I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Lucrezia, and would consider staying there again if I were to return to Sardinia, but before I selected the hotel I wish I had known:
In all but the biggest cities, Sardinia shuts down from noon to four. You cannot buy lunch and there are no people in the streets. Windows and doors are completely shuttered. It's lonely and it's a good idea to have a lunch plan each day, i.e., bring your own and eat it at the beach or on a hike.
Because of this loneliness, I would be more likely to stay in one of the bigger cities on a return trip. I was suprised at how much I liked Cagliari. Many people we met liked Alghero. Oristano and Bosa lacked charm.
The photographs of the hotel are deceptive. The hotel appears to be in a farm-like setting, indeed, I thought (because of the emphasis on wine) that it was in a vineyard. It's smack in the middle of town, walled off on all sides, but right on the street. Trucks thunder by all day. Most of the rooms are on the ground floor and trucks will thunder by your windows.
The photographs of the courtyard make it appear larger than it is. It's ample, but it's not as generous as it appears.
The hotel allows smoking in common areas, and the smell of smoke permeates throughout the downstairs common areas.
The staff is very knowledgeable, and patient and kind, the rooms are spacious and lovely, and the breakfast is satisfying. For Sardinia, this is a very good hotel.
- Lucrezia Hotel Oristano
