The Coast Yard

The Coast Yard is a small bed and breakfast in a seaside setting, with ten rooms and the sort of straightforward facilities that matter when you are travelling with a car. There is a garden, a terrace and outdoor furniture for sitting outside rather than treating the bedroom as your entire evening plan.

The mood is informal. You have a bar, free on-site parking and breakfast included, with the coast close by. Families are welcome, and several room categories are designed for two, three or four guests, so the place can work for a travelling pair or a small group without turning the stay into a grand production.

The address is on Chichester Road in Selsey, within Chichester, West Sussex. The setting is seaside, with the beach nearby and the open coast within easy reach on foot or by car.

Chichester is the nearest named city, while Gatwick Airport is a 60-minute drive away. That makes this more of a coastal base than a city-centre stop: useful if you want the sea on your doorstep and have your own transport for getting around.

The choice is broad enough to match different kinds of dive trip, from single rooms for solo travellers to double, twin, triple and family rooms. Several categories come with a private bathroom, while standard and deluxe options add a television and hairdryer. For two people who prefer separate beds, twin-room options are available; for a family or small group, the larger family categories make more sense than trying to negotiate floor space around everyone's bags.

Some of the more comprehensively equipped rooms include heating, a shower, towels, toiletries, a wardrobe and tea-making facilities. Selected family and luxury rooms also have a fridge, which is useful for keeping drinks cold when you return from a long day outside. A balcony is available in one luxury category, and some rooms offer a garden or other view. The exact equipment varies by room, so choose by the facilities shown for the category rather than assuming every room has the same kit.

The practical baseline is clear: private bathrooms are available, along with bedding, towels and heating in selected categories. Family rooms, non-smoking rooms and accessible facilities are part of the accommodation offer. The hotel is heated, and the garden and terrace give you somewhere beyond the room to sit when the weather plays along.

Breakfast is included and runs from 7.30am to 10.00am, with a choice of buffet, continental and à la carte service. That gives you a little flexibility: a quick plate before heading out, or a slower start when the day's plans are less demanding. Homemade apple fritters are the distinctive detail here, and a welcome change from the usual anonymous breakfast pastry.

There is one bar, Our Bar, run on an honesty-bar basis. Help yourself to the available alcoholic drinks and soft drinks, write down what you have taken and settle up before leaving. It is refreshingly simple, though it does require you to remember the second half of the arrangement after the first drink.

The stay is sold with breakfast included rather than as a full-board arrangement. The hotel also lists a bar and room facilities for making tea, so you can have something warm without turning the evening into a search for an open café.

The garden and terrace are the main places for taking the edge off the day. Outdoor furniture gives you somewhere to sit with a drink, read or simply stop moving for a while; after several hours in the water, that may be all the entertainment required.

The nearby beach adds an easy change of scene, while a golf course is within two miles for anyone who prefers a land-based round between outings. There is no need to build a complicated programme around the hotel: the appeal is the coast, a place to sit outside and a base that lets you decide how much activity is enough.

Families are welcome, and the surrounding seaside setting gives travelling companions something to do while you are occupied elsewhere. The bar, garden and terrace cover the low-effort part of the evening rather neatly.

Check-in runs from 3.00pm to 10.00pm, with check-out by 10.30am. Tell the hotel your estimated arrival time, particularly if you expect to arrive towards the end of the check-in window.

Free parking is available on site, which is useful in this coastal location and removes one small nuisance from a car-based stay. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Payment is accepted by cash and credit card, and accessible facilities are available.

Dogs are welcome in ground-floor rooms only. If you are travelling with one, mention it when arranging the stay so the right room can be allocated. The nearest airport connection is Gatwick, around a 60-minute drive away.