Colonna Park Hotel

The setting does most of the talking here: a hotel above the water, with a balcony looking across João Fernandes and João Fernandinho beaches. You come for the coast, the views and the straightforward comfort of a 63-room hotel rather than a resort built around endless entertainment.

English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese are spoken by the hotel team, so sorting out the practicalities should not require a game of underwater charades. The atmosphere suits divers who want a proper base in Búzios, with somewhere to eat, cool down and sleep well between outings.

Families are welcome, and the hotel also has a garden, outdoor swimming pool, massage, sauna and steam room for the hours when the sea has already had enough of you.

Colonna Park Hotel sits in Búzios, on the Brazilian coast, between João Fernandes and João Fernandinho beaches. The hotel is directly on the seafront, with access to both beaches, so getting to the water is a matter of walking rather than arranging transport.

Búzios town centre is around 2 miles away. That leaves you close enough for an evening in town, while the hotel itself is positioned on the coast rather than in the middle of the streets and traffic.

Azeda Beach is also nearby, along with João Fernandes Beach and João Fernandinho Beach. The hotel stands on a rocky rise, which is good news for the outlook and worth remembering when your legs are tired and the route back involves a little more than a flat stroll.

For a couple, the standard double room with a double bed keeps things simple, while the twin-bed version makes sense when two divers are sharing without wishing to negotiate the duvet every night. The standard triple room is the practical choice for three people travelling together, with private bathroom, television and air conditioning.

If the view matters more than keeping the room basic, the sea-view triple room and the sea-view suites put the coast at the centre of the stay. The Family Suite with sea view is the obvious option when the room needs to work for more than two people, while the Master Suite and Presidential Suite add the kind of extra in-room kit that becomes useful when you are staying several nights: air conditioning, a fridge or minibar, safe, telephone and toiletries.

Air conditioning is available in several categories, and rooms include private bathrooms, televisions and hairdryers across the standard options. A minibar, fridge and safe are available in selected suites, not automatically across every room, so check the chosen category if chilled water and secure storage are part of your post-dive routine. Room service is available, with limited hours.

The Restaurante do Colonna Galápagos Garden serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with an ocean view. Its cooking is international with an Italian lean, including house-made ravioli, gnocchi and pappardelle alongside imported products. That is a useful combination when you want something more substantial than a snack after a day outside.

Breakfast is included, and the hotel also offers a buffet breakfast, café, restaurant service and a snack bar. The restaurant’s own pastry kitchen produces croissants, different breads, pão de queijo and assorted tarts daily, which gives the first meal of the day a little more interest than the usual anonymous tray of carbohydrates.

There is a bar for the drink that marks the end of the day, and food can also be served by the pool or in your room. The restaurant is the single named dining venue, so the rhythm here is simple: breakfast before heading out, a proper meal when you return, and a drink with the sea still in view.

Two swimming-pool listings, including an outdoor pool, give you an easy place to cool off without returning to the beach every time. Pool and beach towels are available, and the garden adds somewhere to sit when you want shade, a book or simply a few minutes without salt on your skin.

The wellness facilities are more useful than decorative after a full day outdoors: massage, sauna and steam room are available. The hotel also offers fishing, while the nearby beaches provide the obvious alternative for a quieter afternoon by the water.

For couples travelling with different ideas about the day, this arrangement works neatly. One person can head out to the beach, the pool or a massage while the other stays with a coffee, a book or the view. Families are welcome too, and the hotel has rooms designed for family stays.

Reception runs around the clock, with check-in from 14:00 to 23:30 and check-out by 11:00. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and there is a luggage service for the awkward gap between leaving the room and leaving Búzios altogether.

Airport transfers are available and can be arranged with the hotel. The hotel also offers currency exchange, wake-up calls, laundry and dry cleaning. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted.

The building has two floors. Air conditioning is available, and the electrical supply uses 127- and 220-volt sockets of types C and N, so a travel adaptor may be useful depending on your equipment. Children travelling to Brazil need the relevant identity and travel-authorisation documents, particularly when travelling with only one parent or legal guardian.