Holiday Inn Cagliari

There was a fire right outside the hotel. We argued with the hotel manager for 4 hours to accept a refund for us to change hotel but she wouldnt agree. The smoke got inside the lobby, corridors and rooms but she would still not agree with a refund. No evacuation was planned either which is insane.

As a frequent guest of IHG hotels, and particularly of the Holiday Inn brand across various countries, I believe I have enough experience to provide a fair assessment. Unfortunately, my two-night stay at the Holiday Inn Cagliari was marked by more negative aspects than positive ones, though there was also a bit of bad luck involved. Overall, the experience fell below my expectations, especially considering the usual standard of this hotel chain. Let's start with the location. The hotel is situated outside the center of Cagliari, near Elmas Airport, so I wasn't expecting a central city location. However, upon arrival, the first impression wasn't great. The hotel is housed in a geometric, somewhat unsettling building, positioned near a highway with a view of a boat storage area. While I wasn't anticipating breathtaking Sardinian scenery, the overall aesthetic and location of the hotel are quite uninviting. The rooms were average, perhaps a bit on the dark side, but they aligned with the typical expectations for this hotel chain. However, my stay was marred by a series of incidents. The in-room safe was not functioning, and maintenance had to be called. But more concerning was waking up on the second night to find the entire hotel in complete darkness. This appeared to be a power outage affecting the entire neighborhood, but what troubled me was the lack of backup generators or any form of emergency lighting. The room was pitch black, as were the corridors, creating an almost horror movie-like atmosphere. I, along with other guests, had to navigate the emergency stairwells using our phone flashlights. The elevators were, of course, out of service, and I can only imagine the situation if someone had been trapped inside during the outage. While I don't blame the hotel for the power outage itself, the lack of backup generators to restore at least minimal lighting and the complete absence of emergency lighting in rooms and hallways is, in my opinion, quite serious and something that should be addressed. For this reason, I cannot recommend this hotel. However, I do want to acknowledge a few positive aspects. The reception staff was very kind and provided us with helpful information during check-in. Another positive element, likely linked to the hotel's proximity to the airport, is that breakfast is available very early. My colleague and I had an early morning departure, and we were able to enjoy a full breakfast service at 5:00 a.m., which was a nice touch. All in all, though, my experience at the Holiday Inn Cagliari was not a positive one, and I cannot recommend this property.

Great location 5 mins from airport, we were greeted by an extremely friendly and helpful staff member at check in. Great rooms, comfortable with all amenities. Had dinner on room service, great selection and good quality, would certainly go back!