Oasis - Harbor House

Oasis - Harbor House puts you directly on the beachfront, with a sun terrace, a garden and a seasonal outdoor pool for the hours when your fins are back in the bag. The setting works for more than divers: family rooms, a family-friendly restaurant and private check-in and check-out make the stay straightforward, while the restaurant's traditional and romantic atmosphere gives couples somewhere to settle in for the evening.

Air-conditioning in the accommodation and free Wi-Fi throughout the property cover two of the less glamorous but rather useful parts of a diving holiday. You can cool down, sort out the next day's plans and keep the practical business of travel from taking over the whole evening.

You are in Lithakia, on Zakynthos, with direct access to the beach rather than a road journey between your room and the sea. Laganas Beach is about 0.2 miles away, and Agios Sostis Beach is about 0.5 miles away on foot. Cameo Island Beach is roughly 0.6 miles away, while Koukla Beach is about 0.9 miles away.

The immediate area gives you several options for going out without turning the evening into an expedition. Bars and restaurants sit within walking distance, including Life's A Beach Zante and Sabotage & Aussies Zante at around 0.8 miles, and Blue Horizon at about 0.9 miles. Zakynthos International Airport is about 2.8 miles away by car, while the port of Zakynthos is around 5.6 miles from the hotel.

For two people, the Double Room is the uncomplicated choice, with a double bed and a single bed if one of you prefers a little more personal territory. It also works for a small group of three. The Quadruple Room uses four single beds, which is more practical for friends or family than pretending everyone enjoys sharing.

If you are travelling as a larger group, the apartments and the Suite give you room to spread out rather than stack bags in the only available corner. The apartments sleep up to four people, with either one or two bathrooms, while the Suite accommodates up to six and has two bathrooms. That is the sort of detail that matters when several divers return at once and all want first turn in the shower.

All accommodation has air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Family rooms are available, and the range runs from a couple-sized room to accommodation for a group of six, so you can choose around the people travelling with you rather than simply taking the first room that fits the dates.

The restaurant covers Italian, seafood and local cooking, with brunch, lunch and dinner on the menu. There is also high tea for a slower break in the day, plus cocktails when the sensible part of the evening has finished. Vegetarian options are available, and the family-friendly approach includes a child-friendly buffet and children's meals.

You also have a bar and a snack bar, so a full sit-down meal is not the only answer when you come back hungry but not quite ready for dinner. Breakfast can be brought to your room, and packed lunches are available for days when the boat, the beach or a trip around the island starts before your appetite has caught up.

The food and drink set-up is therefore useful at several points in the day: something substantial after diving, a lighter stop by the pool and a proper evening meal without leaving the property. Wine and champagne are also available for marking the occasion, or simply surviving another day of holiday logistics.

The seasonal outdoor pool is the obvious place to spend the surface interval that has accidentally become an afternoon. Sun loungers, beach chairs and umbrellas are available, with the garden and sun terrace offering alternatives when you want to sit somewhere other than beside the water.

For more active days, you can hire a bicycle, go canoeing, try horse riding or go fishing. Water-sport facilities are available on site, and boating is one of the activities associated with the surrounding area. These options are available as chargeable activities where applicable, so you can decide whether the day calls for movement or for a chair that does not move at all.

Evenings can include live music or a live sports broadcast. That gives you something to do when the sun has gone down and the bar is more appealing than another excursion, without turning the hotel into an entertainment timetable you have to follow.

Check-in is available around the clock, which is useful when flights and island transfers refuse to respect normal office hours. Check-out is until 10:00. There is free private parking on site, with no reservation needed, and car hire, concierge service and luggage storage are available if you are using the hotel as a base for more than just the beach.

A shuttle service is available, and you can arrange the practical details with the hotel. Free Wi-Fi covers all areas. Private check-in and check-out add a more personal arrival and departure, while packed lunches help if your plans take you away from the restaurant during the day.

Children of any age are welcome, but cots and extra beds are not available. There is no age requirement for check-in, and pets are not allowed. The combination of family rooms, on-site parking and a nearby airport makes the arrival side of the holiday relatively simple; the 10:00 departure time is the detail to keep in mind when planning your final morning.