Is Serenas Badesi Resort

We stayed at this hotel (2 adults and 1 child) in the last week of August 2025. We stayed in a Classic Room with an all-inclusive package provided by Jet2 Holidays, based in the UK. Let’s start by saying the following: if you are looking for an all-inclusive experience like the one you have in Greece, Turkey or Spain, for example, then stop reading this review. This hotel is not for you. You won’t get that experience here. However, if you would like to know more, please continue reading. Let’s start with the basics regarding this resort: Location - it is remote, isolated and in the middle of nowhere. That wasn’t a surprise for us because Jet2 never lied about it (neither did the hotel). So, if you want to spend a week or more in total isolation, this is perfect. If you want to get around, you will have to rent a car. The public transportation system isn’t perfect and only runs every few hours. Rooms - the room was fine for two adults and a child. It was cleaned every day, and it suited our needs. It has an espresso machine and a kettle for tea and coffee. There is no milk. There is also a little fridge and a free safe for your belongings. Pools - there is a little pool for the little ones and a larger pool for older children and adults. It’s a nice pool and there are plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas. No one places towels the night before to reserve the sunbeds or any of that nonsense. There’s always a lifeguard at the pool and there are some activities as well, like hydroginastics and zumba. Beach - the beach is nice. Not as beautiful as the other beaches you can find in Sardinia (like the ones in the east coast), but it is nice. The water is warm and you are entitled to two sunbeds and an umbrella. Very safe to leave your belongings while you are at sea, and there are always lifeguards around. Entering the sea when it is calm, it’s very safe; however, it’s not very shallow, and it gets deep very quickly. When the sea is rough, just be aware, especially with little children. Other activities - there are spaces for tennis and football, as well as archery. Can’t talk much about them because we didn’t use them. The hotel has a daily roster of activities, so you will know what’s happening. Restaurants - we only used the main restaurant, the buffet-style one. We tried to book the other two restaurants, but it was impossible. Too many people and the restaurants are small. One is a typical Sardinian cuisine restaurant, and the other is the bar by the beach that converts into a restaurant at lunch and dinner time. The one we did use for lunch and dinner was good. The food was good, although it is heavily based on Italian food. You do have a grill section with grilled fish and meat if you are not into Italian food. Drinks are mainly water, sodas and beer. The beer is draft, Peroni, and it is quite good. They also have wine (white, rosé and red) but it comes from a tap. If you are a wine lover, we don’t recommend it. Honestly, if you do appreciate good wines, don’t drink them. They have a good selection of bottled wines, but you have to pay for them. But these are good. Bars - they have bars by the pool and one by the beach. That’s it. You can ask for anything that’s on the included list. Anything that’s not on the included list, you have to pay for it. Staff - the people are very nice and friendly. At the reception, they speak perfect English, French, and some will speak German and Spanish. You won’t have problems at the bars as well. At the main restaurant, they will do their best to communicate in English, but it’s mostly Italian they speak. The cleaning staff are very friendly, but they also don’t speak English. Now, some notes regarding some of the ‘complaints’ that can be read about the hotel on Google and TripAdvisor. Pool/Beach Towels - you have to pay 7 euros for one towel per person, plus a deposit for each towel. If you want fresh towels, that will be 7 euros per day. It was the first time we ever saw this in an all-inclusive resort. Because we read about it, we brought our own towels from home. For the price you pay, they could at least make an effort to provide the towels (with a deposit). Water bottles - there are none. They have an environmental commitment to reduce plastic where they can, so there are no plastic bottles. They provide water for free in the beverage stations in the bars and restaurants, but that’s it. If you want water in your room, either bring your own bottle from home or buy one of their Blue Serena water bottles. On arrival, you do get two water cans in the fridge. Again, I understand and support the commitment, but having to refill water bottles all the time to drink water it’s not very practical. Car rental - the hotel itself doesn’t rent cars. There is an Europcar desk at the hotel where you can book a car. They will bring the car to the hotel, and you just return it to the hotel. Is it expensive? Yes, it is more expensive than renting it at the airport. Because it’s isolated, there aren’t a lot of options. Excursions - the hotel itself doesn’t organise the excursions. They sell them through a third party. There are a lot of excursions you can do, but they are expensive. If you rent a car and book the excursion yourself, you will save a lot of money. Food - they could probably cater to a more international approach with chips, burgers and hot dogs, for example. Not everyone is a lover of Italian cuisine. Also, the pizza here is not very good. Ice creams and crepes - you have to pay for all these extras. They do provide some cakes and fruits throughout the day, but it’s not the all-inclusive type of resort you might be accustomed to. You have to top up your key card with money at the reception and use it to pay for these things. Like we said at the beginning, this is not your typical all-inclusive resort. The people - more than 80% of the tourists that come to this hotel are Italian. The other 20% are from all over Europe (France, Germany, the Netherlands, ...) and a few from the UK, so you will hear a lot of Italian around you. In a way, it makes you feel like you are actually in a foreign country. To finish the review, because it’s getting long, some words about Sardinia. It is absolutely amazing and stunning. The scenery, the food, the people, the beaches, the sea… it is absolutely wonderful! Will we return to Sardinia? Definitely! Will we return to Is Serena Badesi Resort? Not likely… not because of the quality of the resort. The resort is good with its limitations, but because the island has so much to offer, being isolated and so far from everything is not for us.

Unfortunately, we cannot recommend this resort. The quality does not justify the price – we have had far better experiences in hotels at half the cost. Sadly, the list of negative points could be extended even further. Overall, our stay was a great disappointment.

The prices are great, there are many activities available for all ages & interests, rooms are clean and large, the food is great

We’ve just returned and, sadly, it wasn’t the relaxing holiday we’d hoped for. Too many issues — most of which have been raised in past reviews and still haven’t been addressed. I now understand why people say the positive reviews don’t feel genuine. Check-in: Chaotic and rushed. We were also hit with a surprise tourist tax (€2 per person, per night). Even our 5-year-old was charged — despite kids under 14 being exempt. Reception later said we’d have been refunded at checkout… believe that if you like. Rooms: Very basic. WiFi was poor — constant dropouts, which is a nightmare with teenagers. Be careful you don’t end up using mobile data abroad. Showers: Terrible pressure, and water takes 10 minutes to warm up — no matter what time of day. This has been mentioned repeatedly in reviews, but still no fix. Kids’ Entertainment: Nothing until 9:45pm, which is far too late for little ones. We tried keeping our 5-year-old awake after dinner, but she was falling asleep. Entertainment area was totally empty at 8:40pm. Poor planning. Drinks: Only one lager on tap — not a big deal for me, but my 18-year-old son noticed the spirits were clearly watered down. Disappointing. Food: Decent variety, but the buffet layout is baffling. Butter by the cereal, toast on the other side of the room. My wife had to go on a jam hunt every morning. Staff could easily fix this — it’s a small change that would improve guest experience. Milk (yes, this deserves its own section): No milk in the rooms, had to ask twice. Took three days to find a drinks machine with a milk jug for my coffee. Machines were often broken, empty, or not cleaned properly. Avoid the hot chocolate — the powder had clearly gone off. A la Carte Restaurant Booking: Booked in advance for both rooms. When we arrived, it looked shut. My son has a gluten allergy, which we’d flagged, but the staff were clueless. They dumped two plates on the table without a word, ignored us, and served other tables while we sat there. Eventually I had to approach the manager, who had a translation app open about the allergy. No help, no drinks, nothing — so we walked out and went back to the buffet. Staff & Management: Some real stars — the lady greeting guests in the dining hall, the man on chips, and the dessert server were all lovely. Reception staff were not friendly. The manager (white skinny-fit shirt — assuming the GM) ignored us every time, even when we said hello. Unless you’re in a bikini, don’t expect his attention. Lifeguards – or just sunbathers with uniforms? One thing that really stood out was the lifeguards’ lack of attention. Both at the beach and by the pool, they were constantly on their mobile phones — scrolling, texting, or chatting — rather than watching the water. On several occasions, we saw them sitting with their backs to the pool or looking completely distracted. It didn’t give us much confidence in safety, especially for families with children. Lifeguards should be focused on preventing accidents, not catching up on social media. Excursions – prepare to pay a premium. We looked into a few of the daily outings offered through the hotel and were shocked at the prices. Some activities were well over €320 per person, which makes them completely unrealistic for most families, especially when you multiply that by several people. Ridiculous extras. One final point — be prepared for extortionate prices on basic items. We needed more sun cream and ended up buying a bottle from the on-site shop. The price? €27 for a single bottle. I understand resorts charge more than supermarkets, but this was beyond excessive. It left a bad taste and felt like they were taking advantage of guests who have little choice once they’re there. (See attached pic) Final Thoughts: Would I return? No. Would I recommend it for families with young children? Definitely not. Too many avoidable issues that the hotel simply isn’t addressing. If you've read this far, please hit the thumbs-up so this review doesn’t get buried under the suspicious 5-star ones.

A very hard review to write so let's start with the pros *great rooms set out in a village so it's not a hotel *juice dispensers around the resort for drinks *lovely clean pools *2 reserved sun loungers for your time at the beach for the duration of your stay. The beach was my favourite place so calm and quiet. *Big shout out to Martina on the desert stand. Didn't speak English but had a lovely smile for us. And the chip man who could only say chips but was lovely. *plenty of options for food, even my son who has allergies could eat plenty Cons *for a 4 star hotel you get 2 cans of water on your first day then nothing. So if you're parched in the middle of the night I suggest you take a refillable bottle with you and take to your room. *you pay a tourist tax This was a surprise but we paid it. Then upon reading about it. They charged us for our 5 year old. When questioned we got grief especially because of the language barrier. *If you want to go on the day trips I suggest you Rob a bank. 550 euros for a family to go on one trip!! We gave them a miss. *entertainment didn't start till 9. Everything in Italian but we didn't stay as it was too late for our daughter. The biggest thing was no one spoke English, so we felt like outcasts for the week. We didn't have a clue what was happening, the entertainment group that was spread about the resort, completely ignored us and talked to other families. We tried asking questions but got no where. They sang in English very weird but didn't speak it??? We booked a table for dinner one day as they have 1 restaurant for the buffet that was for everyday but 2 restaurants that can be booked once for something different under the inclusive price which was nice. When you book on the app, they ask about allergies. We ticked my son had them and all was good. we were seated when we pointed to the list as he didn't speak English. We sat there and one staff member brought a plate out for my daughter and then left. Other families came in sat down was offered wine and drinks. Food was brought out to them. We sat there for 20 minutes no drinks offered no food, no one came to our table apart from my daughters plate. We got up to leave and the man came over with Google translation saying we can't feed you. Absolutely disgraceful. We wouldn't have been bothered if he said at the beginning sorry we can't accommodate your son. But to be left for 20 minutes being ignored honestly just awful. We spent 6 and half thousand pounds on this 4 star holiday and it was a let down!!! So glad for the sun. We won't be returning unfortunately.

The good reviews aren't AI! We booked this and then got a bit worried when someone said the good reviews must be artificial intelligence - thankfully they aren't! So if you've booked or are thinking of booking what do you need to know? The overview - this hotel will exceed expectations in a lot of areas. - Fantastic remote location with mountains and farmland the backdrop one side, and stunning coastline the other. - Hotel buffet way way way beyond what you'd expect! So much variety and everything cooked fresh by a team of chefs. No processed food in sight. Better quality than most restaurants. - Amazing clean and modern facilities including pretty much perfect swimming pools. One big family pool with a slide, and one 3 lane 25m pool separate if you want to swim lengths - really well maintained and calm atmosphere as staffed all day. - evening entertainment that is 90% ok if you don't speak Italian! Live music and dance - e.g. We Will Rock You mini musical with live queen songs sung and played by talented musicians. (They are clearly trained performers who rehearse performances extensively and not just "hotel entertainers") . The one night we didn't get it was the comedy night in Italian but every other night (we stayed 10 nights) it was good fun. - the hotel rooms are all spread out around the "village". So much better than being in one tall building. We were in block 26 - 3 rooms on ground floor and three rooms above and that's it. In between each room there's well maintained hedges and shrubs so it's extremely private. One of the best things about the hotel in my opinion. - wooden walkway 5 minutes walk to a private beach with your own sun lounger reserved for the duration of your stay. And all inclusive bar is also available on the beach. - exceptional staff - the bar staff, the cleaning staff the gardeners, the sports coaches - absolutely everyone is working so hard to make sure everyone is happy. Best I've ever experienced for this. They remember you the next day at the bar and can remember your orders. We spoke to other guests who were impressed by this too. Things to be aware of - Peroni on draft all inclusive and a good range of cocktails but then not all drinks all inclusive. Basic ice cream from machine included but any lollies are extra. They don't hide this though. The main downside is the all inclusive wine ! It's really not great. The prosecco is decent though. We rented a car and drove to Alghero - beautiful and recommended. The hotel is not really near other places to visit easily. But that's not the fault of the hotel - just be aware. And actually it's nice being aware from it all. The sea is not calm a lot of the time - beautiful and wild. The red flag was up more than not although even with red flag they still let you swim in a shallower section of sea just to the left. The free Padel tennis coaching and things like that are amazing - take advantage! We just want to say thanks to all at the hotel. Great holiday

What a beautiful island, the hotel is beautiful and clean. Loads for kids to do and kids club was amazing. Staff are friendly however I do feel it would help if staff spoke more in English. Food was lovely! I was worried not like fish however every night there was lots to pick. Even my picky toddler loved his food which is a first! Just wish there was onsite show which sold cans, water and snacks. I honestly would be happy to return.

schönes Resort

Wonderfully relaxing place. Lots to do, good food, really helpful happy staff & spotlessly clean. A very chilled week.

Review based on a 7 day holiday in July 25. Family of 4 with 2 older teenagers (15 and 18). The pros: Access to tennis and Padel courts and to water sports. You need cash deposits to borrow bats and racquets Beach with allocated sun beds Plenty of sun beds around the pools. Plenty of beds available after 09:30-10am Modern rooms and hotel - no signs of wear and tear. Food - varied and of a high standard (mostly) Hard working entertainment staff The Cons Beach towels not provided Mosquito problem - despite covering ourselves in insect repellent we were bitten every evening Food is never hot (same with hot drinks) Air conditioning in bedrooms - our room never dropped below 24c Water pressure in showers was terrible Not enough staff in restaurants- tables not cleared. No snack bar (our kids were gutted) Entertainment in Italian Tips Don’t bother with Prestedge- same food just eaten in a different place! Separate pool with padded sun beds seemed like the only real benefit. Crisps, nuts and tacos available from the bars - you just need to ask. The patio (il patio) was a great alternative to the main downstairs restaurant.