Wedgewood Hotel & Spa

You are choosing a 83-room hotel and resort in central Vancouver, part of Relais & Châteaux and housed in a 14-storey property built in 1984 and renovated in 2016. The tone is more city hotel than dive lodge: useful if the trip includes restaurants, galleries, shopping or a few days of urban wandering around the diving.

English is spoken by the hotel team, so you can deal with the practicalities of check-in, transfers and dinner without resorting to hand signals. The Wedgewood Hotel & Spa suits you if a dive trip needs a proper base rather than a bed beside the water — somewhere with room service, a concierge and a spa for the days when your legs have had enough adventure.

The address is 845 Hornby Street, in Vancouver, Canada. The hotel sits about 2 miles from the city centre, with Robson Square, Vancouver Art Gallery and Pacific Centre Shopping Mall around it. That puts galleries, shops and city streets into the plan without turning every outing into a transport exercise.

This is a city base rather than a waterside property. A nearby beach is part of the hotel's listed setting, while the surrounding location is firmly urban: useful when you want coffee, culture or a meal outside the hotel as well as a place to sleep. Vancouver does not stop being a city just because the wetsuit is drying.

The room choice is unusually broad, from single rooms through double and twin options to family rooms, suites and apartments. You can also choose between city views, garden views, balconies, penthouse layouts and attic rooms, depending on the category selected. For a solo diver, the single-room options keep the arrangement simple; for two people, a double or twin setup lets you choose between sharing and maintaining diplomatic distance after a long day.

The practical kit varies by room. Air conditioning, heating, a fridge, coffee or tea facilities, a safe, television and Wi-Fi appear across selected categories, while some rooms add a balcony, blackout blinds, fireplace, desk, bathrobes, slippers and a minibar. A fridge is handy for cold water when you come back tired and salty; blackout blinds are equally welcome when the body clock has its own ideas about the morning.

Suites bring more space into the equation, with one- and two-bedroom layouts among the choices, including options with balconies and views. Private bathrooms are standard across the listed room categories, although the apartment listing has a shared bathroom. Room service runs around the clock, and the hotel also offers non-smoking rooms, toiletries, towels, hairdryers and safes in selected categories.

Bacchus Restaurant covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you can keep the day's food inside the hotel rather than go hunting through Vancouver in damp clothes. Breakfast is included in the hotel offering, and the restaurant gives you a proper sit-down option when a post-dive sandwich would feel like giving up too early.

There is one named bar: Bacchus Lounge. It works through cocktails, whiskies, scotches, tequilas and wines, which is a fairly clear signal that the evening is not built around neon and loud entertainment. Coffee is also available, and the café covers smaller appetites. Room service is available 24 hours, useful when your appetite runs late or the sensible decision is dinner in a dressing gown.

The Spa at Wedgewood is the obvious recovery plan. Its treatments include massages, facials, wraps, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi — enough choice for the diver who wants muscle recovery, and for the non-diver who would rather spend the afternoon being looked after than discussing bottom time. The hotel also has a fitness room and offers yoga.

For a less scheduled day, bicycles are available and the concierge can help arrange excursions. Vancouver's urban setting also puts the hotel close to Robson Square, the Vancouver Art Gallery and Pacific Centre, so a day away from the water can involve art, shopping or simply walking until the legs remember they have done enough.

Families are welcome, with babysitting and childcare available. The hotel also lists skiing and a ski school among its activities, giving the property a second season beyond diving. Beach and pool towels are available.

The front desk operates around the clock, with check-in from 3 pm and check-out by midday. Express check-in and check-out are available, and the building has a lift with access to the upper floors. Wheelchair access is available, and the property is non-smoking.

Airport transfers can be arranged on request, either as a private service or a shared shuttle, through the hotel. Car parking and valet parking are available, and car hire is also listed. A concierge, luggage storage, laundry and dry-cleaning services make the hotel workable for a longer trip or a journey that combines diving with city travel.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. An on-site infirmary and a doctor on request add a useful layer of practical support, while the hotel also has business and conference facilities. The accepted payment cards include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and JCB.