Thomas Beach Hotel

English, German and Russian are spoken by the hotel team, which makes arrival and everyday questions pleasantly straightforward. The hotel has 40 rooms and is set up for couples, families and travellers who prefer a practical base near the water rather than a grand resort with a timetable of its own.

The feel is easy-going and useful. There is a garden, a terrace, an outdoor pool and a bar for the part of the day when you have stopped moving but are not quite ready for bed. Families get a playroom, while guests travelling by car have free on-site parking. Pets are welcome too, so the usual holiday party may include four legs.

Thomas Beach Hotel is in Marathon, Greece, at Koufolouka 4. The beach lies directly across from the hotel's Thomas Beach facilities, around 50 metres away. It is a sandy, organised beach with sun loungers and parasols, so getting to the water does not require a complicated expedition involving a car, a map and one misplaced sandal.

The hotel is around 8 km from the town centre. Rafina Port, the Athens Concert Hall and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens are among the places to explore in the wider area. The setting also works well if you are driving: free parking is available on site, and car hire can be arranged through the hotel.

You can keep things simple with a standard room, choose a single room for solo travel, or look at the double, triple, family and larger options when travelling with companions. Some categories add a balcony and a view, while sea-view rooms are available for guests who would rather wake up facing the water than the wardrobe. The room cards below carry the exact capacities and bed arrangements, so this is the part that matters more: choosing the layout that matches your trip.

Air conditioning, a private bathroom and television appear across several of the room categories. Selected balcony and view rooms also include a fridge, while more comprehensively equipped balcony categories add a safe, minibar, Wi-Fi, tea and coffee facilities, hairdryer, desk, towels and toiletries. In other words, the useful details are not identical from one category to the next; check the individual room card before booking, especially if a fridge or in-room Wi-Fi matters to you.

A pool of rooms is available for families and groups, including larger options, while double rooms with either a double bed or twin beds cover the usual couple-and-friends question. There is also room service, a refrigerator in the room facilities, and a reception open around the clock. Air conditioning is the practical bit you will appreciate most when the day has involved sun, salt and rather more movement than planned.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you can eat at the hotel rather than turning every meal into another outing. Breakfast is a buffet, described as rich, which gives you the useful freedom to build a proper start before heading out or keep it lighter when the morning is already doing the work.

There are two bars. The lobby bar handles the general sit-down-and-chat business, while the Pool Bar stays close to the outdoor pool and specialises in cocktails. That gives the evening a simple choice: a drink indoors, or one beside the water while the day finally winds down.

Meal arrangements vary with the room offer you choose. Check the board details attached to your booking, particularly if you want breakfast only or are planning around lunch and dinner at the hotel.

The large outdoor freshwater pool sits in the garden, with pool facilities for an unhurried swim or a few lengths when you would rather stay above water. A sun terrace, garden and wider terrace provide the places to stretch out afterwards. The organised sandy beach is also only around 50 metres away, with loungers and parasols for a slower spell by the sea.

If you are travelling as a couple, the set-up is uncomplicated: swim, find a sunbed, take a drink at the Pool Bar and let somebody else worry about the timetable. If you are travelling with children, the playroom and garden give them somewhere to burn off the remaining energy while the adults attempt a conversation.

Bicycles are available to borrow for a change of pace, and the hotel has a playground as well as the playroom. There is no need to turn every afternoon into an organised activity. Sometimes a pool, a book and a cold drink are a perfectly respectable plan.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, with check-out by 11:00. The reception is open 24 hours, which is useful for late arrivals and early departures. Airport transfers can be arranged through the hotel, either as a private service or a shared shuttle depending on the arrangement available for your journey; contact the hotel with your arrival details before travelling.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and free parking is provided on site. The property has a lift and wheelchair-accessible facilities. Vehicle hire, luggage storage, wake-up calls, laundry and dry cleaning are also available, giving you a few practical ways to keep the trip running when the dive bag, flight schedule or laundry pile starts making its own decisions.

Visa, Mastercard and cash are accepted. Greek national rules limit cash transactions at the establishment to 500 euros. Pets are admitted, but arrange this directly with the hotel before arrival. A tourist tax is payable per room per night; the exact amount is best checked when you book, as charges can change.