La Lucia Sands Beach Resort

Think less hotel corridor, more holiday apartment with your own front door, kitchen and living space. La Lucia Sands Beach Resort suits you if you want the flexibility of self-catering, a pool on site and the beach within easy walking distance rather than a tightly scheduled resort routine.

The layout is particularly useful when you are travelling with family or a small group. You have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a lounge and a dining area, so everyone does not have to negotiate the same sofa after a long day out. The resort also has a garden, outdoor pool, sauna and barbecue facilities, giving you somewhere to sit when the day's main decision is whether to cook or walk out for dinner.

The hotel's website is available in English, which makes the online information straightforward to handle in English.

You are in Umhlanga Rocks, Durban, with Umhlanga Rocks Beach a short stroll from the resort. The property is described as beachfront, while the accommodation itself faces the garden, so your room outlook is leafy rather than a guaranteed sweep of sea. That is a useful distinction when the brochure language starts getting enthusiastic.

Umhlanga Main Beach is about 0.5 miles away, and the lighthouse and pier are both within roughly 1 mile. For a change from sand and swimming, Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve is about 2 miles away, while Gateway Shopping Mall and Umhlanga Ridge are also around 2 miles from the resort.

Durban is about a 20-minute drive away. King Shaka International Airport is roughly 10 miles by road, making the resort a manageable first or last stop on a South African itinerary.

The accommodation is built around a three-bedroom apartment rather than a standard hotel room. That makes the choice fairly simple: take it when you want proper separation between sleeping and living areas, or when several people are travelling together and a single room would have everyone stepping over everyone else's luggage. Two bathrooms help keep the morning queue civilised.

The apartment is garden-facing and includes a lounge, dining area, balcony and terrace. After a hot day outdoors, air conditioning gives you a way to cool the room, although it carries an additional charge. A refrigerator, microwave, oven, stovetop, dishwasher, kettle and toaster make the kitchen usable for anything from a quick breakfast to a proper evening meal, while the dining table gives you somewhere more sensible to eat than the edge of the bed.

There is a bath or shower, towels, linen and wardrobe space, along with a television and satellite channels. Daily housekeeping is available. Linen changes can also be arranged for an additional charge, and WiFi is available in the rooms with charges applying.

This is a self-catering stay, so your meals are organised around the apartment rather than a hotel dining timetable. The kitchen has the useful workhorses: refrigerator, oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, toaster and kettle. After a tiring day, that means you can make something simple without turning dinner into a project, or use the dining area for a meal with the group.

Barbecue facilities and an outdoor dining area add another option, particularly when the weather is doing what Durban weather is supposed to do. The garden and terrace give you space to eat outside, with the pool close at hand for the less ambitious members of the party.

When cooking feels like an unnecessary extra task, Butcher Boys in Umhlanga is about 0.5 miles away. The Chefs is roughly 0.7 miles away, and Pintxada about 0.8 miles. Gateway Shopping Mall, around 2 miles from the resort, gives you further food and shopping options without sending you across Durban.

The outdoor pool is the obvious place to spend a slow afternoon, with pool and beach towels available. There is also a children's pool, playground equipment and a children's outdoor play area, so younger travellers have their own distractions while you claim a quieter corner of the garden. Board games and puzzles are available too; low-tech entertainment, still stubbornly effective.

For something more active, the resort has a multipurpose court. Fishing is available as an activity, and a golf course lies within about 2 miles. These are useful choices when you want to do something other than swim, eat or stare at the ceiling while deciding whether you are tired enough for an early night.

The sauna offers a warmer finish to the day, and a mobile spa is available at the resort. Add the garden, terrace and balcony, and you have several ways to slow the pace without needing to leave the property.

Free private parking is available on site and does not need to be reserved. The property has a lift, while the apartment itself can be on the ground floor; upper floors are accessible by stairs only. Laundry is available for an additional charge, and a safety deposit box is provided. Twenty-four-hour security, CCTV in common areas and key access are also in place.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 16:30, and you need to tell the property your expected arrival time in advance. A photo ID and credit card are required at check-in. Check-out is from 08:00 to 10:00. Payment before arrival by bank transfer is part of the booking process, and a refundable damage deposit is collected in cash on arrival.

Entry to the property closes between 22:00 and 05:30, so late returns need planning. Children of any age are welcome; a cot can be requested for a baby, while extra beds are not available. The minimum age for check-in is 21, cash payments are not accepted, pets are not allowed and parties are not permitted.