We booked a 7 night stay at Hotel Punta Negra and stayed over the end of August and start of September. It was not the cheapest package, but we wanted to go to Sardinia and the Alghero region and all in all we felt that the package was good value for money given the hotel and the area.

General overview
We spent 3 days relaxing in the hotel, and 3 days exploring the area in a hire car. To really get to know the area you do need a hire car so you can travel to the great beaches (the beach at Alghero town is not the best in the area) and ancient ruins. There is, however, a bus that runs from the hotel to Alghero town and other attractions which would certainly be sufficient if you don’t want to travel much in the area.

Pros
The hotel was spotlessly clean. The room itself was quite basic comparing it with British hotels of a 4 star standard, but it did have everything you may need - Air con, fridge, sky TV, hairdyer, etc.

We had a room at the back of the hotel, and although we were offered an upgrade at 30GBP per night for a room at the front with a sea view we felt it wasn’t worth it as we would be out of the room for most of the day. In the end we were very happy with the choice we made as the rooms at the back actually have the sunset view so we could sit with a drink and watch the sun set beneath the trees from our lovely spacious balcony.

The main pro for us was definitely the outside space at the hotel, which certainly lived up the 4 star rating, if not 5 star. The pool area was very spacious, and although we were there whilst many schools across Europe were still on holiday, the pool was not busy, and we managed to find the peace and quiet we wanted. There is also a small private beach with umbrellas and a grassy area overlooking the beach with umbrellas.

The other guests came from a range of countries across Europe – Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, with one family of Americans. The mixture was nice in that there was not one group who dominated the hotel.

Cons
The main issue we had with the room was that the shower in the bathroom was very small. The bathroom itself was large, and we felt that the design of the tiny corner shower was not very space efficient. Bear in mind I am a small 5’5’’ so I think that it might be quite annoying for a large guy to use the shower.

Another small issue for us is that breakfast was meant to run until 10.30am, however to get the best of the food you must arrive before 9.30, after that time many things runs out and are not replenished. Breakfast is a buffet style including bacon, eggs, sausages, croissants, toast, a number of cakes, yoghurt, fruit, cereal, juices, coffee, tea.

Whilst the pool was lovely, there was a chemical used in the water that was so harsh that after one swim I had to rinse my eyes under fresh water for 5 minutes and the stinging continued for at least half an hour. I have never experienced this in any pool anywhere else.

A final negative for us was the hotel’s rule about the use of the fridge in the rooms. A notice informs guests that they are not allowed to store food in the fridge due to hygiene risks. This seems a bit strange and is probably in place to encourage guests to purchase food in the hotel. We got round this by putting up the ‘do-not-disturb’ sign one day, and even stored some food in the safe one day!

Conclusion
All in all it was a good stay, and fair for the price. I would definitely go back to Sardinia, as it is a stunning place, a gem in Italy.

While we paid a price high enough for a 5 stars hotel, the hotel is barely a 4 stars location.
When we arrived we did not get the room type we booked (and indeed we was refunded the difference), but anyway a newly refurbished room, which already had missing glasses in a light and problems with the bathroom fan.
The (tiny) beach was awful, covered in seaweeds, which of course were in the see as well.
The nice swimming pools (with salted water) were surrounded by so few beach umbrellas we were never able to find one for us.
Food was quite good, but for some style drops (the fake smashed potatoes for example).
Staff were polite (but for the Maitre) but not really friendly.

We stayed at the Punta Negra in early May as our last night on a week long holiday in Sardinia. It was a bit pricey but we were prepared to pay for quality on our last night, and it is very convenient to the airport and the car-hire drop.
The web picures made it look really beautiful. No fault of the hotel but the beautiful strip of golden sand depicted did not exist. It was covered in weeds of palm trees and to be fair to teh hotel a digger worked all day to shift what seemed like mountains of weeds. The hotel seems very modern and the rooms were most comfortable with beautiful sea views. The furniture and bedrooms were of a high standard and it is evident that the hotel wishes to keep to a high standard. The restaurant was good with generous portions and a great selection of food for bothe dinner and breakfast. The staff were friendly and helpful. The barman was particulary patient and welcoming. The one reservation we had was that the place appears to be too stictly run with too many rules. There is a lovely pool, with a smaller one beside it with panoramic views over the bay but there are restrictions as to when you can swim there and NO DRINKS are allowed poolside. To relax with a drink you have to sit at the bar or in a tabled area. If glass around the pool is a problem perhaps plastic glasses could be allowed. Also to get a drink you must first buy credit at the reception and top up your card if you exceed your limit. Perhaps this policy is to prevent fraud but it is a bit of a nuisance. Nevertheless - high marks a really beautiful place just loosen up and trust a bit more.

We were very pleased with the hotel, the receptionists were very friendly and helpful, the rooms were very clean although a little smaller than expected and we would have preferred a room with a sea view. We enjoyed spending time at the pool and the beach and both were always attended by friendly, helpful staff. Everything was very clean and well presented, the only down side was the restaurant, we only went in on our first night and did not return. The 'head' waiter was terrible. He was dismissive and rude and spent the entire time leering at young ladies instead of doing a good job and to add insult to injury he had charged us for 7 people when only 4 ate. Very poor service and a let down to an otherwise lovely hotel. There are however, as recommended by the receptionist, lovely restaurants in the town.