Italy/Sardinia/Live it!

Stylish Nowhere
The air conditioner hardly worked. The pillows were like lead. The décor was drab (the hotel calls it suitably "somber"). Now book a room as soon as you can!

Hotel Le Dune on the western coast of the island, is a unique experience in the middle of nowhere. It has everything except the rooms going for it (they're very clean & efficient however). The staff is lovely. The public rooms are comfortable & stylish. The beach is divine. But the main reason to go is because you've never been to a place like this before.

The core of Le Dune is actually a mining structure once used as a depository for minerals. The entire complex was declared a national monument in 1985. It's situated right smack in the sand, close to the clear emerald sea. And surrounded by glorious dunes.

Driving up to the hotel is part of the adventure. Over rutted mountainous roads, you enter a surreal area. A ghost town that was once the mining capital of Sardinia. Now left in the gauged landscape are only the remains of huge stone mining buildings & small miners' homes. All gutted. Covered in dust & debris, with vegetation taking over. Rusted rail tracks & cars, where the minerals were transported, are stopped dead. Seemingly taking a short break. But all is abandoned here, since the 1970's when the government-run industry shut down. What's left is a beautiful decay. And the hotel at the end of the line.

At the bottom of the tortuous road is the Le Dune. All alone in the area, except for a few campers. The entryway is an illuminated stone tunnel, leading to the front desk. The lounge area with the bar, is cavernous.The architecture is very interesting, with elements carefully chosen. And the mining memorabilia is fascinating. Obviously, much thought went into the restoration.
During the day the place to be is on the beach, where lounge chairs & umbrellas are set up for guests. The swimming is fabulous. The water is clear, with shots of true emerald green that Sardinian waters are famous for. At night have a cocktail on the terrace and let the stillness envelope you. The food is quite good (thankfully so, since you're a captive audience here).

If you can, get up at daybreak to see the sun rise behind the mountains. Climb a dune with your camera. Take a picture of the hotel, way down below. From this vantage point you'll realize how insignificant the building looks, compared to the awesome views around you. Nature is the star of the show here. But then, we told you not to come for the room, didn't we?