Baia da Luz

English, French, Spanish and Portuguese are spoken by the hotel team, so you can deal with the practicalities of arrival, meals and the occasional minor crisis without resorting to underwater hand signals. Baia da Luz is an apart-hotel with 146 rooms spread over four floors, aimed at travellers who want more flexibility than a standard hotel room offers.

The mood is straightforward and useful rather than ceremonial. You have a choice between eating on site and using the kitchen in your apartment, while the pool, terrace and garden give you places to sit when the day is done. Families are catered for with a children's pool, a play area and babysitting, but the apartment layout also makes sense for divers travelling as a couple or in a small group.

The address is in Luz, Portugal, on Rua Alfredo Nascimento Batista in Praia da Luz, Lagos. The property sits close to the town centre, with Luz Beach, Praia da Luz and Porto de Mos Beach among the nearby places to explore.

Beach access is direct, and the beach is public. That gives you an easy change of scenery when a pool day has done its duty, while the town-centre setting keeps everyday essentials within reach. If you are driving, free on-site parking and a garage are available, which is considerably more useful than admiring a rental car from a taxi window.

These are apartments rather than rooms with a kettle pretending to be a kitchen. One-bedroom accommodation suits a couple who want a separate living arrangement from the usual bed-and-bag arrangement, while the two- and three-bedroom options give travelling groups more breathing room. Duplex apartments add a split-level layout for those who prefer a little separation between sleeping and living space.

The practical details vary by category, so check the individual apartment card before choosing. Selected apartments have a kitchen, microwave, fridge, coffee-making facilities, kettle, television, safe and hairdryer; all have a private bathroom, with both baths and showers represented among the facilities. Air conditioning and heating cover the less cooperative days, and room service is available.

For a longer stay, the apartment format is the main point. You can keep drinks cold, prepare something simple and avoid treating every meal as an expedition. Housekeeping details matter too: towels are changed twice a week, while bed linen is changed once a week for stays of two weeks. Cots and extra beds depend on the accommodation category, so the room details deserve a proper look before booking.

Alloro is the on-site restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is no elaborate culinary manifesto to decode here: the useful fact is that the main meals are covered in one place, with the restaurant described as offering excellent food and attentive staff.

A bar and a snack bar give you alternatives when a full meal is more commitment than you can manage. The apartments also come with kitchens in selected categories, plus a microwave, fridge, kettle and coffee facilities, so a quiet meal indoors is perfectly workable when the legs have had enough of the day.

The meal arrangement depends on the accommodation booking, so check what is included rather than assuming the apartment comes with a particular board basis. Water, coffee and tea facilities are available on site, and the restaurant handles all three main meals.

Three pools give you a choice of water without asking you to put on a wetsuit. One is an outdoor pool, and there is also a children's pool for families. Add a sun terrace, garden and direct access to the public beach, and the low-effort version of the afternoon is well covered.

For something more active, bicycles are available for hire, with hiking, windsurfing, golf and tennis also offered. The hotel can help arrange excursions, which is handy when you want to see some of the Algarve without turning the planning into a second job.

Families have a play area and babysitting, while the apart-hotel layout gives adults the option of retreating to their own space. There is no need to make every hour productive; a pool, a terrace and a cold drink are a perfectly respectable programme after a demanding day.

Check-in runs from 16:00 to 23:00, with check-out by 10:00. An airport transfer service is available and can be arranged with the hotel; car hire is also offered. Free parking is available on site, with parking nearby and a garage as further options.

Wi-Fi is free in the communal areas. A lift, luggage storage, laundry service, safe, wake-up service and reception desk cover the unglamorous details that make a stay run more smoothly. Accessibility facilities are available, and the property is non-smoking.

The hotel accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash. Pets are not allowed. If you are travelling with a cot or extra bed, check the selected apartment's conditions, as availability depends on the category and a maximum of one cot is allowed per accommodation.