Le Versailles

You come here for a Riviera base with a little more substance than a room above a busy road. Hôtel Le Versailles is a three-star hotel with 45 rooms across four floors, an outdoor pool, a restaurant and a pool bar, all set above the bright bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

English, French and Italian are spoken by the hotel team, which makes the practical conversations straightforward when you are arriving with dive bags, arranging a transfer or asking about the day's plans. The atmosphere is built around the terrace, the garden and the pool rather than a long list of resort activities. After diving, that can be precisely the point: somewhere to eat, have a drink and let the salt dry off without turning the evening into an organised event.

The address is 7 Boulevard Princesse Grâce de Monaco in Villefranche-sur-Mer, facing the bay and the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula. The town centre is about 1 km away, close enough for a walk when you want to leave the hotel behind and explore the streets, cafés and waterfront.

The Institut de Français, Plage de la Darse and the museums of the Citadel are among the nearby places to explore. The hotel is also near the beach, with the coast and the bay forming part of the everyday setting rather than something reserved for a day trip. Parking is available if you are driving, and an electric-vehicle charging station is also on site.

The room choice is practical rather than mysterious. Couples can take a standard double with a double bed, while two divers travelling together may prefer the version with twin beds. A triple room gives three people a straightforward base, and family rooms are available for those travelling with children. Every listed room category has a private bathroom, so you can rinse off after the day without sharing the facilities with the rest of the floor.

Air conditioning and heating cover the obvious Riviera variables, from a hot return in summer to cooler evenings outside the main season. The lift serves the four floors, and accessible facilities include wheelchair access. Room service is available, while the suite adds a safe, telephone, toiletries, towels and a mirror for those who want a little more built into the room itself.

A 24-hour reception, Wi-Fi, luggage storage and a safe help keep the arrival and departure routine simple. The room categories include single, double, twin, triple and suite options, so the sensible choice depends mainly on whether you are travelling alone, sharing with a buddy or bringing the family along.

Dinner is served at La Terrasse by Rossana, whose cooking follows the traditions of Liguria. That gives the evening a distinctly Italian-Mediterranean direction, with the restaurant's story rooted in family recipes and the region across the border rather than in generic hotel dining.

There is one bar, the Pool House, beside the outdoor pool. It serves cocktails with or without alcohol, as well as a light lunch and smaller refreshment breaks, so you can stay outside when a full restaurant meal feels like overkill. A snack bar is also available.

Breakfast is offered, while the restaurant covers dinner. Room service gives you another option after a day of diving.

The outdoor pool is the natural centre of the non-diving day, bordered by olive trees and exotic plants. The pool house and its shaded terrace provide a place to sit with a drink, order a light lunch or simply stop moving for a while. There is also a sun terrace for those who prefer their afternoon at full brightness.

Massage treatments are available when your shoulders have had enough of carrying kit and luggage. The garden adds a quieter place to sit, while the hotel can help arrange excursions through its tourist information and concierge services. For a more active afternoon, the facilities include tennis, hiking and fishing.

Families are welcome, babysitting is available and pets are admitted. The combination suits a mixed group reasonably well: one person can head out for a walk, another can stay by the pool, and nobody needs to turn the afternoon into a military operation.

Reception is open around the clock. Standard check-in runs from 3 pm to 6 pm, with check-out by 11 am, so keep those times in mind when planning an early arrival after a flight or a later departure after your final dive. Airport transfers are available through the hotel, either privately or as a shared service, and car hire can also be arranged.

Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, with laundry and dry-cleaning services for the clothes that have spent too long in a damp dive bag. A luggage store, concierge, ticket assistance, currency exchange and a safe are also available. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted.

The property has accessible facilities, a lift and wheelchair access. It is non-smoking, includes air conditioning and heating, and provides parking for guests travelling by car. The hotel also accepts pets, making it possible to bring the whole household rather than leaving one member behind.