19-05-2025
19 of the best family hotels in Sardinia
Sardinia is in many ways the perfect family destination. With its gorgeous beaches, rugged nature trails and pretty hill towns, there is more than enough to keep visitors of any age entertained. The Costa Smeralda, in the north of the island, was designed by Aga Khan IV in the Sixties and is still renowned for its glitz and glamour today thanks to the luxury yachts, exclusive golf courses and five-star hotels. Things get quieter further south, where deserted beaches and protected nature reserves provide ideal child-friendly explorations. Treks inland lead to wild landscapes and Bronze Age ruins while visits to larger towns and cities, such as the capital Cagliari, add a touch of art and architecture.
To make the most of your stay you need to choose the right base and luckily there are plenty of hotels dotted around the island that cater well for families, with a range of services and amenities to suit everyone. So from kids' clubs to pools, private beaches to babysitting services, here's our top selection of family hotels in Sardinia.
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££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for family-friendly luxury
On the southeastern tip of the island this five-star resort blends luxury with a relaxed, family-friendly nature. Its location within the Capo Carbonara protected marine area makes it ideal for flamingo-spotting, diving and snorkelling, while the hotel's complimentary bicycles can be used to explore the flora-and-fauna-filled reserve or nearby Villasimius. Choose between a family room or Prestige family suite with terrace, and make the most of the hotel's huge pool and private beach. There are clubs for younger children and teenagers as well as a babysitting service, giving you plenty of opportunities for adults-only time at the spa or wine cellar.£ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for beachside fun
A smart, low-rise complex fronting a sheltered bay near Alghero, the Hotel Portoconte is conveniently situated right on a private beach, just steps from the crystalline water. Children will love the activities, which include a kids' club, mini-golf, table tennis, swimming pool and play park, while the hotel's location in the Porto Conte natural park provides ample options for trekking, biking and nature-spotting. Double rooms can come with an extra bed, but for more space opt for the interconnecting family room that can sleep up to five.£££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for a Bond moment
Catapulted to fame when it appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me, this hotel likewise comes with a PG rating. Parents, simply guide your offspring to the kids' club and you will discover ample opportunities to channel Roger Moore and Barbara Bach. Cala di Volpe was built in the Sixties but is still pretty swinging, with elegantly sinuous bedrooms and suites (including the extravagant Harrods Penthouse), several fashionable restaurants, plus tennis courts and shaded cabanas around the saltwater pool, claimed to be one of the biggest in the Mediterranean. The hotel's pink-sand private beach is reached, rather glamorously, by boat, which only adds to the sense of being luxuriously cocooned.
£ | POOL | Best for a chic countryside stay
Although Sardinia's beaches attract most of the hype, its countryside is equally lovely. This farmhouse-style hotel offers the best of both worlds — a rural retreat in a hilly hinterland dotted with olive trees, and under seven miles from the coast. Its 18 rooms are styled in a winning mix of neutral decor and colourful textiles; one is a family room and another is a self-contained apartment with its own garden. Children will love exploring local nature trails on foot or by bike, as well as swimming in the oak-shaded outdoor pool, which is close enough to the restaurant for parents to keep a watchful eye while enjoying classic Sardinian dishes at lunch.££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for a good-value all-rounder
Part of the local Bovi family's hotel group, this resort sits on Sardinia's eastern shores in the historic province of Ogliastra. The more upmarket of its 150 rooms have been refurbished in oceanic shades but there are family-friendly options to suit most budgets. Saraceno's crown jewel is its huge, palm-fringed seawater swimming pool, which backs onto a private sandy beach. In the summer children over 12 can take part in free group courses in windsurfing, canoeing and sailing — or head to the complimentary kids' club. Dinner and breakfast are buffet-style, but there's also a beachside bar-restaurant offering drinks and light meals.
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££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for age-appropriate kids' clubs
This hilltop resort on Sardinia's southernmost tip has various accommodations and the spacious bedrooms of its elegant Hotel Village are well suited to those travelling with children — Family Superior cottages even have private patios. The pool here is also the largest on the resort, with a shallow area especially for little ones. Right beside it is the Mezze restaurant where all ages dine on simple dishes under sun umbrellas. The four kids' clubs are split by age, with everything from baby discos to adventurous activities for teens.££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for water babies
Sardinian for 'Golden Bee', this five-star resort sits beside the white sands of Golfo di Marinella on the Costa Smeralda — and all Family Classic rooms have terraces overlooking the tempting waters of the Mediterranean. The kids' club is included in the price of the room and even extends to supervising children in the swimming pool; there's also a play park, mini football pitch and tennis court. Parents can have a night off in one of the complex's many bars or places to eat while their children enjoy one of the restaurant's 'no grown-ups allowed' evenings. There's also a crowd-pleasing pizzeria.££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for on-site activities
Le Palme is just one of a whopping eight hotels located within the sprawling Forte Village resort in southern Sardinia — its lovely family bungalows happily sleep two adults and two children. It was one of the first resorts to introduce academies for children, so they can choose between sports programmes focused on rugby, fencing, netball or dance, or sign up for lessons in magic or chess. Parents should spend their well-deserved time off in the Thalasso spa or flitting between the complex's many restaurants.££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for getting away from it all
Occupying a relatively isolated position on its own private beach, this low-rise, terracotta-roofed resort is a relaxed option for a family holiday. There are seven seawater swimming pools, including one just for children, and staff are on hand in a well-equipped play area to entertain those aged from 4 to 12. With wooden ceilings and tiled floors, the 220 rooms are decorated in timeless Sardinian style; balconies or terraces benefit from a sea view or one overlooking the palm-dotted landscaped gardens. There's a free shuttle service to Porto Cervo, but those wishing to explore further afield should consider hiring a car.
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£ | POOL | Best for a small-scale stay
Just over half an hour's drive from Cagliari airport this charming, diminutive hotel is set among rolling lawns on the south coast of Sardinia. Book well in advance to nab the family room, which comprises a generous double and a smaller twin, or consider choosing one of the resort's 32 apartments. Youngsters can make the most of complimentary children's entertainment in the swimming pool during July and August (two hours a day, three times a week), and will doubtless spend hours playing with the water feature in the shallow end.£££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for beach-lovers
This hotel in the island's northeast sits behind what some argue is Sardinia's finest sandy beach, Lu Impostu, a half-mile arc lapped by shallow waters ideal for younger children. The kids' club caters to creative and nature-loving types as well as offering the usual array of sports — and there are exceptional opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, diving and snorkelling. Family rooms are generously sized, with a balcony or patio.££ | POOL | Best for creative couples with kids
One of the island's best boutique properties, this arty enclave beneath the Supramonte mountains is a great pick for aesthetes not yet ready to embrace a fully fledged family hotel. As well as offering art itineraries and baking courses, its 71 rooms and suites are individually decorated with work by local painters and sculptors, and several can accommodate an extra bed. The unheated pool is manned by a lifeguard, and there's also a small children's play area. Guests of all ages will love the food — from handmade pasta to spit-roasted meats, served either in the herb garden or on the hotel's delightful terrace.£ | POOL | Best for a bargain private beach
This is a rare beast — an affordable hotel with its own beautiful beach. It's ten minutes from the celebrated Forte Village resort and benefits from an almost-as-idyllic coastal location — and guests can book into one of the 87 rooms at Is Morus Relais for a fraction of the cost of its neighbour. Mature trees and Mediterranean gardens surround the hotel's traditional white and terracotta-roofed buildings and eight villas, and staff are friendly and attentive. There are two restaurants — La Terrazza is particularly lovely, serving Italian dishes with a sea view — as well as a children's play area and a devoted pool for kids.
£ | POOL | Best for a pre-flight stay
A very short hop from Costa Smeralda's main airport, this bright and modern hotel is a great pick for families keen to squeeze every last drop out of their holiday — the pool is particularly lovely, surrounded by tangerine-coloured sun umbrellas and potted cacti. Rooms are decently sized and the hotel can add rollaway beds for a small surcharge. Nearby Olbia is often overlooked, but has a charming historic centre packed with atmospheric piazzas. If parents want an evening out in the city, the hotel can arrange babysitting, but alternatively there's a good bar and restaurant on site.£££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for active families
This chic, low-rise hotel combines understated looks with an above-average offer for families. Alfresco cinema and boat trips into the bay are just some of the activities available and facilities include tennis courts, indoor and outdoor play areas, and multiple pools — children can be enrolled in a swimming academy. The kids' club is creative, offering puppet theatres, a petting zoo and photo workshops, as well as the usual gamut of sports.£ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for babies and their parents
This all-inclusive hotel on Sardinia's northeast coast makes good use of its location overlooking the Golfo Aranci, even providing guests with free canoes so they can explore its shores. All bedrooms have balconies but it's worth plumping for one of the superior rooms nearest to the beach. Decor varies from fresh to a touch dated, but accommodation is well thought-out for families. The hotel's summer childcare programme caters for babies up to 17-year-olds, including an assisted sleeping room for the smallest guests, so tired new parents can unwind in the wellness centre or get horizontal beside the more relaxed of the hotel's two pools.£££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for laid-back luxury
7Pines Sardinia follows the model that's been so successful at its sister resort in Ibiza — combining second-to-none facilities with exceptional service in a stellar coastal location. Its 76 individually designed rooms overlook either impeccably landscaped gardens or the Maddalena Archipelago, which can also be explored aboard the hotel's fleet of luxury yachts. Cherishing the planet is a cornerstone of the kids' club philosophy — sustainable activities include upcycling and gardening, and your children will be able to put theory into practice at the hotel's lovely private beach.££ | KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for sea views
Situated in Sardinia's north, this is part of the well-regarded local hotel group Delphina and prides itself on its family-friendly credentials — just like its sister property, the Le Dune resort in Badesi. The kids' club hours are unusually extensive (9.30am to 6.30pm), entertaining ages from 3 to 14 with activities from beach volleyball to dance classes. The bougainvillea-strewn L'Arcipelago restaurant is a charming spot for lunch, while rooms are tastefully done out with white walls and fabrics featuring local motifs. Many have knockout views of La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, which can also be explored on a boat trip booked through the hotel. The full-day tour aboard the Pulcinella, a period wooden sailing ship, is particularly atmospheric.
| KIDS' CLUB | POOL | Best for eco-luxe family travel
This two-hotel complex is the very definition of sustainable luxury. Although there are 271 rooms and suites, four swimming pools (one with a swim-up bar), and seven restaurants spread across its lush gardens, the resort's low-rise profile and abundant use of natural materials makes it feel at one with its environment. No expense has been spared to make family visits stress-free — as well as an adventurous kids' club (with in-house pizzeria), there's a doctor and pharmacy on site too.
Read our full review of Valle dell'Erica Thalasso & Spa Resort
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Additional reporting by Julie Alpine and Maria Pasquale
