About Janus Hotel
Janus Hotel is a modern hotel by the seaside in Castelsardo, a picturesque historic town in Sardinia. I stayed at the hotel in September 2011.
Booking, arrival and public spaces
I booked online, months in advance, reserving a single room for one night at 60. I encountered two very nice and helpful receptionists at the hotel. The first one showed me to my room and, while I was out, fixed a problem with the lighting. The second receptionist looked up bus timetables for me and telephoned the bus company to confirm times. The hotels didn’t stock any tourist maps to give out, but did print off a street plan from Google.
The hotel was modern in style and fairly smart without being luxurious. The spacious reception area was furnished with sofas and tables. The hotel offers wi-fi to its guests, but the prices displayed in the lobby seemed unjustifiably expensive.
My bedroom
My bedroom was on the second floor, reached by a lift. The single room was at the back of the building; forward-facing bedrooms have terraces or balconies overlooking the sea. My room wasn’t large but it was ok for a single room. Furnishings included a wardrobe (fixed hangers), a desk with a perspex chair, an old-fashioned TV and a minimal mini-bar (I couldn’t find the prices). Decoration included pictures on wall – that lady walking a dog with her scarf blowing, and some local images. The layout of the room wasn’t vastly convenient and the bedside table was actually behind the pillow, while there wasn’t space for a suitcase stand. The room had good autonomous air-conditioning; it could have done with brighter lighting, however.
My bathroom was a generous size with a very good shower, decent toiletries, and two hooks on the wall (one of the only hotels on my Sardinia trip to provide bathroom hooks).
Breakfast
The hotel’s breakfast was served from 8am – as I was catching an 8.23 bus, I only had time to dash in briefly. The breakfast buffet was served in a fourth floor panoramic room with an outside terrace, and splendid view. There was a generous spread including a choice of croissants, ham, cheese, yoghurts, plentiful fresh fruit and cereal. I enjoyed a good chocolate croissant but didn’t have time to sample anything else.
Ristorante Fofò
I’m not a fan of hotel restaurants, and I only wanted a quick simple meal, but on the evening I was in Castelsardo it was hard to find a convenient alternative. Ristorante Fofò is the restaurant of the Janus’s sister hotel, and there is a small discount for guests – though only on advance bookings made through Hotel Janus. The service was ingratiating; the view from the terrace was nice, though the road beneath marred the atmosphere. Food was ok, but the charges of 3 euros each for water and cover charge – neither of which were published on the menu – left a nasty taste in the mouth, while the 6 euro ‘fantasy of Sardinian dolci’ consisted of four small dry biscuits, two of them identical.
Janus Hotel location
Janus Hotel is on Via Roma, a street which runs along the seafront west of the town headland, then winds up into the heart of the modern town, below the citadel. The hotel is at the start of the uphill stretch just a moment’s walk from the beach. There is a bus stop on the seafront just a minute’s walk away; this is where I alighted from my Alghero Airport bus, and where I caught an ARST bus the following day to continue my journey to Santa Teresa Gallura and the Maddalena islands.
Although it is a tiring walk up to the citadel from the seafront, the hotel’s location made it excellent for spending time on the beach or enjoying a walk along the seafront with views of the headland. There is a local bus service up to the castle, for those who don’t have a car and can’t face the walk, and the proximity of the bus stop made the hotel ideal for arrival in Castelsardo and for onward travel. I had to catch an early bus, but I still had time to grab a chocolate croissant before making the very short walk to the bus stop.
Recommendation
I thought the hotel was a very decent place to stay, in a practical location. I appreciated the proximity to the beach and bus stop, the helpful receptionists, and the view from the breakfast room. My single room was quite good value for money, and provided prices remain reasonable I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the hotel to other travellers visiting Castelsardo.
Make a booking
At the time of writing, Hotel Janus is open from April to October.
> More information / make a booking at Hotel Janus