I chose the Mercure Hotel Olbia because my flight arrived around 1:00 a.m. and I specifically needed a hotel with 24-hour check-in. When I booked, I left a note explaining that I would arrive at approximately 1:30 a.m.
On arrival, the night manager repeatedly disappeared to check on my room before eventually admitting that there wasn't a single room ready for me. I explained that I didn't care what type of room it was—I had been travelling all day and just wanted somewhere to sleep. While I was waiting, another guest arrived and was checked in before me.
The night manager then called other hotels in Olbia, but everywhere was fully booked. By around 3:00 a.m. he ended up preparing a room himself with fresh sheets and towels. I finally got to bed around 4:00 a.m. The room was understandably not properly cleaned, and I had to remind reception the next morning to have housekeeping finish the job. Even then, the floor remained dirty and an already opened bottle of water was left in the room. When I asked for another bottle the following afternoon, I was curtly told that water is only complimentary on the first day—even though the first bottle had already been opened by the previous guest.
I don't blame the night manager, who did everything he could to resolve a problem caused by poor preparation. What disappointed me most was the hotel's response afterwards. They didn't make any attempt to reach out to me, let alone apologize. When I went and spoke to the manager at the front desk about what happened, it was the first she had heard of it. I brought up the possibility of some kind of compensation and the best they could offer was a complimentary drink. I felt was no genuine apology or acknowledgement of how unacceptable the situation had been.
I was surprised by this level of disorganisation from a well-known hotel brand. During the rest of my trip around Sardinia, I received much more professional and welcoming service from small, family-run hotels.
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