Villas Arbia - Margita Deluxe Beach Hotel

Set in villas built at the beginning of the 20th century, this is a place for divers who like their accommodation to have a bit more character than a standard hotel block. Art Nouveau furnishings, stonework and Mediterranean plants give the property a strong sense of place, while the sea sits close enough to make its presence felt from the accommodation.

English, Croatian, German and Italian are all used for the hotel's information, so English-speaking guests can plan their stay without wrestling with a translation app. The setting also suits families and couples: you have the option of an apartment with proper living space and a kitchen, while Rab's old town is close enough for an evening wander rather than a serious expedition.

The mood is more villa and apartment living than full-service resort routine. You can eat at the on-site restaurant, sit outside on the sun terrace or make your own arrangements in the apartment. Useful distinction after a long day in the water: the place gives you room to settle in, not just a bed and a television.

Villas Arbia sits in Padova I cove, in Banjol on the island of Rab, Croatia, beside the sea. The water is about 50 metres away, while the sandy beach is about 200 metres from the property. Padova II Beach is roughly 300 metres away on foot, and Padova III Beach is about 0.5 miles away, giving you several easy options when you want a change of shoreline.

Rab's old town is a 15–20-minute stroll along the sea. That puts cafés, bars and restaurants within reach without placing you in the middle of the evening noise. Villa Padova is about 300 metres away, while Konoba Riva and Agatini Vrtovi are each about 1 mile away on foot; Caffe Bar Moderato and the nearby San Antonio club and 1492 Cocktailbar Rab are also around 1 mile away.

The views do much of the geographical explaining. Depending on your accommodation, you may look towards the sea, garden, city or inner courtyard, with Rab's old town and its four bell towers forming the distinctive scene across the water. For a longer outing, Northern Velebit National Park lies about 10 miles away.

The Deluxe One-Bedroom Apartment is the practical choice when you want more than a sleeping compartment. A separate living and dining area gives you somewhere to sit, eat and leave the day's sandy clothes without turning the bedroom into a storage room. The sofa bed also makes the layout useful for a small family or for friends travelling together.

The kitchen is properly equipped for self-catering, with a hob, oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, coffee machine and kitchenware. That matters when you return hungry, want a cold drink without going out again or simply prefer a quiet meal at your own table. Daily housekeeping keeps the arrangement from becoming an extended experiment in domestic logistics.

Air conditioning is there for the hot, salt-heavy days, while soundproofing and soundproof rooms support a more settled night's sleep. A mosquito net, private entrance, dressing room and wardrobe add useful everyday detail. The bathroom includes a spa bath, bathrobes and slippers, so you can trade dive gear for something considerably less technical before dinner. Some units have a terrace or patio, and the ground-floor layout can make the apartment easier to use when you are carrying luggage.

Padova Restaurant handles breakfast and dinner, with a buffet at both ends of the day. Breakfast covers continental, vegetarian and gluten-free choices, while dinner brings hot and cold starters, fish, meat, salads, desserts and local and international dishes. Vegetarian meals are part of the offer, which is useful when the table has to suit more than one appetite.

The cooking follows a Mediterranean line, with fish and meat at its centre. Rab also brings its own edible landmarks: fresh seafood, organically grown olives, figs, grapes and honey, plus the island's Rab Cake, made locally for more than 800 years. You get a clearer sense of the island through those details than through a generic 'local cuisine' label.

Two bars keep the evening options separate: the Caffe bar and the Disco bar “SANTOS”. There is no room service, so late-night food is not a matter of lifting a telephone and waiting for a tray. The available arrangements are breakfast included or half board; for everything else, the apartment's kitchen gives you a useful fallback.

The beach is the obvious post-dive plan, but it is not the only one. A sun terrace, garden and outdoor furniture give you places to stop moving, while the hotel's swimming pool is available for an additional charge. A fitness and wellness centre is located about 50 metres away if your legs still feel they have unfinished business after the dive ladder.

Rab works well when you want to keep the surface interval active without making it another endurance event. Cycling, walking and guided cultural outings are available, including a two-hour city tour, island and panorama excursions, boat trips, fishing outings and visits to places such as Goli otok, Pag and Plitvice Lakes. Taxi-boat rides offer a simpler version of the same idea: get on, look at the coastline, and let somebody else deal with the route.

For a slower evening, the old town is close enough for a seaside stroll, and the island's Rabska Fjera medieval summer fair and Medieval Games provide a cultural angle when those events are taking place. Snorkelling, fishing and boat excursions are also available around the island, so your non-diving day need not be spent staring at the ceiling.

You can arrive by car using the ferry from Stinica to Mišnjak or from Lopar to Valbiska. Bus services connect the island with Rijeka and Zagreb, and a catamaran runs from Rijeka to Rab. Rijeka Airport is the nearest airport, about 40 miles from the property by road; passenger transfer services are available from Imperial Rab, so arranging the island connection is part of the journey rather than an afterthought.

Reception is open 24 hours. Plan your arrival between 14:00 and 23:00, with check-out between 07:00 and 10:00, and let the property know when you expect to arrive. Photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in. Private check-in and check-out, express check-in and check-out, and luggage storage are available when the timing of your travel does not line up neatly with the room.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and private parking is available on site. Laundry is available as a service, and the apartments include air conditioning, a flat-screen television, satellite channels and a DVD player. Children of all ages are welcome; cots can be requested for children aged up to two, while extra beds are not available. Quiet hours run from 23:00 to 07:00, which should suit anyone who would rather not start the next dive day listening to somebody else's holiday.