Ethereal White Resort Hotel & Spa

Adults only and set in the centre of Heraklion, Ethereal White Resort Hotel & Spa suits a city break with a proper place to recover in between outings. The mood is more urban resort than remote hideaway: you have a bar, a restaurant, a pool, a spa and a gym under one roof, with the capital of Crete outside the door.

The hotel’s website is available in English and Greek, so English-speaking guests can get to grips with the property before arrival. Inside, the practical side is well covered too, with free Wi-Fi throughout, air conditioning, a 24-hour reception and lift access.

This is an adults-only base for divers who want their accommodation tied to the city rather than stranded beside it. Heraklion supplies the surroundings; the hotel supplies the pool, the sauna and somewhere to sit down when the day has been busy.

The address is Apokoronou 2 & 1770 in Heraklion, Crete, right in the city centre. That puts you within reach of Heraklion Port, Xeropotamos Beach and Ammoudara Beach, with the city itself doing the heavy lifting for walks, cafés and practical errands.

The airport is 3.5 miles away, making the arrival straightforward by road. The hotel also has parking, useful if you are hiring a car for more than just the airport run.

This is a city location rather than a beachfront one. You book it for central Heraklion and the facilities on site, not for stepping straight from your room onto the sand.

The room selection is unusually broad, running from single rooms through double and twin layouts to triple and quadruple options, with standard, deluxe, premium, classic, junior suite and suite categories. That gives you room to choose around the trip rather than forcing every guest into the same template.

For a solo dive trip, the single-room options keep the booking simple. Couples can look towards a double room or a junior suite, while balcony, pool-view, city-view and sea-view choices change the feel of the stay more than another grand-sounding category label ever will. Some rooms also offer twin beds, which is handy when two divers want separate sleeping arrangements and no nightly negotiation over the duvet.

The more comprehensively equipped rooms bring air conditioning, blackout blinds, heating, soundproofing, a safe, mini-bar, tea and coffee facilities, television, Wi-Fi and a private bathroom. Bathrobes, slippers and toiletries appear in selected categories, while junior suites and suites add a more generous set of in-room comforts. A balcony is available in selected deluxe and suite options.

For the practical end of the day, air conditioning matters when you return warm and salty, blackout blinds help if your body clock has not caught up with the holiday, and a mini-bar or in-room drinks setup saves a trip downstairs when you are done with the day. The exact equipment varies by room, so this is one case where reading the individual room card before booking is worth the few extra seconds.

The main restaurant covers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served as a buffet, while the rest of the day moves to an à la carte menu shaped by local traditions and international cooking. That gives you a straightforward start before heading out and a sit-down option when you would rather not search Heraklion for dinner.

There are two bars. The Lobby Bar handles cocktails in a modern setting, while the Sky Bar takes things upstairs with rooftop views and another cocktail list. It is a useful arrangement for a diving holiday: coffee and food downstairs, then a drink above the city when the day is over.

Meal arrangements depend on the booking details attached to your room, so check what your chosen stay includes before you arrive. The hotel also has a coffee machine and kettle, and room service is available.

The pool is the obvious place to switch from active to horizontal, with an outdoor seasonal pool and pool facilities on site. A sun terrace and outdoor furniture give you somewhere to sit without turning the afternoon into another expedition. The hotel keeps the choice pleasingly simple: swim, dry off, find a chair and let the clock get on without you.

Ethereal Spa is the more deliberate recovery option. Its menu includes massage, facial treatments, a hammam and a sauna, so you can choose between being worked on, steamed or left alone with a book afterwards. The spa is available for the slower sort of afternoon, when the only planned movement is from the treatment room to the next comfortable seat.

There is also a gym and fitness equipment for anyone who prefers to keep moving between dives. A terrace, pool and spa give couples plenty of ways to spend an afternoon without booking an organised activity, while the adults-only setting keeps the hotel’s leisure spaces aimed at grown-up downtime.

Check-in runs from 3 pm to midnight, and check-out is at noon. The reception is open around the clock, which is useful for late arrivals or early airport departures. The hotel asks for your expected arrival time in advance, and photo identification plus a credit card are required at check-in.

Free Wi-Fi covers the hotel, and parking is available. A lift, wheelchair-accessible facilities and a wheelchair-accessible restaurant make the property easier to navigate, while concierge service, luggage storage, wake-up calls and a doctor on request cover some of the less glamorous but genuinely useful details of travelling.

Dry cleaning and ironing services are available, alongside a laundry service. The hotel also has a meeting and conference room and a business centre, should work insist on joining the holiday. Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club and cash are accepted. Rooms are air conditioned, and the building uses standard European 230-volt electricity with type C and F sockets.