Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel

This is the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons resort for a stay where the hotel itself is part of the plan. The setting is polished and substantial rather than minimalist: a historic palace, extensive gardens, sea views and enough space to make a quiet afternoon feel like a perfectly reasonable use of time.

The hotel dates back more than a century and has been part of Riviera life for generations. It suits you if you want diving to sit alongside proper comfort, good food and a spa, rather than taking over every waking hour. The team speaks English, French, Italian, German and Russian, so the practical conversations should be straightforward.

The address is 71 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, on the Côte d’Azur. The hotel is close to the village centre, so you can leave the grounds on foot rather than treating every small outing as a transport operation.

Several beaches are close by, including Plage des Fosses, Plage des Fossettes and Port Beach. The Mediterranean is the obvious geographical constant here, while Nice and Monaco sit within the wider Riviera landscape viewed from the heritage building. This is a peninsula stay, not a city-centre base: the surroundings are coastal, green and built around the Cap.

The room choice is mainly about how much space and outlook you want around your diving kit and your evening. A Superior Pinewood Double room keeps things simple, with air conditioning, blackout blinds, soundproofing, tea and coffee facilities, a safe, Wi-Fi and a private bathroom. It is the sensible choice if the room is chiefly for sleeping, showering and escaping the Riviera heat.

For a stronger sense of place, the Palace Double room with sea view looks towards the Mediterranean. The Deluxe Terrace Double room adds outdoor space, while the Four Seasons Double Suite with sea view gives you more room to spread out. The suites are designed for two, and the larger villas and penthouse are there when privacy and space matter more than keeping the booking uncomplicated.

Air conditioning is useful after a warm day outdoors, while blackout blinds and soundproofing should help if your body clock has not yet agreed with the travel schedule. Selected rooms and villas include a fridge, dining area, bathrobes, slippers and a more generous set of in-room comforts. Wi-Fi, television, a safe and private bathrooms are available across a range of categories, with details varying by room.

The headline here is Mediterranean cuisine with a Michelin star, which sets the tone rather more clearly than a list of generic dining facilities ever could. After a day in the water, the appeal is simple: sit down properly, order something substantial and let somebody else deal with the logistics of the evening.

Breakfast is available, including breakfast in the room, and the hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a café for smaller appetites. Bottled water, tea and coffee are also available. The café is the practical stop when you want something lighter; the restaurant is where the Riviera polish becomes part of dinner rather than merely scenery.

Dietary menus can be arranged on request. Room service gives you another option when the sensible decision is food in a dressing gown, with no further ambition beyond eating it.

Le Spa is the main alternative to another expedition. It offers massages, facials, a hammam, saunas, a jacuzzi and a hydrotherapy circuit with a sensory shower, whirlpool bath and ice fountain. There are separate private steam rooms and saunas for men and women, plus a VIP suite for couples.

The spa also includes indoor and outdoor cardio studios, while the fitness centre and gym cover the more energetic version of a rest day. An indoor pool and an outdoor pool give you somewhere to swim without turning the afternoon into a major event. Outdoor cabanas and the gardens make it easy to settle down afterwards.

When staying dry becomes the priority, the hotel can arrange boat trips and excursions involving islands, waterfalls, markets and snorkelling. There is also a library, a sun terrace, table tennis, bicycles and a children’s club. In other words, a non-diving day does not have to mean sitting in the same chair until dinner, although that remains a perfectly defensible plan.

Check-in starts at 3 pm and check-out is by midday. Airport transfers are available, either privately or by shared shuttle, and should be arranged with the hotel. Vehicle hire, parking and an electric-car charging station are also available, with parking on the property.

The concierge can help with excursions, tickets and local arrangements. There is luggage storage, a lift, express check-in and check-out, laundry, dry cleaning, ironing and a wake-up service. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and the property has facilities for guests with reduced mobility, including wheelchair access.

Families are catered for with a kids’ club, children’s play areas, babysitting and a children’s pool. Small pets are accepted. For the room itself, check the facilities attached to your chosen category: a fridge, terrace, dining area, bathrobes, slippers and soundproofing are not universal across every option.