Grand Resort Lagonissi

You come here for a full resort stay rather than a small base with a bed attached. The Grand Resort Lagonissi puts the sea, several places to eat, a substantial spa and a private beach area into the same address, so your day can move from water to lunch to a proper massage without involving a taxi or a timetable.

English, German, French and Greek are spoken by the hotel team. That matters when you are arranging dinner, asking about a transfer or trying to explain that the room key has gone for a swim in your kit bag. The resort works for couples who want sea views and room service, but family accommodation, a kids' club and children's facilities give it a wider reach too.

The atmosphere is polished and resort-like, with beachfront bungalows alongside the main hotel accommodation. You get air conditioning, private outdoor areas in some accommodation, sea views and several ways to spend the evening without leaving the grounds.

You are in Lagonissi, on the coast of south Attica, directly beside the sea. The resort has its own 500-metre golden-sand beach with loungers, parasols, showers and a beach bar. Grand Beach is around 200 feet away by road, while Kiteza Beach is about 1,200 feet away by road; in practice, the main reason to look beyond the resort shoreline is variety rather than access.

Athens city centre is around 19 miles away, with the hotel describing the drive as roughly 30 minutes. Athens International Airport is around 19 miles away by road. Koropi rail and metro station is about 11 miles away, so a pre-arranged transfer or hire car is the sensible way to handle arrival, particularly if you are landing with dive luggage and patience in short supply.

For a change of scene, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion is around 17 miles away. You also have nearby tavernas and cafés, including Kohylia at roughly 550 feet by road and Hotel Vergina at about 0.8 miles. The resort itself remains the practical centre of your stay, with a minimarket, concierge and car hire service on site.

The accommodation divides neatly between rooms in the main resort and bungalows closer to the shoreline. If the first thing you want to see in the morning is water rather than a corridor, the Deluxe Beachfront Bungalow and the Bungalow on the Waterfront are the obvious choices. The waterfront option gives you more room to spread out, while the beachfront bungalow keeps the sand close enough for a barefoot start to the day.

Couples have the Mediterranean Suite and the Suite with Private Pool to consider. The private pool is the more self-contained option; the Mediterranean Suite gives you a generous sitting area and the kind of space that makes a longer stay easier on the knees, the luggage and the relationship. For a larger family group, the Family Room with Sea View is built around two king-size beds and two futon mats, with enough room for the accommodation to work as a base rather than simply a place to collapse.

Rooms come with air conditioning, soundproofing, a seating area, desk, flat-screen television and free WiFi. Bathrooms are marble-lined in the resort description, with bath or shower, bathrobes, slippers and toiletries. A mosquito net is available, and some accommodation has a private entrance, terrace or outdoor furniture. When your legs have had enough for the day, 24-hour room service and in-room dining mean you can eat without putting shoes back on.

You will not need to leave the resort simply to find dinner. Its dining offer covers Greek and international cooking, with eight restaurants and bars across the property. The named restaurants give you two distinct moods: Poseidon works by the beach with seafood at lunch and dinner, while Thalassa serves Mediterranean dishes in an air-conditioned indoor setting from breakfast through dinner.

Breakfast is a buffet with an American-style selection, and the board arrangement is half-board. A snack bar, coffee house and minibar cover the less formal moments, while special-diet menus are available on request. The useful detail for a diver is room service throughout the day and night, because a respectable appetite does not always arrive at respectable restaurant hours.

There are two named bars. The Ocean Bar sits directly on the beach and focuses on signature cocktails and snacks; the Lobby Bar is the place for wine and a lighter drink away from the sand. The restaurants and bars operate according to the season and weather, so you should check the current arrangements before building an entire evening around a particular table.

The Main Pool is a large outdoor pool with a swim-up bar, giving you somewhere to drift when the sea has done enough for one day. A separate outdoor pool is available for children. The resort beach adds loungers, parasols, showers and a beach bar, which is a fairly efficient recipe for losing an afternoon without making any decisions.

For more deliberate recovery, Lagonissi Spa covers 500 square metres with massages, facial treatments, body treatments, hammam, sauna and jacuzzi. The spa also has a relaxation lounge, while the fitness centre and yoga classes give you options if you prefer stretching to another horizontal hour. Full-body, back, neck, head and foot massages are available, along with manicure, pedicure and other beauty treatments.

You can also play tennis, use the mini-golf course, cycle or join water-based activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing, fishing and boat excursions. Live music provides an evening option, and movie nights are available on site. For families, the kids' club is for children aged four to twelve, with children's entertainment, playground equipment, babysitting and a children's menu.

You can arrive by hire car, arranged transport or hotel transfer. Private parking and valet parking are available on site, and the hotel has a 24-hour front desk, concierge, luggage storage and a tour desk. WiFi is free throughout the resort. A business centre, five meeting rooms, laundry and dry-cleaning services are also available, although most divers will be more interested in the luggage storage than the conference facilities.

Check-in runs from 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00. The hotel asks you to share your expected arrival time, and early check-in or late check-out can be requested. The minimum age for check-in is 18, while children of all ages are welcome; cots can be requested for younger children, subject to the accommodation option. Pets are not allowed.

The concierge can arrange car hire, transport, yacht rental and excursions, including Athens and Delphi. The resort also has an on-site medical facility, ATM, safety deposit facilities and a minimarket. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted.