Hotel Isla Real

Set on the coast of Cartagena, Hotel Isla Real is a resort for travellers who want the sea close at hand and the practical comforts of a full-service hotel around them. You have a restaurant, a bar, a spa, a fitness room and free Wi-Fi throughout the property, so the evening does not depend on finding your way back into town while still carrying the day's salt around with you.

English and Spanish are spoken by the hotel team. That makes the basics straightforward, whether you are arranging a meal, asking about an excursion or sorting out something at reception. The atmosphere is built around the coast rather than a city-centre stay: beach, pool, terrace and a cold drink are the main characters.

You are staying in Cartagena, Colombia, directly beside the sea. The beach is reached from the resort itself, with white sand, sun loungers and parasols ready for the hours when you are not underwater. A sea-view outdoor pool gives you another place to cool down without having to leave the property.

The hotel sits about 8 miles from Cartagena city centre. That puts the resort firmly on the coastal side of the trip rather than in the middle of the city's streets and sights. Excursions can be arranged through the hotel's tourist assistance service, which is useful when you want to add something beyond the beach without turning the planning into a second job.

The room choice is broad enough to match different sorts of diving trip. Solo travellers can keep things simple with a single room, while couples have double rooms with either a double bed or twin beds. Travelling with friends or family, you can move up to triple, quadruple, quintuple or sextuple accommodation, with family options also available. The cards below give the exact capacities, so there is no need to play hotel-room Tetris with luggage and wet clothes.

Standard rooms cover the essentials, including a private bathroom, air conditioning, safe, shower, toiletries, towels, wardrobe and Wi-Fi in the better-equipped categories. That means a cool room, a secure place for valuables and the basics waiting when you come back tired. Some of the simpler room categories are more lightly equipped, so check the individual room card rather than assuming every standard room has the same list.

For a little more room around the evening, junior suites and suites add options such as air conditioning, television, telephone, safe, toiletries and, in selected categories, a minibar or balcony. Sea-view suites and a premium suite with balcony put the emphasis on looking out rather than simply turning in. Couples may prefer a double room or suite, while groups should focus on the larger categories and confirm the exact bed arrangement before booking.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a local style of cooking that keeps the food connected to the setting. Breakfast is a buffet and is included in the breakfast-based board arrangement. For a diver, that gives the morning a proper starting point rather than leaving the first meal to chance.

There is one named bar, simply called Bar, and it is a beach bar specialising in cocktails. The snack bar gives you another food stop during the day, while the restaurant covers the three main meals. No continuous-snacking promise is attached to the property, so think in terms of scheduled meals, a snack bar and cocktails by the sand rather than an all-day buffet that follows you around like a persistent dive guide.

The outdoor pool looks towards the sea, and the direct beach access gives you two uncomplicated ways to spend the afternoon: float for a while, or claim a lounger and let the Caribbean do the talking. Beach towels are available, with sun loungers and parasols on the sand. There is also a terrace solarium for those who prefer their post-dive downtime above the waterline.

The spa offers massage treatments, which is useful when shoulders and lower backs have started keeping their own logbook of the holiday. A fitness room is available if you want to keep moving between dives, although nobody will judge you for choosing the pool instead. The garden and terrace add outdoor space, while the games room gives families somewhere to occupy younger travellers.

Boat excursions can be arranged through the resort, giving you another way to see the coast when you are taking a day away from diving. The concierge and tourist assistance service can help with excursion planning, so you can leave the organisation to someone else and get on with the more serious business of deciding whether the next stop is the spa or the bar.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is at 12:00. Reception, concierge services, luggage storage and free Wi-Fi are available, with laundry and dry-cleaning services for the clothes that have been through more humidity than they were designed for. A safe, a business centre and ticket assistance are also part of the practical setup.

The hotel accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and PayPal, with bank transfer also available through the resort's listed payment options. Colombia uses Type A and Type B sockets. The property has no lifts, so this is worth bearing in mind when choosing a room if stairs are inconvenient after a full day outside.

Excursion assistance is available on site, and the hotel is around 8 miles from Cartagena city centre, so plan your arrival and any city visits around that coastal location rather than expecting a walk into town.