Hotel Costa Calero Thalasso & Spa

Hotel Costa Calero is a substantial four-star base in Puerto Calero, with 340 rooms and enough on site to keep a diving holiday from becoming a daily hunt for somewhere to sit down. You get air-conditioned rooms, several places to eat and drink, four outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre and the Thalasso & Spa. It is a resort hotel rather than a small hideaway, which suits you if you like having the practical pieces close at hand once the kit is put away.

The atmosphere is built around easy recovery rather than theatrical luxury. There are gardens, sun terraces, loungers and evening entertainment, while Puerto Calero marina gives you a reason to leave the grounds without turning the evening into an expedition. The hotel website is available in English, Spanish, German and French, useful when you are checking the details before travelling.

You are in Puerto Calero, Spain, on the south-west side of Lanzarote, about 3.1 miles west of Puerto del Carmen. The hotel is not on a town beach: Puerto Calero harbour and its promenade of bars and restaurants are about 300 metres away, close enough for a post-dinner stroll and far enough to keep the hotel setting separate from the marina traffic.

The nearby beaches are reached by road or by the hotel's free shuttle service. Playa Chica is about 2.2 miles away, Puerto del Carmen Beach about 2.4 miles, and Arena Beach about 2.1 miles. For a change of scenery on land, Timanfaya National Park is about 7 miles away and the Montañas de Fuego are about 6 miles from the hotel. Lanzarote Airport is about 8 miles away; Arrecife ferry port is around a 25-minute drive, with regular departures to Gran Canaria.

The sensible choice depends less on the label and more on how much room you want around you. For two divers travelling as a couple, the Select Double Room gives you a king-size bed and a balcony, while the suites make more sense if you want a separate living area and somewhere to spread out rather than stack everything on one chair. The Select Suite with Sea View is the obvious pick when the view matters as much as the bed.

Families and small groups have more workable options than the standard double: the family room uses four single beds, while the larger junior and superior suites accommodate up to three guests. Every room is air-conditioned, has a balcony and is equipped with satellite television, a private bathroom, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer. There is also a wardrobe, a clothes rack and a drying rack for clothing, handy for the ordinary business of a wet holiday. Free WiFi runs throughout the hotel, so you can check the next day's plans without leaving the room.

Two restaurants cover the main meals. La Magdalena serves breakfast, lunch and dinner through international buffets with show cooking, alongside vegetarian and gluten-free choices. Oyambre takes a more local route, bringing Canarian dishes to the table as well as international recipes. Breakfast is a buffet with Full English and Irish, American, vegetarian and gluten-free options, so the early meal does not force everyone into the same idea of breakfast.

There are five named bars, which is a useful distinction when you have just come back from the water and are not interested in crossing the whole resort for a drink. Bar Mataleñas and the Piano Bar handle the indoor side, while Mouro Pool Bar and Jameo Pool Bar sit by the pools; Puerto Chico is the beach bar. The two pool bars and Puerto Chico serve salads, cold sandwiches and cakes. Dinner at La Magdalena is smart casual: closed-toe shoes and proper holiday clothes, rather than flip-flops, swimwear or a vest top.

Four outdoor pools give you room to choose between a swim and the more popular discipline of finding a lounger and not moving. Sun terraces, gardens, umbrellas and poolside seating make the quiet hours fairly straightforward, while the children's pool and kids' club give family groups their own rhythm. You can also use the fitness centre, table tennis, darts, billiards, archery, the games room and the shared lounge.

The Thalasso & Spa is the more convincing answer when your legs have had enough. Its facilities include a sauna, steam room, hammam, jacuzzi and relaxation area, with massages, facials, mud baths, body wraps and body treatments among the available treatments. Hair and beauty services are also offered. If you still have energy to spend, the programme includes cycling, hiking, canoeing, snorkelling, water sports, bike tours and evening entertainment; Lanzarote Golf Club is about a 15-minute drive away.

Check-in starts from 15:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. You need photo identification and a payment card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to share your expected arrival time. The lead guest must be at least 18. Children of any age are welcome, and a cot can be requested for a baby; availability depends on the accommodation selected.

Free public parking is available nearby without reservation, and the reception operates around the clock. You also have luggage storage, a concierge, tour desk, currency exchange, car hire and free WiFi throughout the property. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are available, as are packed lunches. The hotel accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and bank transfer; cash payments are subject to the applicable legal limits.