Our Review Of The Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia

If you read the site often you’ll know that me and my partner are huge fans of Italy so it’s probably no surprise that our latest trip was to Italy again… well an Italian island to be more specific! We usually decide where to visit via research/recommendations however this time we decided to visit Sardinia after leaving Naples and seeing the island as we flew back to England. In a change from our usual active exploration holidays, we decided to indulge in a much-needed relaxing getaway. After some research, we settled on the Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia as it appeared to tick the relaxation box plus as Diamond members with Hilton we were hoping for a good upgrade! We paid 2,150 euros for a 4-night break Monday – Friday. Breakfast was included for free in our room rate.

Location

The hotel is about a one-hour taxi ride from Cagliari Elmas Airport which in turn is roughly a 2h 40 flight from London. We pre-booked our taxi before arrival directly with the hotel for convenience which cost 130 euros each way. We stayed locally as more of a relaxing holiday but if you plan to explore the island a little more we’d recommend hiring a car as taxis will get very expensive. If you wanted to travel a little more frugally you need to take the train into Cagliari from the Airport and then walk to the Bus Station (5 min) and hop on the Linea 129 towards and get off at SP 71 Baia Chia (a few minutes walk to the hotel.) this will cost you around 5 euros per person.

The hotel is part of the Chia Laguna Resort (there are two other hotels Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia
Curio Collection by Hilton & Hotel Village.) So whilst locally there aren’t a lot of places to walk to (a few restaurants, a small shop (Sardissimo) and Su Giudeu Beach if you get bored of the 2 hotel beaches!) the resort does cover most needs with a variety of facilities including a pharmacy, ice cream parlour, restaurants, bars, entertainment, pools, spa etc. The Conrad is located on top of a hill where many rooms overlook the lagoon, where flamingos congregate, with a view of the Spanish tower after which Chia was named, and beyond, the sea. 

The Room

We originally booked a King Grand Deluxe Room With Sea View but before arrival, we were upgraded to a Junior Suite with sea view. Upon arrival we were greeted at our taxi, our luggage taken by a porter, and taken inside to check-in, we were given a cool towel to freshen up and a drink of water while we completed formalities. Here they explained a little bit about the resort and we were given a map to help us navigate. After this, we were offered a welcome drink but we opted to go straight to the room as we were tired from an early flight. We were taken to the room with the member of staff briefly explaining a little bit more about the room’s features before departing. Shortly after this, our suitcases arrived.

As soon as you walk into the room you have a small ‘hallway’ with a full-length mirror on the right side, the bathroom a little further down on the left, and the main bedroom space after this.

As you enter the main bedroom space you the bed on the left (which was super comfy.) Both sides have a small bedside table with a lamp, controls for the lighting & a spare plug to charge a phone. The left side has a small clock/alarm while the right has the room telephone.

Opposite the bed is two wardrobes with a small dresser in the middle. There is a decent-sized mirror and a small stool to sit on. Both wardrobes were a good size, with ample space for our 4-night stay. The one on the left was set out with a small hanging area, square shelving, and a chest of drawers and included a spare pillow, safe, hairdryer, and slippers. The one on the right has a large hanging area and just a single shelf, here there was also a Conrad chia laguna branded bag you could use.

After this is the ‘living’ area of the space with an armchair acting as a ‘partition’ between the bedroom space. There is also a sofa to the left and in total 3 small tables, not sure why there are so many… The two tables in front of the chairs had our welcome gifts of a bottle of red (12 euros), chocolate and fruit. A nice touch was after enquiring if the welcome chocolates were gluten-free we were told unfortunately not but they would send up a gluten-free chocolate mousse to enjoy instead.

Opposite the sofa, you’ll see a decent-sized TV mounted to the wall and a cabinet with tea/coffee (Nespresso machine & pods) making facilities. There is also a room service/mini bar menu. To the side of the cabinet is a lamp for additional lighting.

In the cabinet is a small fridge/mini bar with an array of items, there are also some snacks and additional cups on the inside shelving. If you want to stock up on some stuff on the ‘cheap’ head across the road to the small shop called Sardissimo.

Beyond this is a door with access to the balcony which had a nice view over Chia Bay and towards the coastline (you can just about see the sea!) To the left, you can see the pool attached to the Conrad building, Bioaquam.

As you enter the balcony, there are two armchairs with a small table and ashtray on the left. After this, there are two sunbeds to use if you wanted to relax on your balcony. Each side has a good-sized privacy barrier. Here is the view of the balcony looking towards the room…

The Bathroom

The bathroom was a reasonable size but only really practical for one. On the right as you walk in is a single sink, above this is a large mirror, below a towel rack and shelves for additional towels. On the countertop, there was a smaller makeup mirror, tissues, flannels and Byredo Mojave Ghost soap and toiletries (provided in reusable bottles.)

From the start of the left-hand side of the space is a small bin, after this is a bidet, above this a heated towel rack, and then next to the bidet the toilet. Awkwardly close to the toilet were the bath robes (the hotel asks you to wear these to the spa if you use it.) At the end of the space is the rainforest shower with a handheld unit. The water flow and temperature were very good however if you have a tendency to take a longer shower you might find your feet in a little bath as the drainage wasn’t great.

The Resort

As we mentioned earlier the Conrad is part of the Chia Laguna Resort. The resort covers most needs with a variety of facilities including a pharmacy, ice cream parlour, restaurants, bars, entertainment, pools, spa etc. You can view all the details regarding the facilities and restaurants on the hotel website here – https://pwa.stay-app.com/?id=MGLn. Whilst on-site you can also log in with your room details and make requests to the front desk/housekeeping/concierge etc.

The Main Square

The main square is where you will find the evening entertainment, several shops including a Gelato shop/bar, fashion shop & excursions. There is also a pharmacy (hopefully you won’t need it!), pizzeria and steak house.

The Pools

The resort has a total of 7 pools with the majority of them on the Conrad side of the resort. There is…

Bioaquam Pool

This was our favourite pool out of the pools on offer and is for Conrad guests only and is accessed through the Conrad building on the ground floor. Here there is a good sized pool with views over the Chia coast and plenty of of sunbeds set up for you by the life guard on duty. There were plenty of options both in and out of the sun. You can also eat at the Bioaquam restaurant for lunch.

Hotel Village Swimming Pool

This is the largest swimming pool on the Conrad side of the resort and also the busiest with most resort guests choosing to use it. Here there is also the Mezze Bar (for drinks and ice cream) and the Mezze Restaurant which serves lunch and dinner.

Conrad Spa Rooftop Pool

If you enter the Conrad Spa from within the Conrad building on the first floor before you get to the entrance there are a few steps to the side which takes you up to a terrace with a small rooftop pool. The water was very cold but as it was very hot it was very refreshing.

Bioaquam Circuit Pools (Conrad Spa)

As part of the Bioaquam circuit there are three pools all heated to different temperatures (cold, warm and hot!) You can only use these if you pre-book the Bioaquam circuit with the Spa (free for Hilton members.) These have sunbeds around them and are a great place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of some of the resorts other pools.

Oasi Pool

This pool is actually quite difficult to find if you aren’t staying in the smaller Conrad building (and not that big) but as it was difficult to find it also meant the couple of times we visited it was completely empty. There are a few sun loungers around the pool

Kids/Baby Pool

Located right at the back of the resort (and next to the kids club) is a dedicated kids/baby pool which is also used by the entertainment team/kids club.

Curio/Semi-Olympic Pool

In the other side of the resort (where the Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia Curio Collection by Hilton hotel is) there is a semi-olympic sized pool. We didn’t visit though you can see it from the buggy if you visit the Monte Cogoni Beach.

The Spa/Gym

You can access the spa directly through a short passageway on the first floor of the Conrad (or alternatively it is located towards the back of the resort.

We visited in our robes/slippers from the room but the spa also has changing rooms and robes etc if don’t want to use them (or if you’ve checked out of your room before a late departure.)

Diamond members are entitled to book a free 15-minute hand massage and all Hilton Honors members can book the Bioaquam Circuit (access to the pools (including rooftop pool), hot tub, rasul, sauna & steam room etc.) for free. There was also a few indoor loungers, water and fresh fruit on offer. We used the facilities a couple times and both times for the majority of the time we was there the spa was empty.

We had the 15-minute hand massage (free as Diamond members) and the personalised relaxing massage for 130 euros both were good, though nothing special. We asked if we could have the massages together but unfortunately they couldn’t accommodate us both at the same time.

There is also a gym here that is open 24/7, we didn’t use it and it appeared to be empty the majority of the time but there was a range of free weights and cardio based equipment.

Entertainment

During the day there are various activities you can take part in arranged by the resort including things such as morning gym on the beach, acqua fit, dancing & yoga. You can view the current activities offered and the schedule here.

In the evening the resort puts on a variety of shows including pantomimes, dancing and live music on the main stage in the square. This was nice to relax to after dinner with a gelato though don’t expect the shows to be in English… it’s more catered towards Italian holidaymakers. You can view the current entertainment schedule here.

Kids Club

The resort offers a kids club (ages 3-5) and a mini club (ages 6-10) what both run from 9.30am – 6.30pm with an assisted lunch. For older children there is the junior club (ages 11-13) and the young club (ages 14-17) these both run from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and then 4:00 pm to 06:30 pm. You can view the current schedule here.

The Beaches

The hotel has two beaches you can access by a free shuttle outside reception (if one isn’t there just ask at reception.) The Monte Cogoni Beach is accessible through the Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia Curio Collection by Hilton and the Dune di Campana Beach which is slightly further on.

Monte Cogoni Beach

This beach is reached through the opposite side of the resort where the Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia Curio Collection by Hilton is. The shuttle will drop you at the top of steps (around 60) down to the beach itself. The beach is reserved for hotel guests but is also connected to another public beach if you continue to walk to the left towards Chia tower.

Towels are provided and there were plenty of sun beds and umbrellas. There is also a beach bar offering sandwiches, gourmet salads, and drinks.

Dune di Campana Beach

Dune di Campana Beach is located slightly further on than the Monte Cogoni Beach and is again reserved for resort guests. Here you will also find the Dune Restaurant (open for lunch) which serves a variety of seafood. Towels are provided from a small kiosk and there were plenty of sun beds and umbrellas. On the beach itself you’ll find a kiosk for drinks, light snacks, panini, salads and ice creams. Neither hotel beach was particularly busy when we visited but we found the Dune di Campana Beach a bit more quiet and relaxing than the Monte Cogoni, perhaps because if you were staying in the Hilton on the other side of the resort you would default to going to Monte Cogoni beach as you can walk there.

You can also book a range of water sports/boat hire etc through the nautical centre. Check out this page of the website for what’s on offer/prices.

Restaurants

We at Bioaquam restaurant (lunch) and La Terrazza restaurant which are connected to the Conrad. In the main resort, we ate at Osteria la Torre (steakhouse) and the Pizzeria. Outside of this, you have Sa Mesa Restaurant, Mezze Restaurant & Kids Restaurant in the main resort & by the Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia Curio Collection by Hilton is Panino (lunch) & il Ginepro Restaurant (buffet.) The Dune di Campana Beach also has a restaurant open for lunch called Dune Restaurant.

Bioaquam restaurant

The Bioaquam restaurant is a small poolside ‘restaurant’ with views over the Chia coast. The menu is quite small and mainly features salads, sandwiches & a few signature dishes with either fruit or gelato for dessert. Whilst not mentioned on the menu I was told by the chef everything could be made gluten-free & I went for the ham & cheese toast.

La Terrazza restaurant

The Terrazza restaurant (where breakfast is also served) has great views over the resort/coast if sitting on the terrace. Inside there is plenty of room though a little plain, definitely aim for a table outside! The menu varies from day to day offering different specials for starters, main, or dessert. Whilst the menu appears to be quite restrictive if you are gluten-free most of the options could be made gluten-free including having gluten-free pasta which I opted for in the Carbonara. The food was delicious and very rich albeit small (we filled up on the Gelato in the main square afterward!)

Osteria la Torre

The steakhouse is on the side of the main square next to the pizzeria if you wanted to soak up the atmosphere in the evening. When we visited (and every night we were in the main square) it wasn’t particularly busy. Service was prompt and friendly and very helpful. All steaks are the same size (huge) and come with a wide range of sides (and all can be gluten-free minus the sauce.) The steak was cooked as requested (medium) but the potatoes were a little hard… In addition to this, the steakhouse also offers a range of sushi options. As we were in the main square and there were no gluten-free desserts we headed to the gelato shop again for our dessert.

Pizzeria

We went to the pizzeria several nights due to my partner’s love of pizza! This is located in the corner of the main square to the left of the steakhouse area. Here there are good views of the Chai tower and it has a nice atmosphere in the evening BUT if you aren’t careful you will get eaten alive by mosquitoes…

My partner said the normal pizza was pretty good, the gluten-free pizza as you can see looks a little sad and anemic (although it was tasty!) This is due to the space constraints of the actual cooking area/pizza oven that is located in a small unit opposite the gelato shop. The gluten-free pizza, to avoid cross-contamination is cooked in the main restaurant and then brought down. If you want to have gluten-free pizza you need to let them know in advance so it can be arranged.

The service here was very indifferent and despite wanting to eat here on the first night and there being loads of tables we were told they were ‘fully booked.’ So ensure you make a reservation with the concierge/reception…

Breakfast

We had breakfast included in our room rate (Diamond members get it for free anyway) and it was served in the restaurant on the ground floor (La Terrazza Restaurant.) The space is vast and has ample seating for a lot of guests including an outside terrace if you wanted to enjoy the nice weather!

In the restaurant, you’ll find a good selection of pastries, crepes, pancakes, spreads, bread, continental meats, salad, fruit, yogurts, cheese, cereal and cooked options such as beans, fried eggs and scrambled eggs etc! In the far corner is a little gluten-free section which had two cakes (chocolate or carrot (the carrot cake was delicious) and a basket full of various gluten-free products including bread, muffins and biscuits. You can also ask for things to be made Gluten Free, for example, pancakes, crepes (you need to pre-order these) and omelettes!

Stuffed Toy From The Conrad…

If you like to collect the stuffed toys from Conrads it’s probably no surprise that the toy here is a pink flamingo…

Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia Conclusion

Overall we had a great and very relaxing stay, there were a few minor hiccups but they didn’t subtract from our overall experience. As a rule of thumb, we don’t like returning to many places but we’d happily return here next time we want a relaxing break. We originally paid 2,150 euros for our 4-night stay. Redemptions are priced from 90,000 points a night & cash rates start from around 450 euros a night for upcoming stays. For more details and booking click here. – https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/olbclci-conrad-chia-laguna-sardinia/