"We spent two weeks at Is Serenas Badesi as a couple with a baby. We were a bit apprehensive having read the mixed reviews before our trip, however those reviews don't reflect our own experience. This is not your usual AI resort (e.g. Greece, Spain), this is AI done the Italian way aimed mostly at Italian guests. If you like a more authentic experience on holiday but want to go for an AI hotel, we would highly recommend. As with Italian resorts, they are very family-orientated, so if you are looking for candlelit dinners for 2, this is not the place for you. However, if you want a relaxed, friendly time with great facilities and loads to do in the resort (either as a family or with friends), you will enjoy the resort. As a first holiday with a baby, we had a great time and would consider going back.
Location
The resort is relatively new - it opened in 2021, the hotel facilities (reception, pool area, etc) reflect this and are all well maintained and very clean (including all toilets). The grounds are beautiful, flowering plants and trees surround the area.
Do know there is limited ways to go outside of the resort (by foot) given that it is quite isolated, we knew this ahead of time and so were able to prepare. You can rent a car at reception from Europcar (based in Valledoria), alternatively you can also take a free shuttle bus to Badesi, the small town nearby. The Badesi shuttle only runs several times a day (until 30 September 2025) so the only time you can catch it is first thing in the morning (leaving at around 9:55 from the hotel), you get about one hour in Badesi before you need to take the return shuttle. There are other buses in Badesi for Sassari or Santa Teresa but you will need to find a time that works to connect between the free shuttle bus and the other bus. You can find someone to advise and book buses at reception (same place as Europcar). We paid 297 EUR for 4 days car hire, this included the hotel delivery fee.
Room
The rooms are all either ground floor or first floor in small bungalows. Our room was a good size with a double bed and a small divan bed, plenty of storage space and a good size separated bathroom (toilet, bidet, large sink and walk in shower). The A/C in the room worked well. Outside the room, we had tables and chairs and a clothes hanger. You also have a safe in the room which is free to use. The soundproofing was excellent - our room was facing the main restaurant yet once inside we were in complete silence.
Pool and Beach
You have three pools plus a splash park on site - two of those pools are open to all (pools for lane swimming and leisure pool with shallow and deeper sections), there is a also a prestige pool open to prestige customers only. The sport pool and prestige pool close in the early afternoon whilst the leisure pool stays open. Bars are located next to each area so you can get drinks easily. Activities take place in the leisure pool such as zumba or aqua fitness. Going in early to mid September, we were very happy to find plenty of sunbeds every time we wanted to go to the pool. Pools areas are closed before 9am so there is no reserving of sunbeds. On some days at 10am, 90% of sunbeds were free. People are quite diligent too and remove their belongings once they leave for lunch, etc...
Contrary to something I saw on tripadvisor, you don't need a swimming cap.
The beach is a short walk away, a boardwalk was created going from the hotel to the beach so it is entirely step free which was great with a pram. During check-in, you are given the number of your reserved sunbeds and umbrella at the beach, we really appreciated this as it meant less moving around with the pram. We found afternoons were quieter but even the mornings with a few extra people were very nice too. You have a bar there too, although i
t closes in the early afternoon too (until 3:30pm). The sea was red flagged on a few days because of waves, although you were still able to go in as long you were in the very shallow areas. There is quite a bit of seaweed but you can easily avoid it (tends to be close to the beach and moves everyday so you can find areas without it). There are clean toilets at the beach too.
On days where it wasn't red flagged, you could do watersports (all free of charge except for private lessons), we did the canoe and paddle but there was also sailing, pedalo, wing sup, etc... Staff were very nice there and happy to help you set up.
Food and Drink
We arrived after the two themed restaurants closed for the season so we can't comment on those. We ate all our meals at the main restaurant situated next to reception. Breakfast times in 2025 were as followed: Breakfast (7:30-10:00)/Lunch (12:30-14:00)/ Dinner (19:30-21:00). There was limited outside tables and with relatively short meal times, it meant two sets of people couldn't necessarily enjoy dining at fresco using the same table over two sittings (e.g. for dinner, people would start to vacate tables around 20:15-20:30 making a second sitting a bit short).
The main restaurant can get noisy during the mealtimes, and at times feels more like a canteen than the fine dining experience some may want from an AI resort. You get used to this, and the Italian guests don't seem to mind.
Outside of restaurant times, snacks can be found near the central and beach bars - sweet stuff in the afternoon, and savoury stuff before lunchtime and dinner time. You can also order small snacks from the bar directly.
We found the food to be delicious and varied, although do know they run on a weekly basis so if you are here for two weeks, you will get a repeat on the second week. For us, it was not an issue as we got to try something we might not have got the first week. The food is mostly italian but if like us you are open to trying different things you will always find something to eat. There is a starters area with deli meats, cheese, a salad bar as well as small plates (cured salmon, squid salad, veal with a tuna sauce, rosbeef, etc..). There is a pizza area and a pasta area (they change every day but examples may include speck and gorgonzola pizza, margarita pizza, almond pesto pasta, boar bolognese pasta, squid ink pasta and more). You also have more plain options such as bolognese and pesto. You also have a grill section and a fried section (grilled fish/steak/octopus/prawns/sausages - one to two options per meal and fries/fried aubergine,fried fish, fried chicken, etc.. - one to two options each meal). You also had a choice of roast meats, a roast fish option or stew and veg options. Desserts were good too, mainly cream based (tiramisu, chocolate cake, etc..), there was also fruits, panna cottas and one flavour of ice cream changing each day.
Breakfast was the same each day but good, it included cereals, cakes and sweet pastries (cornetti), pancakes. You also had ham, cheese, toasties, as well as the main components of an english breakfast (bacon, sausages, eggs, beans, mushrooms) although this was italian style. Machines served coffees and juices. Unfortunately all juices were very artificial, it would be good to have some fresh juice options.
All drinks are self-service during meals - you can get Peroni on tap, white/red/rose wine, different soda options or water. At the pool, beach bar, central bar, prestige pool bar (I think) and reception, you have self-service machines serving water, and different soft drinks. As water is only provided in your room on the first day, this is the main way for you to get water, we recommend bringing a water bottle so you can refill easily.
Activities and Entertainment
There is a large animation team providing activities during most of the day at the beach, the pool and near the amphitheatre. There is a real mix of activities, sports (aqua fitness, tai chi, volleyball, nordic walking, etc...), card games, tournaments, dance activities, etc... They are not too pushy, which is great so you can join in if you want to, but you don't have to. They also run the nighttime activities - one of them usual sings near the bar area + group shows every evening on a different theme. Unfortunately with the baby we didn't make it to the shows but people seemed to appreciate it. All activities are in italian but we didn't mind at all. They translate where they can (announcements/questions/show lyrics).
Staff
Contrary to some reviews we read before our stay, most staff do speak English to a good level, especially staff on reception. Check-in was fast and we were given access to our room before the the check-in time (although I guess this could depend on availability during the summer season). All staff were nice and helpful. We found the housekeeping staff to be thorough in their cleaning too.
Child-friendliness
The resort is very child-friendly. Both staff and guests are very welcoming of babies, unlike in some countries. On arrival, we found a cot, changing mat, bottle warmer, baby bath and baby soap in our room, which was great. There were plenty of high chairs at restaurants. There is a baby kitchen off the main restaurant with fridges containing milk, yogurt, etc... You can also store your own baby food there. There is also water to make baby bottles. The baby kitchen is open from 6am to midnight but mainly functions during meal time with specific warm and cold weaning food also added. Between midnight and 6am, reception staff will give you access to the baby kitchen. You can find mixers in the kitchen too. Next to the baby kitchen, there is a specific part of the restaurant dedicated to making your children eat with plastic tables and high chairs.
If you have a child over 3 years old, they can go to the Serenino Club which is open between 9am and 11pm during summer months and morning and afternoons in May and September/October. This is free!
All staff were very accommodating of the baby which was great.
Advice
- Bring beach towels as they are not provided for free.
- Bring a refillable water bottle(s)
- If you don't book with Jet2, for example you use booking.com, you may have to pay for the mandatory card that gives access to all facilities and activities (pool, entertainment, water sports) on arrival.
Potential improvements
- Elongated meal times
- Improve the shuttle bus times (either by liaising with the commune of Badesi, or providing one)
- Arrange excursions or shuttles to local places, e.g. there is an excellent vineyard (Cantina Li Dunas) only 3km away! The town of Valledoria is also only 10 mins away and we found it to be pleasant with several nice shops, cafes and restaurants.
- Fresh juice (even if it's just orange juice)
- A two-week meal rotation"
