Hotel Scintilla

We decided to stay in a hotel rather than get an apartment as it was in a good location, close to the beach and was good value we opted for breakfast & half board which meant we got dinner included. The reviews I’d seen said it served good traditional Sardinian food, I have been to Sardinia previously and ate Sardinian food and it was always good, so we thought this was a great choice, great value and great location.
We were given a double room on 2nd floor with balcony and we could see the sea. The rooms were basic but clean, unfortunately no fridge, no kettle and limited plugs. Bad lighting & it took a bit to work out how to turn on lights . The air con was noisy and pumped out heat onto the balcony so no way could you cool the room whilst sat on balcony. The aircon had a washing up bowl full of water that needed emptying daily. We were not told about this, luckily the maid did this for us. The lack of staff that spoke English was just a nightmare, thank goodness for Google Translate! Every evening we were given a menu for the next night of which we had to pre order, unfortunately it was not available in English so we had to type in the menu into google and sometimes we were still unable to understand what the food options were. So some nights resorted to choosing one of everything and we’d just share whatever was served to us. The breakfast was basic but it was acceptable, I did feel if anyone was vegetarian the cheese was served on the same platter as the ham. Boiled eggs and fresh fruit, French toasts and jams and croissants but the breakfast ended at 9:30 on the dot, not ideal would of been great if you could have the option of a basic breakfast bag to collect if after 9:30. Restaurant staff were lovely but none of them spoke English. Asking simple questions became a real chore at times, it wasn’t their fault if the menu was translated it would of been a lot better to understand. At dinner .. omg a nightmare, we were served some very basic, tasteless and at times we were guessing what the food was, it was dreadful, served just warm, not hot, tinned peas, bland pasta dishes, etc..if the food was so bad so most nights we dined out, the restaurant just down the road from Al Faro was excellent as were all the other restaurants in the town centre and all provided a menu with an English translation. It’s a shame the food was so bad as dining out cost us a lot more money than we intended to spend, that’s why we booked half board on the first place! The worst food we had was a black squid ink risotto, it looked like stodge, seriously if you turned your spoon over it would of stuck, cold vegetables were served, a basic leaf salad, no tomatoes or cucumber, or anything on it, so a bowl of bland leaves. We were served cold sliced fish, tasteless and bland, the worst was the cold roast beef and the lamb in Madeira sauce. Every meal the vegetables were cold, cold potatoes, tinned peas, bland tasteless dishes, We were not told how much the wine cost, or that we would be billed for bottled water.the bread was always stale. Seriously the food was horrid. Why? Sardinia serves the most amazing food, but we felt the menu was stuck in the 70’s!
scintilla hotel has so much potential, yes it’s dated, but it’s in a great location, just needs a good chef, a better menu and 24hr concierge and multi lingual staff. but I felt the owners didn’t care anymore, the love for their family run hotel was no longer, it was a very tired, dated hotel. the 24hr reception was not 24hr, we were given a key to access side door. One night we forgot our key, no doorbell, no light near the door so it was difficult to open as couldn’t see the lock.
We were locked out, no staff or night porter, it was very late. My Sardinian friend called the hotel numerous times to try get us access to the hotel as we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes outside, no response to her numerous messages, we ended up going to hotel down road and the night porter made us coffee and allowed us to wait in their reception foyer until he finally got an answer from the hotel and got in around 6am! It would have been great if the rooms had a fridge as it’s really warm at night and would have loved a cold drink and option to make a coffee or tea in the room.
Or at least a coffee machine or vending machine in the hotel for customers to use at night. The amount of warm water we accumulated in our room was ridiculous. Water in bathroom was always hot and water pressure in shower was great but the cheap shower curtain was inadequate, it either stuck to you when showering or the bathroom floor would be flooded with water no matter how hard you tried to prevent this from happening. Rooms were cleaned daily and beds made and we got plenty of clean towels, the maids were nice, when we were packing to leave we noticed under the bed was disgustingly filthy, dust, sand and dirt, a haven for the mosquitoes, we kept saying we were bitten in the room more than outside! At night we kept the doors and windows closed and used the air con to prevent mosquitoes coming into the room. The beds were lumpy and uncomfortable with only a pillow each. The shelf above the headboard was just stupidity as I lost count the amount of times I banged my head.
We were presented with a bill upon checkout, for city tax, wine & water bill. With no itinerary so you just pay. The sisters who run the hotel, clearly don’t want to be there, the older sister who has a dog called Mary was lovely but the language barrier was an issue at times! The younger sister was just rude, dismissive and disrespectful, my friend invited her friend back to the hotel to freshen up before his flight, she shouted at my friend stated he was not allowed upstairs, my friend was so embarrassed, treated like a naughty teenager, her friend was literally going have a wash and change his shirt, nothing more and was not going to stay overnight, his flight was in a couple of hours and just wanted to freshen up. We assumed she thought he was visiting for an overnight stay and this was definitely not the case! Again if she had spoken English there wouldn’t have been any confusion!
Giorgio was fab, very friendly, helpful, an asset to the hotel. very helpful and spoke ok English, enough to communicate, my mother had lost her suitcase keys he got his tools and sorted it straight away! Plus
he gave us a lift to airport for €20 each & dropped by the door!! Please print your menu in Italian as well as English to stop confusion and the waiters were all very nice, would I stay again? Yes
BUT… I would not dine & I would bring a kettle and a cool bag so it can be filled with ice or a ice pack to keep water cold in room and bring a torch to access the door when locked! Extra fans & Mosquito plug in’s and mosquito stay is a must!!

El latino me va a entender, el famoso hotel 5 puntos, desayuno que zafa, habitación zafa, estructura zafa. Nada buenísimo nada malísimo. Pero todo 5 puntos medio ochentoso todo, pero muy limpios y gentiles. La ubicación muy buena incluso sin auto para moverse por varias playas. Los chicos del desayuno unos cracks

Just returned from a week at San teodora. We chose this hotel because of the location and even though after reading some reviews that were poor we still decided to go for it as we love a family run, quaint, rustic hotel, nothing flash or too big plus we’re not bothered about a pool as we always go to the beach and in the sea. This week was perfect. A great little hotel, 100 yards from the beach which is the biggest beach in Sardinia, busy but lots of places to settle for the day with space whether you like it near one of the 3 beach bars or further along where it’s quieter. We bought a parasol and 2 bamboo beach lays - cost €40 from a shop in the town and these did us for the week rather than paying for the loungers of which we heard were at least €15 each per day . 15 min walk into the beautiful town which was a lovely level walk and helped get our steps in for the day. The town is beautiful day and night with so many gorgeous restaurants and bars. Every meal was delish. There is a restaurant on the way to the beach which we didn’t try till the last night and so wish we would have tried earlier as it was the best meal we had- outstanding and sat in the gardens- a lot of locals eat there. The ice creams are to die for where ever you have one. We did do a boat trip which left from the marina at 10am and arrived back at 5.30pm €70 and worth every penny. 4 swim stop offs plus 90 mins on the beach at Tavalora island, included a lovely Spag Bol lunch which none of the others did. Was a great trip and would definitely recommend. Back to the hotel- rooms spacious and spotless, mega comfy bed, beautiful view of the marina and sea from our balcony, clean sheets and towels every other day , bathroom dated but nothing wrong with it, shower curtain (no cubicle) but again what’s wrong with that. As some have mentioned, a little fridge plus a kettle would have finished it off perfectly. There is a bar area that’s so quaint but never used it , the breakfast was fine for what we like, juices, melon, fresh cooked croissants and bread cobs, cheese, ham, boiled eggs, a lot of cakes which were not fussed with but couldn’t fault it plus a coffee machine with nice coffees. Staff were lovely and friendly. Owner and her little puppy Mary which was adorable plus the handy man that is always happy to help and guide. A tip would be to arrange transport from and to the airport direct with the hotel which cots only €60 each way- we didn’t know this and going from the airport in a taxi cost us €100, we now know for next time and yes we would defo return to this beautiful country, town and hotel.

The kindness of the owners and staff in general is indisputable good. It was our first time to a 3 star hotel and We couldn’t understand how it is even possible for such a dated hotel to be rated with stars, never mind 3! The bedroom wasn’t ready after checking in and we were given the keys to the bedroom regardless. When we opened the door the door bashed to the bed because of the size of the bedroom. There is a light in the middle of the headboard which didn’t work and therefore it is for exteriors. Electric socket are low in number and one of them was sinking behind the plate potentially being dangerous also there are no socket with usb.
Internet is terrible and the tv is so small , the safe is small and dated, there is no fridge or kettle or a chair to seat. The bathroom is also dated really not hygienic the curtain around the shower. Everything is so old and date. The first nigh we couldn’t sleep between the bedsheets because there was a mark of urine in the middle disgusting also the smell. There were no showers gel or shampoo only one cheep soap bar and when we requested mire we were told tomorrow . Breakfast… with flies and wasps to the food which look disgusting regardless they have a self service coffee machine and coffee is disgusting, no toaster no bread. You have to pay 20€ per day to rent the umbrella and chaise lounge at their beach spot cash only without receipt! All in all for the price of 190 euros per night absolutely a big NO!

La struttura, seppur datata, è di una pulizia incredibile, davvero stanze così pulite si vedono raramente. Molto curato, bello anche il giardino davanti , anch'esso curatissimo. Posizione top cucina n parcheggio gratuito di fronte e a 3 Min a piedi dalla spiaggia della cinta.

Hotel Scintilla is located right near La Cinta beach. It doesn’t pretend to be any more than comfortable beach side accommodation. All the staff were friendly and very helpful (my lack of Italiano notwithstanding)

This hotel has only one thing going for it..The proximity to the beautiful La Cinta Beach and San Torena town which is also stunning and unspoilt. Owners rude, abrupt and not very welcoming. Rooms awful. Whole Hotel needs complete reburshment. Bathrooms stunk of sewage and very basic shower curtain Awful view from balcony of rubbish bins and generator. Woken early hours of morning with vans parking outside and loud conversations. You can hear everyone coming and going and all the noises from other guests using the bathroom! Breakfast awful. No milk for cereal.Vegans not catered for at all. Same thing offered everyday croissants fruit and yoghurt. Informed owner no lock on balcony door- I was on ground floor and travelling solo. She told me it's safe and didnt provide key for me. Do not stay at this hotel it's truly the worst hotel Ive had the misfortune to stay 5 days in. States it 3* Its 1* at most and only for the beach being nearby.

Ottimo hotel buon rapporto prezzo qualita , eccezionale posizione .

Posizione ottima

Such a beautiful garden and hotel. It’s proximity to La Cinta beach is wonderful. Staff are nice and when you need assistance, they’re happy to help.

Nessuna manutenzione .. tutto è rimasto agli anni 80.
Materassi incavati, pareti imbiancate 20 anni fa, rubinetti vecchi in ottone, nessuna abat-jour, ma una lampada da cantina nel mezzo al letto. Non ci siamo!
Unica nota positiva la posizione, ottima! A pochi passi dalla famosa spiaggia della Cinta.

This hotel has the best location ever! Two steps from gorgeous La Cinta beach and few from downtown and all the shops and restaurants. The old charming building has beautiful gardens and the lobby and all guests areas are so welcoming that you just feel at home. The Mediterranean building maintenance is impeccable with a manicurated garden, large bedrooms with private bathroom, bar and dining areas. My bedroom was huge and had a super comfy mattress, AC, flat TV, free WiFi (very reliable) and a safe in closet. Lots of space and a balcony with seating area. the bathroom was fenomenal with those wonderful ceramics and bronze faucets, plenty of soft and fresh towels. The breakfast was generous with a coffee machine to select your choices. They serve home made cakes, croissants, bread, cereal, cold cuts, yoghurt, fruit and some desserts. They also serve delicious dinners upon reservation. The friendly service and cleaning are meticulously supervised by the owners Stellina and Manuela who care for the guests from the simplest bottle of water to resolving travel arrangements. The hotel has a private lido on the best part of La Cinta beach with umbrellas and lounges. The free parking lot is a plus, since you park when you arrive and don’t drive until you leave. This gem in San Teodoro is an amazing finding, even for American Standards. They are pet friendly and they make you feel
so good you don’t want to leave. We will be back next year for another unforgettable vacation!!

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Basic hotel at the end of dark ending street. The staff was friendly but didn't speak much English. Close to the beach but a bit walking to town/village center.

Hotel con tutto i confort e personale molto cordiale, gentile e simpatico! A conduzione familiare, ci tornerò sicuramente

L'intérêt de cet hôtel réside dans son emplacement, à 150 mètres d'une magnifique plage, malheureusement bondée en août...
Hôtel typiquement italien: un 3* qui en vaudrait 2 en France: petites chambres (propres), déco basique. Accueil correct.

[English version below]
Posizione perfetta, 10 minuti a piedi dal centro di San Teodoro e 5 dalla splendida spiaggia La Cinta. La colazione è ottima e lo staff accogliente, estremamente gentile e sempre pronto ad assistere il cliente per ogni necessità. La struttura dispone anche di un ampio parcheggio situato proprio di fronte all’ingresso, molto comodo dato che trovare un parcheggio gratuito a San Teodoro non è impresa facile. Un grazie speciale va a Manuela che ci ha fatti sentire come a casa! Speriamo di riuscire a tornare il prima possibile ☀️

Hotel Scintilla is just amazing. The location is perfect, the center of San Teodoro where you can find all the restaurants and bars can be reached in about 10 minutes walking from the hotel, while the wonderful La Cinta beach in just 5.
Breakfast was delicious and the staff were warm, welcoming, extremely kind and always ready to take care of everything we needed. The facility has a large parking lot as well, located right in front of it, which is essential in San Teodoro since it’s not easy to find a free parking spot around town. Special thanks go to Manuela, who really made us feel just like at home!
Hope to be back soon ☀️

Hotel a due passi dal mare in perfetto stile Sardo, colazioni molto abbondanti, camere un po’ datate ma con tutti i comfort.

Hotel is in great location, very close to la Cinta beach. Breakfast was okay but not much variety. Rooms traditional and have good air con, but lack special touches. Corridor outside our room was very loud. Would be nice to have welcome pack in room, with WiFi password etc. Overall, not bad but not blown away.

Sehr zentrale Lage, leckeres Frühstück mit sehr netten Kellnern! Das Hotel an sich ist schon etwas älter - auch die Einrichtung. Aber alles in allem ein toller Urlaub.