Claritas Beach Bar & Resort, WorldHotels Elite

Claritas Beach Bar & Resort, WorldHotels Elite puts you in Jacó with the Pacific in front of you and the town close enough to reach on foot. The setting draws on the site of a historic hotel and bar dating from 1964, reworked as a modern resort with original art, community at its centre and a clear connection to the coast.

English and Spanish are spoken by the hotel team, so you can deal with the practicalities of a diving holiday without resorting to hand signals before breakfast. The atmosphere is built around beach time, open views and easy access to the water, with two sea-facing pools when you fancy changing the scenery without going far.

You are in Jacó, Costa Rica, directly on the Pacific coast and on a sandy beach. The hotel sits a short walk from Jacó town centre, giving you access to the town as well as the beach without turning every small outing into a transport exercise.

The location is particularly simple to understand: sea-facing resort in front, Jacó behind it. The airport is about 56 miles away. An airport transfer can be arranged through the hotel, either privately or as a shared service, so the arrival plan can be settled before you set off rather than improvised with a suitcase in hand.

The choice is mainly about how much space and how much Pacific you want around you. Couples can look towards the double rooms or double suites, with ocean-view versions for those who would rather open the curtains to the coast. The suites add practical touches such as a safe, telephone, toiletries, towels and a private bathroom, which is useful when the day has involved salt, sun and more kit than dignity.

For a small group or family, the quadruple rooms give you a more workable base than trying to make a double room perform miracles. The ocean-view quadruple option keeps the beach in the picture, while the suite categories suit a slower, more comfortable stay. Private bathrooms are available across the room categories.

Air conditioning is available at the hotel, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. Room service is also available when leaving the room feels like an unnecessary expedition. The standard check-in time is 3 pm and check-out is at midday, leaving a useful margin on departure day rather than forcing you to vanish at breakfast.

Clarita's Restaurant faces the beach and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an international menu that covers the day from the first coffee to the evening meal. Breakfast is included, and the buffet format means you can build a proper plate before heading out rather than treating a banana as a food group.

For a change of direction, Higuchi Sushi Bar serves lunch and dinner outdoors, with wide ocean views. It brings Japanese cooking into the beach setting without asking you to abandon the coast for the evening. There is also a beach bar for drinks by the sand; no complicated itinerary required.

The hotel operates on a bed-and-breakfast basis, with breakfast included in the stay. The restaurant handles the main meals, while the beach bar is the natural place to linger when the sensible plan of one drink has already failed.

Two outdoor pools sit in front of the sea, only a few steps from the beach. They give you an alternative for a swim or a slow hour in the water, while sun loungers and parasols are available on the sand for the more traditional post-beach arrangement: sit down, look out, and avoid unnecessary movement.

The spa offers massage, facials, nail care and beauty services. That is enough choice to deal with the usual consequences of a day in sun and salt without turning relaxation into a timetable. The gym has sea views, should you feel the need to remind your legs that they have other responsibilities.

The hotel also provides assistance with excursions, so you can arrange more than a pool-and-bar routine if Jacó starts pulling you away from the lounger. A lift, wheelchair-accessible facilities and air conditioning add practical comfort around the property, particularly if stairs and overheated corridors are not part of your holiday ambitions.

The hotel has a 24-hour reception, free Wi-Fi, parking and luggage storage. Airport transfers are available through the hotel, and excursion assistance is handled on site. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are available when the beach, travel and repeated use of the same favourite shirt begin to show their combined effects.

Check-in starts at 3 pm and check-out is at midday. The property has a lift and accessible facilities, with a conference room and business services for anyone combining a diving break with work that refused to stay at home.

The hotel accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard and American Express. English and Spanish are spoken by the team. For diving, Jaco Guides dive shop is about 2 miles away, so this is a beach resort with diving available nearby rather than a hotel with its own dive centre.