Contrada Santa Lucia, Cefalu, Italy | (937) 315-4602
Beachfront location on the Bay of Cefalu
Nice outdoor swimming pool with water fountain fixture
Some rooms have beach views from private balconies
On-site restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Santa Lucia Bar serves pastry and gelato
Blu Bar for evening entertainment (resembles an English pub)
Room service available
Free parking
Entertainment for kids in the summer
Steep steps lead to the beach
Some complaints about quality of food in the restaurant
Rooms look dated and worn (patterned bedspreads)
Train tracks run directly next to the swimming pool
Hotel Santa Lucia e la Sabbie d'Oro (golden sands) is a value pick with a lovely outdoor pool and basic rooms with balconies and sea views. This property is quiet and peaceful, with fast access to the beach (via a steep set of stairs) and Cefalu, a tiny town that hosts numerous visitors each year on Sicily's northern coast. There is an English pub inspired bar and room service is available, but some guests have complained about food quality. Rooms could use some upgrades, but there is convenient entertainment for kids in the summer.
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Scene
Three multi-story buildings on the beach
Hotel Santa Lucia e la Sabbie d'Oro is divided into three towers, though the rooms are identical in each building. The lobby and reception area -- with white tile floors, ceilings, and walls -- is bright and airy with natural light coming in through large windows. There's an oversize modular couch with red, brown, and orange cushions next to an Italian-style water fountain. The public spaces of the hotel look slightly tired but the swimming pool is clean and framed with white sun loungers. You're more likely to find tour bus groups than the chic set who come to Cefalu for the night club scene at this property.
Location
On the Bay of Cefalu along the northern coast of Sicily
Hotel Santa Lucia e la Sabbie d'Oro has a prime location with access to a white sandy beach and the brilliant blue waters of the Bay of Cefalu, but you'll have to walk down steep stairs to get there, which can be taxing for families with small children or the elderly. There's a convenient taxi stand and bus stop just outside the hotel's doors and parking in the two large lots is free. Walking to the city center takes about 20 minutes.
Rooms
Generic and worn with (some) beach-view balconies
The rooms inside Hotel Santa Lucia e la Sabbie d'Oro could use some attention. There isn't much in the way of decor and floral bedspreads look dated. Some guests have complained of maintenance issues like cracks in the walls. The suite upgrade provides a lot of bang for your buck with a private balcony overlooking the water and a whirlpool tub in the decently sized bathroom. The mauve and brown color-blocked painted wardrobe and a low-hanging chandelier add pizazz that's missing in the standard rooms. Mini-fridges, central air, and tube style TVs are standard.
Features
Outdoor swimming pool, beach access, and a British-style pub
There are some fun features at Hotel Santa Lucia e la Sabbie d'Oro including a large outdoor swimming pool with a semi-attached kids' area complete with a water fountain for them to splash in (note that train tracks run parallel to the pool). The hotel organizes entertainment for kids in the summer. Though the hotel is built on the beach, the golden sand is accessible only via steep stairs. Blu Bar offers evening entertainment with cocktails while the family-friendly Santa Lucia Bar does snacks and gelato. The hotel restaurant serves three meals a deal but gets mixed reviews on food quality.
