The 10 Best Hotels in Sardinia

This five-star oceanfront resort is set back from 1.5 kilometres (one mile) of private coastline that dances between rugged coves and lovely, parasol-specked beaches. The resort combines two sections stretching across a landscape of granite and Italian macchia shrubland: the Hotel Erica and the even more charming Hotel La Licciola, where an emphasis on Galluran design enhances the already harmonious sense of place. While this is Costa Smeralda country, there’s so much more to see in these parts than the millionaires’ yachts; excursions range from the Maddalena Archipelago to the culture-rich Galluran hinterland. Sip a sundowner on the terrace with Corsica glowering in the distance and then choose from one of the resort’s seven restaurants. Infinity pools and a large thalassotherapy spa seal the deal.

The four-star ‘Falcon’s Bay’ resort occupies a gorgeous spot at the edge of the balmy Golfo di Arzachena, beyond the mouth of which spreads the Maddalena Archipelago. Defining itself as a resort, Cala di Falco does boast all the facilities that the word implies (including a tennis court, pool and outdoor gym), just with none of the downsides. The architecture is restrained and the landscaping verdant, with the property melding into the fragrant shrubland that surrounds it, while the various buffets on offer achieve a refinement you might not imagine possible. The rooms and suites are coolly furnished, with plenty of local influence both in design and materials. Step outside the resort for easy beach access or a stroll round laid-back Cannigione.

Villa Las Tronas Hotel and Spa occupies a marvellously stately villa, perched on a private headland, just outside of Alghero in Sardinia’s northwest. Formerly an Italian royal holiday residence, the hotel’s 24 rooms and suites do the old place’s aristocratic heritage proud, as does the gorgeous ocean-facing, seawater swimming pool. You can walk to the beach or into Alghero in a matter of minutes – head into town for dinner one evening and try the local speciality paella algherese, a fine introduction to the town’s Catalan past.