If you want a good holiday in Sardinia, then the Dune Resort,
near Badesi on the northern coastline of the island is the place to be, but try
not to judge it when you first arrive. Give it time. I say this because I woke
up at some ungodly hour to catch an early TUI flight out of London Gatwick to
Alghero and it’s never a good way to start a short break.
It took around 90 minutes by coach from the airport to the
hotel.
My initial gripe about the Dune Resort was this: it’s complicated
and the last thing I want when I arrive at a hotel is complications, especially
when I’ve had a long day and it’s not yet noon.
The Dune Resort is not a conventional hotel. It’s not a case
of arriving at the front desk, filling out a form, being given the WiFi code
and a key card and then heading for the elevator. Well, it is, but it takes a
while for the reception staff to explain the place to arriving guests. There
are three hotels, not one; there are half a dozen or so restaurants, some
charge a premium. You can only have breakfast in one allotted restaurant –
being as I was staying in the Ginepri Hotel my breakfast location was the
Nautilus restaurant. You can’t use cash, instead there’s a card you can charge
up during your stay, there are three swimming pools and one is out of bounds
(of which more later). On average, you’ll be at the front desk for a good 15
minutes before being handed your room key.
Then there’s getting to the room. There are no elevators,
it’s a matter of walking along scenic, bamboo-lined pathways and watching out
for small headstone-like signs that direct you off a main path towards your
room. Let me tell you, I lost my way on more than one occasion and it took me
half an hour or longer to find where I was staying (room 831). I got used to
it, although it took me a few days, and just when I got the hang of it, I had
to fly home.
To be really unkind about the Dune you could equate it to
Center Parcs or a ‘holiday village’ – both analogies hold water, but it’s more
than that, although there is a map of the site – and minor fairground
attractions – risking theme park analogies.
Let’s move away from what I’d call the negative aspects of
the place and, well, hold on, let’s stick with the negatives for a little bit longer
as, in a sense, once you arrive at the Dune (if you’re not planning to hire a
car or bike) you’re stuck there because it’s out on a limb, there’s not much
around it and there’s no ‘town centre’ nearby, certainly not within walking
distance. Badesi is small and sleepy.
The Dune Resort is a ‘village’ of sorts: there are shops, a
stage area for live entertainment, a theatre and plenty of stuff to keep kids
entertained. I was there early September so there were only young couples with
tiny babies and pre-school toddlers, but you’re in a wonderful location with
beautiful flowers and swaying, rustling bamboos, so let’s get on to the more
positive aspects of the resort, which far outweigh the piffling negatives.
For me the first big positive is the food. It really is top
end and wine is free (and strong). I can’t remember exactly how many restaurants
there are, but let’s say there are plenty of them and the predominant offering
is a self-service buffet style operation. It’s all very smooth and efficiently
run. And what a buffet! What amazing quality and variety. Put it this way, you
won’t need to venture out of the hotel grounds, which are extensive. For me the
best restaurant was La Spiagga, down by the beach. Perfect! I paid three
visits. Second place was the Nautilus – what a wonderful display of fresh fruit
– and third Pomodoro (a great paella). I wasn’t too keen on a traditional
Sardinian restaurant (the meat was a little tough) and we never tried the
pizzeria or any of the other restaurants. Who wants pizza with all that great
food on offer?
Nothing is more than a 10-minute walk away and if you want
to visit the beach but don’t fancy the walk, there’s an electric buggy ferrying
guests there and back.
One hotel on-site is billed as ‘exclusive’ and it’s called
the Sabine. It can be found along a bamboo-lined pathway close to the Palm
swimming pool. If you’re not staying at the Sabine you can use the poolside bar
(all bars offer the same snack menu) but you’re not allowed to use the pool
unless you’re a resident and if you want to use the Sabine’s restaurant you
have to pay a premium. No riff raff in the Sabine! We were half board and it
would have meant paying extra cash, per person, so we didn’t bother. The other
restaurants were more than good enough. But that phrase ‘not allowed’ is like a
red rag to a bull: I had to risk a dip in the forbidden water, just to say I’d been
in every pool. I hatched a cunning plan that involved entering said pool via
the shallow end and swimming right across it, touching the far edge and then
swimming back, snorting with childish laughter at every stroke.
Best pool? They’re all good. If you like all-day sunshine,
swim in the Palm pool; if you want peace and shaded tranquillity, go to the Rocce;
and if you just like a big pool,
try the one adjacent to the Nautilus restaurant.
Room 831 was great; there was a small patio area out front
with deck chairs and garden furniture – nice and secluded and ideal for reading.
There was a fair-sized bathroom with a bidet – great fun! The wardrobe had a
safe, the television was on a very high shelf in the corner and the bed was
comfortable. My only problem was the door, which always proved problematic when
I tried to lock it.
For me, the confusing element of the place was having all
these different hotels and reception areas, but generally speaking the Dune was
an amazing resort with something for everyone – and that includes tennis,
archery and horse riding. I wish I
was there now, but I’m not. I’m back home watching Newsnight.
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