Savoy Hotel

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Greek, so you can deal with the practicalities without resorting to underwater sign language. The Savoy Hotel is a three-star city address in Piraeus, suited to divers who want a straightforward base near the port, the waterfront and the transport links rather than a resort built around lounging beside a pool.

Inside, the tone is restrained: dark wood furnishings, soft colours and full-height windows. Air conditioning, soundproof rooms and free Wi-Fi give you the useful bits once your day has involved salt, sun and rather more kit than most city travellers carry. Family rooms are available, while the one-bedroom suite gives you more room to spread out if you are travelling as a small group.

You are in Piraeus, Greece, at 93 Iroon Polytechniou Street, in the city’s business centre. The hotel is close to the metro, the main port, Pasalimani harbour and Zea marina, with the sea around 0.2 miles away. Freatida Beach is about 0.5 miles from the hotel; Votsalakia Beach is roughly 1 mile away, and Kalambaka Beach sits around 0.9 miles away.

Piraeus Railway Station and the Piraeus metro station are each about 1 mile away on foot, making the hotel practical for arriving by public transport or moving between the port and Athens. The Archaeological Museum of Piraeus and the Ancient Theatre of Zea are both around 700 feet away. Athens’s Acropolis and Ancient Agora are about 5 miles away, so the capital’s archaeology is within reach without pretending that Piraeus is central Athens.

Eleftherios Venizelos Airport is around 26 miles away. The setting is urban, with cafés and bars nearby: Sweethome Melicafe is about 950 feet away, while Bebot Cafe-Bar and Leykes Nyxtes Soulios are around 1,150 and 1,300 feet away respectively.

For two divers who simply want proper beds and a cool room, the twin options keep things uncomplicated. The Classic Twin Room has two single beds, while the Superior Double or Twin Room gives you the choice of a double or twin arrangement. The One-Bedroom Suite is the sensible pick when three people need to share without turning every unpacked bag into a trip hazard.

City views are part of the picture, and the full-height windows bring the urban setting into the room. That is useful when you want daylight and a sense of where you are, though it is not the place to book for a sea view. Air conditioning helps after a hot day outdoors, and soundproofing is a welcome detail when you need sleep rather than a soundtrack of traffic.

A refrigerator gives you somewhere to keep water cool for the return from the waterfront, while the wardrobe or closet handles the less glamorous business of keeping clothes off the floor. Rooms have a TV, satellite channels, a telephone and a socket near the bed. Private bathrooms, towels, a hairdryer and complimentary toiletries are available in the family-room accommodation, with bath or shower facilities depending on the room.

Two restaurants are available at the hotel, with the Savoy Restaurant handling the main meals. Its cooking covers Greek and international dishes, served from breakfast through dinner. The menu is à la carte, and a selection of wines gives you something more considered than a vending-machine snack when the appetite catches up with you.

Breakfast is a continental buffet with hot and cold choices, fresh pastries, local specialities and freshly squeezed orange juice. It starts at 06:30, which matters if your day begins early; breakfast is available through to 10:00. Lunch runs from 12:00 to 17:00, followed by dinner from 17:00 to 22:00. Vegetarian and vegan choices are available, and special-diet menus can be requested.

There is one bar-bistro, serving spirits, beer, soft drinks and coffee. It works for a quiet drink or an informal meeting rather than promising a night out under a palm tree. Room service runs from 07:00 to 22:00, useful when you would rather eat in air-conditioned clothes than make a public appearance after a long day.

The hotel’s main indoor option is the Executive fitness centre, available free of charge to guests staying in superior rooms. It is a modest but practical way to move a little after a day spent sitting on a boat or travelling, provided your room category gives you access. The shared lounge and TV area offer a quieter place to sit without committing to another excursion.

For a couple, Piraeus supplies the change of scene. You can walk towards the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus or the Ancient Theatre of Zea, both close enough to visit before dinner, then continue towards the harbour and marina. Freatida Beach is also within walking distance, while Votsalakia Beach is about 1 mile away.

There is no pool-led programme to organise your afternoon around. That leaves you free to keep the day simple: a shower, a short walk, a coffee nearby and dinner back at the hotel. After diving, that can be a perfectly respectable itinerary.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight, with check-out by 11:00. You need photo identification and a payment card at arrival, and the minimum check-in age is 18. The front desk is open around the clock, with concierge assistance, luggage storage, lockers and a safety deposit box available for the practical loose ends of a trip.

Private parking is available on site and is free, but spaces are limited and cannot be reserved. If you are driving, this is worth treating as a useful possibility rather than a guaranteed space waiting with your name on it. A lift serves the upper floors, and the hotel also offers car hire assistance.

Free Wi-Fi covers the hotel. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are available, while a doctor can be requested if a minor holiday complaint refuses to behave. Breakfast in your room, packed lunches, room service and a coffee house on site add flexibility when your timetable is dictated by boats, ferries or the simple wish to stay horizontal for another half-hour.