Marjorie's Kauai Inn, a bed and breakfast

Built as a classic bed and breakfast in 1993, Marjorie's Kauai Inn suits you if privacy, space and a proper island setting matter more than resort theatrics. The property occupies 1.2 acres of gardens beside the Allerton and McBryde National Botanical Gardens, with the valley opening out beyond the accommodation.

You get the useful comforts for a diving base: air conditioning, private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, parking, a mini-refrigerator and a coffee maker in each room. There is also an outdoor barbecue, so the evening can stay pleasantly informal. The place has been run as a bed and breakfast rather than a large hotel, with a saltwater pool as its main centrepiece.

You stay in Lawai, in the Lawai Valley on Kauai. Old Kōloa Town is five minutes away, while world-famous Poʻipū Beach is a ten-minute trip from the inn. The beach is also accessible on foot, giving you a choice between a short drive and a slower island stroll.

The setting borders the Allerton and McBryde National Botanical Gardens, where scenes from films including Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed. Hawaii Trading Post is among the nearby places to explore. A car makes the location easier to use, and parking is available at the property.

The room choice is mainly about the way you want to wake up. Some categories focus on the sunset view, others on a broader outlook, while the one-bedroom option gives you more separation than a straightforward standard room. That makes the choice useful for couples who want a little more breathing space, or for anyone carrying more than a mask and a pair of flip-flops.

Every room has its own bathroom, air conditioning, a mini-refrigerator and a coffee maker. The refrigerator is handy for keeping water cool when you come back from the coast; the air conditioning gives you somewhere to recover from a warm, salty day. The rooms do not have cooking facilities such as microwaves or stoves, so the barbecue outside is the practical alternative rather than an extension of the kitchenette.

A suite for a honeymoon is available, as is a family room. The property is entirely non-smoking, and room service is available. Check the individual room card for the exact layout and outlook before choosing, because the view is part of the decision here.

Breakfast is included and comes in two forms: a buffet and a cooked entrée of the day. The breakfast bar is described as healthful, with a more substantial gourmet dish alongside it. It is served from Monday to Saturday, which is worth keeping in mind when planning a diving morning.

There is no restaurant or bar to turn the property into a full-service resort. Instead, you have the outdoor barbecue for an evening meal and a setting that keeps things simple. County regulations do not allow cooking in guest rooms, so the barbecue is the place for anything more ambitious than coffee and chilled drinks.

The 50-foot saltwater pool is the obvious place to spend the part of the day when your fins are back in the bag. It gives you a swim without sending you back to the sea, and the surrounding gardens provide room to sit outside with a book or let the afternoon lose its urgency.

Hiking is available for days when you want to stay on land, while the gardens and terrace give you somewhere to stretch out between outings. The barbecue adds a practical evening option, particularly if you would rather remain on the property than go hunting for another meal. A concierge is available to help organise the non-diving side of your stay.

Check-in starts at 3 pm and check-out is by 10.30 am. Private check-in and check-out are available, alongside luggage storage and laundry services. Wi-Fi, parking and air conditioning cover the basic logistics, while car hire is available for making the most of Kauai beyond Lawai and Kōloa.

The accommodation uses type A and type B sockets with 120-volt electricity at 60 hertz. The property is non-smoking. For arrival planning, the inn is in Lawai rather than in the centre of Kōloa, so having a vehicle will make beaches, towns and evening plans considerably easier to combine with your diving schedule.

The inn recycles, uses environmentally friendly cleaning products and relies on energy-efficient appliances. These measures sit alongside the gardens and valley setting without turning the stay into an environmental lecture: you simply get a smaller bed-and-breakfast operation making practical choices about its daily running.