Grande Albergo Internazionale

If your ideal post-dive evening involves a proper shower, a cool room and the harbour within reach, Grande Albergo Internazionale gives you a straightforward base in central Brindisi. The building dates back to the early 1800s, so you get a historic address rather than a purpose-built beach complex, with the city doing much of the entertaining beyond the front door.

You can deal with the hotel team in English or Italian, which removes one practical nuisance when arranging a late arrival, a car or help with a day out. The atmosphere is more city hotel than barefoot resort: air conditioning, a lift, room service, a lobby bar and a Mediterranean restaurant on the terrace. In other words, you can return from the water, put your feet up and still have the evening close at hand.

The hotel sits on the seafront in the heart of Brindisi, with the sea about 50 metres away and a sandy beach reached on foot. Chaises longues and parasols are available there, so you can swap fins for a more conventional day by the water when your legs have had enough of carrying cylinders. The beach is not the same stretch of coast as the nearby Spiaggia di Sciaia, which is about 5 miles away by road, or Torre Testa Beach, around 6 miles away.

You are also within easy reach of the town itself. Brindisi railway station is roughly 1 mile away, Porta Lecce is about 0.7 miles on foot, and several restaurants sit almost beside the hotel, including Windsurf and Pescheria del Porto. Bars such as El Paso Pub and Caffè Matteotti are around a third of a mile away. Torre Guaceto Reserve is about 10 miles away by road, giving you a possible change of scenery beyond the urban waterfront.

The room choice is mainly about how much space and outlook matter to you. A standard or superior double suits a couple who wants a king-size bed and a simple base for sleeping between outings; the sea-view double is the one to choose when opening the curtains onto the waterfront matters. Travelling alone, you have a single room rather than paying for space you will not use. For a little more room to spread out, the Junior Suite is the natural step up for two.

The practical details are well aligned with a diving day. Air conditioning helps when you come back warm, salty and ready to stop being useful for a while, while a minibar means cold water is close by rather than another expedition. Private bathrooms have showers and hairdryers, and rooms also include free WiFi, satellite channels, a telephone and a desk. The hotel has non-smoking rooms, heating for cooler months and a lift for the less glamorous but very real task of getting your bags upstairs.

Room service is available when the idea of going back downstairs has lost its appeal. A safety deposit box is available at reception, and luggage storage can take care of the awkward gap between checking out and leaving Brindisi. Families can bring children of any age, with cots and extra beds available according to the accommodation selected.

Breakfast is included and arrives as a buffet in La Terrazza, where service starts at 7:30. That gives you a useful morning window before heading out, although it is not presented as an especially early diver's breakfast, so check the arrangement with the hotel if your boat leaves at an unreasonable hour. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner, keeping the main meals under one roof rather than sending you straight back into town on a day when your appetite has got there before you have.

The cooking is Mediterranean, with fresh local ingredients and a terrace setting overlooking the surroundings. The dress code is casual, which is welcome after a day spent in kit rather than pressed clothing. Lunch runs from 12:30 to 14:30 and dinner from 19:30 to 22:00, giving you time to shower properly before sitting down.

There is one bar: the Lobby Bar. Cocktails are its speciality, making it the obvious place for a drink before dinner or a quieter nightcap. Room service is also available, with limited hours, for the evening when a chair and four walls are more attractive than another stroll.

The outdoor pool gives you somewhere to cool off without making another trip to the coast. It is not heated, so it will suit you best when the weather is doing the warming. If lying still for too long makes you restless, the fitness centre offers a way to put some movement back into the day without committing to a full excursion.

The hotel can also help you fill a non-diving day with practical activities: cycling, hiking, cultural excursions and trips to local towns or historical sites. On the water, you can arrange snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding and boat excursions, with equipment available for hire. The nearby sandy beach adds the simplest option of all: a lounger, an umbrella and no timetable worth arguing with.

Families have access to babysitting and a children's menu, and the hotel welcomes children of any age. That makes the address workable for a mixed trip, where some people head for the water and others prefer a pool, a beach or a look around Brindisi.

Brindisi-Salento Airport is about 3 miles away, and the hotel can arrange an airport transfer on request. A private parking garage is available on site, with reservation required, which is useful if you are bringing a car and do not fancy beginning the holiday by circling the waterfront with luggage in the boot. Car hire can also be arranged through the hotel.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 23:30, while check-out is from 08:00 to 11:00. The 24-hour front desk and porter service give you some flexibility around travel days, and luggage storage is available when your transport does not follow the hotel's timetable. Early check-in and late check-out can be requested.

Free WiFi covers the hotel, and the property also has a concierge, room service, laundry, pressing and a business centre. Three meeting rooms and conference facilities make the hotel capable of handling business stays as well as holidays. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted, and facilities for disabled guests are available.