Just got back after spending 3 nights at this hotel.

Plus:-

Cheap, decent breakfast, free onsite parking, right next to the fast road to the airport. Very friendly female receptionist.

Minus:-

Wifi not free (€4 per day). Well away from the centre of Cagliari so you have to use buses or cabs. Aside from the above mentioned friendly female receptionist, all other receptionists are middle-aged grumpy men. The walls between the guest rooms are very thin. I could hear people next door chatting and even snoring..!! No eateries around the hotel. Didn't try the in-house restaurant except for breakfast.

We stayed 1-1 night as a part of a roundtrip trhough Sicily.

Positive: good price, good breakfast, very nice and kind and helpful staff, large lcd tv with SKY channels, free parking. Bring a GPS with you to find it.

Negative: you have to ask the right wing of the hotel, because it has better rooms and beds, than the other..The bathroom is also outdated a bit.
The biggest problems that its very noisy, the windows are not soundproof. You hear almost all night the cars because the highway its just 100 m from the hotel. It is almost impossible to sleep! Its in the middle of nowhere, so bring a car with you,

Overall it needs more renovation, maybe 20-30 years ago it was a modern hotel, but I would not recommend until they dont change the windows into more sound proof one. I hope they will do soon. One more thing: The wifi is not free!

An OK hotel once you have located it! Why did we find it so difficult to locate? We arrived after dark at the airport in possession of a sketch map showing route from airport to hotel and the road numbers. Firstly the road numbers on the signs were so small as to be unreadable in the dark. Secondly the road signing was inconsistent . Thirdly the area is made up of seemily enless one way streets which make it almost impossible to relocate if you do make an error, ehich is almost inevitable given the poor signage. Fourthly the name of the hotel is not on the outside...just Hotel! In reception there is a blackboard welcoming you to the Santa Maria and Idea Hotel!

Although initially a little difficult to find, we were accorded a warm welcome. I notice that another reviewer said 'They speak mostly Italian' - that is because they are Italian!! We both speak Italian, but, I'm sure, with a little effort to learn a few words ( we British are notoriously lazy at learning foreign languages) one could get by. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. Not the most wonderful area of the city, but within 10 minutes drive of the Via Roma and the Castello district. The staff were very helpful, and gave us a map with very clear instructions as to how to reach the main parts of the city. We didn't use the restaurant for our evening meal, as it was usually a fixed menu, but the breakfasts were of good quality, with plenty of variety. There is a car park which is guarded from 5pm. through the night, albeit at 5 Euros per night, but we thought well worth the expense.