Meliá Genova

A design hotel in the heart of Genoa, set on a quiet, tree-lined boulevard in a residential part of the city. Meliá Genova suits you if you want a proper urban base rather than a resort-style address: somewhere to sleep well, eat on site, and reach the historic centre without turning every outing into a logistics exercise.

The hotel has 104 rooms, a wellness centre with an indoor pool, Turkish bath and hot tub, plus a gym for those days when sitting still feels less relaxing than it should. Its website caters for English-speaking guests, as well as German, Spanish, French, Italian and Dutch speakers. That tells you who the hotel is set up to welcome online, while the practical advantage remains simple: Genoa's centre is close enough for an evening walk and the hotel gives you somewhere comfortable to retreat to afterwards.

Via Corsica 4 places you in Genova, Italy, on the edge of the central urban area rather than beside the waterfront. The main shopping street, Via XX Settembre, and the city centre are about a 10-minute walk away. The Renaissance church of Santa Maria Assunta is around 350 metres from the hotel, and the Fiera di Genova exhibition centre is about 600 metres away.

For a city break between dives, the useful sights are within walking range: Piazza De Ferrari is about 0.9 miles away, Palazzo Ducale about 0.9 miles, and the Aquarium of Genoa about 1 mile. Genova Brignole railway station is roughly 0.9 miles on foot, while Sarzano/Sant'Agostino metro station is about 3,100 feet away. The nearest listed beach, Punta Vagno, is about 1.1 miles on foot; San Nazaro Beach is around 1.3 miles, so this is a city hotel with access to the coast, not a beachfront stay.

The rooms are designed for straightforward recovery rather than theatrical fuss: oak or parquet flooring, air conditioning, soundproofing, a minibar, safe, work area and LCD satellite television. A private bathroom brings both bath and shower, and the comfortable beds are the detail you will appreciate most when your legs have had enough of Genoa's hills. Free WiFi covers the hotel, so uploading a few photographs or checking tomorrow's plans does not require a hunt for a signal.

For a couple, a Classic or Deluxe Room keeps things simple, while the Supreme rooms add spa access and, in one version, a super-king bed. If you want more room to spread out after a long day, the Junior Suites offer a separate step up in space, with selected versions adding a terrace. The Grand Suite with Terrace and Spa Access is the more generous choice for three guests, and the Presidential Suite with Terrace is the hotel’s largest option.

Families have a dedicated room category, while several larger rooms accommodate up to three guests. The Family Room is arranged around two super-king beds, which is rather more useful than squeezing diving bags and tired adults into a standard double. Daily housekeeping, room service, wake-up service and luggage storage keep the practical side of the stay tidy.

Breakfast is a buffet with both sweet and savoury choices, including gluten-free items, and you can have it in the restaurant or in your room. Marea Restaurant covers breakfast, lunch and dinner with Mediterranean cooking, giving you an on-site option when the idea of finding another restaurant after a full day has lost its charm.

The dining offer also includes the Blue Lounge & Restaurant, described with Ligurian and international dishes and a broad wine selection. The Blue Lounge & Terrace adds aperitifs, Sunday brunches, special dinners and occasional DJ sets. There is a bar, a snack bar and an on-site coffee house, with happy hour for those who prefer a drink before deciding whether dinner is a serious undertaking.

Special-diet menus are available on request, and room service gives you the quieter option when conversation, shoes and restaurant lighting all feel slightly ambitious. Genoa is full of places to eat, but having breakfast and dinner under the same roof is a useful luxury on a diving trip.

The indoor heated pool is the obvious place to unwind without committing to another excursion. Add the Turkish bath, sauna, jacuzzi and spa relaxation area, and you have several ways to warm up, loosen shoulders and let the day’s saltwater routine fade. Sun loungers are available around the wellness facilities, though the setting is indoors rather than on a beach.

The spa menu includes massage, facial treatments, mud baths and body wraps, with specific options for the back, neck, feet and full body. That is the sort of list that makes sense when your calves, shoulders or lower back have started keeping their own opinions. A fitness centre is also available if you would rather move under your own steam.

Away from the wellness area, bicycle rental gives you another way to explore the city, and the concierge can help with practical arrangements. Live sports broadcasts and occasional DJ-led aperitifs cover the lighter end of the evening. The aquarium, historic squares, palaces and museums are all close enough to turn a non-diving day into a manageable city outing.

Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport is about 6 miles from the hotel by road, with a drive of roughly 14 minutes. Car hire is available, and parking is offered on site with valet service; parking requires reservation. If you arrive by rail, Genova Brignole station is around 0.9 miles away on foot. The 24-hour front desk, concierge service and luggage storage are useful for arrivals that do not line up neatly with a hotel room.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight, and check-out is from 07:00 to 12:00. You need photo identification and the card used for the reservation at check-in, and the hotel asks you to share your expected arrival time. Express check-in and check-out are available, which may save a little standing around when the only thing you want is a shower.

The building has a lift, step-free access and accessible rooms, with accessible bathroom features including a lower sink and emergency cord. Children of any age are welcome, babysitting is available, and pets can stay by request; pets are not allowed in the restaurant area. Laundry, ironing, a business centre and free WiFi throughout the hotel cover the less glamorous jobs that still have a habit of appearing on holiday.