in May 2023 was slightly impacted by the heavy thunderstorms that effected the region at the time. We decided to come back and give May Half Term in Sardinia another go largely because of this hotel. It is hard to succinctly describe what makes this hotel such a great experience. In no particular order: The staff are amazing. Nothing is too much trouble and they are all super helpful, friendly and welcoming. It was nice that some of the staff remembered us from last year and we received lots of friendly handshakes when we told them we were leaving. The food is really good. As we traveled with an 11 year old we limited ourselves to the buffet dinner (as opposed to the Al la carte restaurant) as it was easier to manage. The food is created to a high quality and has good enough variety to keep you interested for the week. The buffet style works well because you can have as little or as much as you want. The buffet breakfast is also legendary in our household for its variety and (for our son) its selection of sweet breakfast options! One tip for breakfast is to order a cappuccino and then keep topping it up from the urn of Americano coffee. The milk does a great job of offsetting the strong coffee and it is quicker than asking for fresh cappuccinos to be made. The facilities overall are high quality. There is a private beach bar for lunch and drinks where you can also hire an umbrella. One slightly confusing thing was the umbrellas were an additional charge but it wasn’t until day 3 we discovered that there is a ‘free zone’ within the hotel’s private beach area. It might have been weather related but it wasn’t clear at all. So make sure you ask if there is a free zone on any given day. The main pool has a lifeguard and was kept very clean. There is also a free gym with a reasonable selection of equipment. A nice addition was the musical entertainment in the evenings. A great way to end the evening watching the sunset whilst having a nightcap. We had a sea view Jr suite room (room 364). It was ample size for 3, had comfortable beds, was close to the facilities and had a lovely view of the bay. The room (and the hotel generally) was very clean and in good order. A hire car is highly recommended so you can explore the local area if the weather isn’t beach or pool friendly. There is ample free parking at the hotel. Castelsardo and Aggius are well worth a visit. Isola Rossa is 5 mins in the car (or 15 on foot) and has the basics such as beach gear shops, pharmacy, small supermarket and a lovely gelateria/cafe. We are now in the process of deciding if we go back in May 2025. We’d like to explore alternative options but Hotel Marinedda sets a very high bar and we don’t want to be disappointed by going somewhere else not quite so good! We may very well be back next year!

Excellent room, facilities and lovely, friendly staff. The Hotel is located in a quiet bay with a safe, sandy beach. There was an extensive breakfast and evening buffet available which was very good quality and there was plenty to eat! However, some aspects of the food at the hotel did not meet a 5 star standard. e.g. the main (2nd) course at the table restaurant did not always meet expectations (small portions and food sometimes not hot). The staff did respond when this was pointed out, but for a 5 star rating these basics need to sorted. The Beach bar had a limited lunch menu and some items were not good value e.g. a salad for 20 euros with no fries, potatoes or chips included. The staff at the Beach bar were fantastic and really looked after us well. Overall, a very good place to stay in Northern Sardinia if you are looking for a quiet resort in beautiful surroundings.

As another reviewer said, the hotel has many positives - lovely staff, and on the whole, good food. But the hotel is not, in our experience, a five-star hotel. I would say four star at best. It's extremely dated, and has a distinct 1990s feel to the decor. I wouldn't say it's tired, it's just old fashioned, and would benefit from an update and some TLC. The location is fine. You can easily walk down to the beach, and a walk to Isola Rossa is an easy 15 minutes or so on foot. The table service a la carte restaurant is very good (Petra Ruja), as is the exclusive a la carte restaurant, Tramonto. This is particularly good, although doesn't open often. When we were there in early September, it only opened one evening during the whole seven days, which is a little odd. We didn't enjoy the pizzeria although I suspect we just chose badly. But on the whole, food has been very good, and the breakfast is extensive, although it gets very busy. We were surprised on arrival when we received a welcome drink. Not surprised to receive such a drink, but surprised that it was something I can only describe as orange squash, and not the glass of fizz or prosecco you usually receive at five star hotels. So the positives were the food and the people who worked there, and a particular thanks for Jasmine who waited on us during food service a few times. We wouldn't, however, stay at this hotel again.