My partner and I have just returned from a 10 day trip to Sardinia, the first four nights of which was spent at the Hotel Valkarana. The hotel is relatively new, and this is their 2nd full season open for business. we were lucky enough to experience the new pool although we missed out on testing the jacuzzi - but hope to next time... The hotel is in a beatuful location next to Lake Liscia in the Tempio-Olbia region and is a 30 minute drive to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Med. Yes, it is a little out of the way and off the beaten track but this only adds to the beauty of it. You can sit outside your room and listen to life without motorways, aeroplanes and people! I wouldn't stay here with a view to staying on-site the whole time but more use it as a well positioned base for exploring the NE & E regions of Sardinia. We were able to have day trips exploring Orosei, Smerelda and Maddelena. Our room was very large, clean and spacious and fitted with a television (although who would want to use it!), aircon and ample storage space. The ensuite was excellent too and the room was cleaned and bed made up daily. The General Manager Gian-Marco was extremely polite and so helpful to us when we encountered problems with our car hire company (2 cars, 2 breakdowns, 2 days!) and spent a long time on the telephone helping us to sort this out and even helping to try and fix the cars! The restaurant is quiet and relaxed with fantastic views out across the lake. A previous guest left an earlier review saying that the waiter didn't speak much English, well perhaps trying to learn a few, key Italian words would help. It worked for me, it really doesn't take much effort to learn a few key phrases and goes a long way with both staff and the locals. The food was lovely with fresh produce and the menu provided a good selection so we were able to try something a little different each night. If you want a resort, style hotel with loud music, crass buffet food and a plethora of kids running around screaming then DON'T come here - a) you'll ruin it for the rest of us and b) you'll only leave negative comments because you don't appreciate the true beauty of a place like this. If you want a relaxed, tranquil place to stay with locally cooked fresh food, a feeling of getting away from it all and a chance to relax away from the crowds then DO stay here, I can guarantee you'll come away feeling very refreshed...