Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Clearwater/Madeira Beach

English is spoken by the hotel team, so you can deal with the useful things clearly, from check-in to asking where to find dinner. Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Clearwater/Madeira Beach is a modern three-star hotel for divers who want a straightforward base near the Gulf, with food, a pool and a proper bed waiting at the end of the day.

The mood is more practical than theatrical. Air-conditioned rooms, free WiFi, an on-site restaurant, a bar, an outdoor pool and a hot tub give you the essentials without asking you to dress up your recovery routine. There is also a fitness centre, should you still have the energy for one; after a full day in the water, the poolside option may prove more convincing.

The hotel is in St Pete Beach, Florida, at 1900 Gulf Boulevard, in the Madeira Beach area. Madeira Beach is a five-minute walk away, with white sand, sun loungers and parasols. You are close enough to reach the shore on foot, but the hotel itself gives you a pool and terrace for the occasions when sand in your shoes has already had its turn.

The immediate area is useful rather than isolated. Slyce Madeira Beach is about 600 feet away, Angry Pepper about 900 feet, and McDonald's about 1,050 feet on foot. Bicentennial Park is around 0.7 miles away, Madeira Beach Causeway Park about 1.2 miles, and John's Pass around 2.5 miles by road. For a longer outing, St Petersburg is about 10 miles away.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is about 12 miles away by road. Tampa International Airport is about 25 miles from the hotel, making the address workable for an arrival in the wider Tampa Bay area.

The room choice is mainly about how you want to sleep and what you want to look at when you open the curtains. Couples can choose a king room with a balcony, while the water-view version puts the scenery at the centre of the stay. If the priority is simply a comfortable night and somewhere to sit, the king room with sofa bed keeps things uncomplicated.

Travelling with family or friends? Rooms with two queen beds give you a more workable arrangement than sharing a single bed and pretending it is character-building. Children of any age are welcome, and sofa beds are available in several king-room and studio options. Accessible rooms include roll-in showers, grab rails, raised toilets, lower sinks and wheelchair access, with some also offering balconies.

Air conditioning matters in Florida, particularly when you come back warm, salty and ready to stop being heroic. Rooms also have a private bathroom, wardrobe, hairdryer, coffee machine, microwave, refrigerator, desk, flat-screen TV and streaming services. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel, so you can check the next day's arrangements or simply let a streaming service do the evening's heavy lifting.

The Bistro handles breakfast and dinner indoors, in air-conditioned surroundings. Breakfast is served as a buffet, which is the sensible format when you want coffee, food and a clear idea of the day before heading out. Dinner follows an American menu of familiar dishes rather than a complicated culinary expedition.

There is one full bar attached to The Bistro, serving a complete drinks selection, plus a snack bar and an on-site coffee house. Happy hour is available, and wine and champagne can be ordered. The arrangement suits a diver who wants to eat at the hotel without turning every evening into a logistical exercise.

A small on-site minimarket adds another practical fallback, while the rooms' refrigerator and microwave give you somewhere to keep and warm something simple. Kids' meals are available too, useful when the table includes younger appetites as well as one diver who has just discovered that swimming against current burns calories.

The outdoor swimming pool is the main place to reset between outings, with sun loungers and a sun terrace beside it. The pool is not heated, so it is best approached as a Florida cooling-off stop rather than a warm-water spa. A hot tub provides the more deliberate soak when your legs have had enough of the day.

For a quieter spell, the outdoor area includes furniture, a picnic area and an outdoor fireplace. That gives you a few different ways to spend an hour without automatically returning to the room or ordering another drink. Madeira Beach is also close enough for a proper walk, while Bicentennial Park and Madeira Beach Causeway Park offer nearby alternatives when you want to stretch your legs away from the pool.

The fitness centre is well equipped for keeping the routine alive, although nobody will confuse it with a compulsory part of the holiday. A laundry service and pressing service are also available, useful when Florida, salt water and a suitcase have started negotiating against you.

Check-in starts at 16:00 and check-out is by 11:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the minimum age for checking in is 21. A 24-hour front desk, lift access and wake-up service keep the basic logistics simple, while luggage storage and a concierge are available for the awkward gap between leaving the room and leaving the area.

Private parking is available on site and needs to be reserved. An airport shuttle can be arranged on request, so you can deal with the transfer through the hotel rather than improvising after a flight. The hotel also has a business centre, ten meeting rooms, an ATM and free WiFi throughout.

Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted. The property is non-smoking throughout, with a designated smoking area, and pets are not allowed. Children of any age are welcome; cot and extra-bed arrangements depend on the accommodation selected and availability.