Taman Unique Hotel Senggigi

English is spoken by the hotel team, so you can sort out the practical details without resorting to underwater hand signals. Indonesian is spoken too. That matters when you arrive tired, sandy and more interested in a shower than in deciphering a reception desk conversation.

With 35 rooms, a restaurant, a bar and an outdoor pool, Taman Unique Hotel Senggigi is a straightforward base for divers who want the beach and local life nearby rather than a self-contained resort sealed off from Senggigi. You can come back from the coast, settle by the pool or head out for food. The choice is yours, which is usually preferable to being offered the same view and the same buffet every evening.

Families are catered for, with family rooms and children's meals available. Couples also have an easy set-up: a beach close by, a pool bar for a drink and the town within reach.

The hotel is in Senggigi, on Lombok, not in the Gili Islands despite the occasional temptation of catalogue geography. Senggigi Beach is 50 metres away, with white sand, sun loungers and parasols. In practical terms, you can reach the beach on foot rather than arranging transport every time you fancy a swim.

Senggigi centre is around five minutes away, and several restaurants and bars sit close to the hotel. Batu Bolong Beach is about 1 kilometre away, while Kerandangan Beach is around 0.9 miles away. Mangsit Beach is roughly 1.6 miles away, giving you a few alternatives when you want to change your stretch of coast.

For a land-based change of scene, Malimbu Hill is about 4 miles away and Narmada Park around 14 miles away. Lombok International Airport is about 27 miles from the hotel, with the road journey taking roughly 43 minutes by car.

The room choice is mainly about how much space you want around you, not about collecting category names. Couples can keep things simple with a queen room, while the Suite gives you more room to spread out after a day in the sea. For a family, the Family Room has one super-king-size double bed and one king-size bed, accommodating up to four guests. Extra beds and cots are not available, so choose the room around the people travelling rather than hoping the furniture will perform a late miracle.

Air conditioning is available in every room, which is useful when Lombok has left you warm, salty and ready for a horizontal evening. Rooms also have a minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities, a desk, a seating area and free WiFi throughout the hotel. A private bathroom, shower, towels and toiletries keep the essentials close at hand.

Balconies are part of the accommodation, and daily housekeeping takes care of the reset while you are out. The rooms are non-smoking. Room service is available, so you can keep dinner uncomplicated when the only ambitious plan left is getting dry and finding the bed.

The Unique Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors, with international cooking and a view. Breakfast is a buffet, which suits dive days rather well: you can build a proper plate before heading out instead of gambling on a single pastry and calling it nutrition.

The menu covers international dishes, with Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and other international cooking represented. That gives you room to vary the evening meal without leaving the hotel, while the wider Senggigi area adds several restaurants within easy reach when you want to compare notes over dinner.

There is one named bar, the Pool Bar, beside the outdoor swimming pool, with cocktails on offer. A hotel bar, a pool and the sea nearby: not a complicated formula, but after a day in a wetsuit, complicated is rarely the target. Wine and champagne are available, and room service can bring food to your room.

The outdoor swimming pool is the obvious place to let the day slow down. It has a pool bar, a sun terrace, loungers and pool or beach towels, so you can move from water to shade without making a project of it. The garden and outdoor seating add space when you want to sit somewhere that is neither your room nor a restaurant table.

For a quieter afternoon, massages are available. The hotel can also arrange cultural tours, walking tours and bike tours, while hiking, fishing and snorkelling are among the activities available around the property. Kayaking, boat excursions and equipment hire are also part of the local mix.

When the sun drops, live music, evening entertainment and televised live sport give you something to do without requiring a second change of clothes. You can also arrange a Gili Islands tour or Mount Rinjani trekking. The latter is not exactly a gentle post-dive stroll, so plan it around your decompression rather than your enthusiasm.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out runs from 07:00 to 12:00. You need to be at least 18 to check in, and photo identification and a credit card are required at arrival. The property accepts cash, Visa and Mastercard; cancellation and prepayment conditions vary with the accommodation selected.

An airport shuttle is available, and the hotel can arrange shuttle services. You can book an airport transfer directly with the hotel, either privately or as a shared service where available. Car hire is also available. Free on-site public parking does not require a reservation, which is useful if you are travelling around Lombok rather than staying put.

The front desk operates around the clock. Luggage storage, currency exchange, an on-site ATM, a reception safe and concierge assistance cover the useful bits of travel administration. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are available, and a small minimarket on site can save you a trip when you need something simple. Free WiFi covers the hotel, while the rooms also have their own minibar and tea and coffee facilities.