GH Palazzo Suite & SPA

The GH Palazzo Suite & SPA puts you on Livorno's waterfront, in a polished hotel built around sea views, good food and a proper spa rather than a collection of beachside gimmicks. Both restaurants look out across the water, while the rooftop pool gives you somewhere to sit above the traffic and watch the light change over the coast.

This is a sensible choice if you want diving to be part of a wider Italian break, not the entire timetable. You can have a day by the sea, a meal upstairs, a treatment in the spa and a short trip into town without moving hotel every evening. The feel is more grand coastal hotel than barefoot dive lodge — useful if your travelling companion prefers prosecco and architecture to discussing cylinder sizes over breakfast.

Free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, soundproofed rooms, a lift and a 24-hour reception keep the practical side straightforward. The hotel also welcomes families, children of any age and pets on request.

You are in Livorno, Italy, directly on the waterfront rather than in the city centre. Livorno's centre and harbour are about 1.2 miles away, close enough for an outing but not so close that the hotel loses its coastal setting. Buses for Livorno railway station stop outside, which is handy when you arrive with luggage and very little enthusiasm for a second transfer.

The nearest named beach is Scogli dell'Accademia Beach, about 0.8 mile away by road. Spiaggia del Felciaio is around 1.3 miles away, with Rotonda Beach at roughly 1.7 miles and Tre Ponti Beach at about 1.9 miles. In other words, the hotel is beside the sea, but it is not a door-from-room-to-sand beach resort.

For a little history and city wandering, Barriera Regina Margherita is about 0.6 mile away, while Villa Fabbricotti is around 1.3 miles away. The Four Moors Monument and the old Darsena Vecchia are both about 1.1 to 1.3 miles away. Pisa International Airport is roughly 10 miles from the hotel; Florence Airport is about 48 miles away.

For two people who want the room to feel like part of the coastline, the Superior Twin/Queen Room with Sea View is the obvious direction: the view does the work while you recover in air-conditioned comfort. The Classic room keeps things simpler, while the Deluxe King or Twin Room gives you more room to spread out without stepping up to a suite.

If three people are sharing, choose one of the suites rather than trying to conduct a luggage negotiation in a standard room. The Deluxe Twin/King Suite and Junior Twin/King Suite with Sea View both accommodate three and have a separate living feel with a private bathroom. The sea-view junior suite is the one to consider when the outlook matters as much as the extra space.

Every room has air conditioning, a minibar, a 32-inch flat-screen television, satellite and pay-per-view channels, a private bathroom, a hairdryer and slippers. Beds are extra long, with the super-king bed option offering a little more mercy to tall divers. Soundproofing and soundproof rooms are useful details when your alarm is set for an hour that should not exist, while daily housekeeping, a desk and free Wi-Fi cover the less glamorous business of staying away.

Breakfast is served as a buffet in the ground-floor breakfast room, with continental, Italian, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and American choices. You can also have breakfast in your room, which is the more attractive option when the previous day's salt and sun have left you operating at reduced power.

The top-floor restaurant concentrates on traditional Italian cooking and a wine list to match, with panoramic sea views while you eat. A second restaurant also benefits from the waterfront outlook, so dinner does not require a taxi simply to find a table with a view. Half-board is available; if you choose it, drinks and the cover charge are separate matters rather than hidden extras to discover at the end of the meal.

For the spaces between meals, there is a lounge bar, a snack bar, an on-site coffee house and room service. A minibar and tea and coffee-making facilities mean that a quiet drink can happen in your room, which is sometimes exactly the right level of social engagement.

The rooftop pool and sun terrace are made for the part of the day when you want fresh air but not another expedition. The outdoor pool is open from May to September, and loungers, outdoor furniture and pool towels keep the arrangement uncomplicated. There is also an indoor pool in the spa, so the weather does not get the final word on whether you can have a swim.

The spa includes a sauna, steam room, hot tub, relaxation lounge and fitness area. Treatments cover body scrubs, body treatments, facials, beauty services and manicures or pedicures, with massage options ranging from head and neck to back, feet and full body. A couples massage is available if your ideal post-dive activity involves lying down while somebody else does the work.

When you want to leave the building, bicycles can be hired, with cycling and hiking available off site. Villa Fabbricotti is around 1.3 miles away, and the local coastline offers several beaches within a short drive. The concierge and tour desk can help shape the non-diving day; the hotel also has a garden and terrace for the less ambitious version.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is by 11:00. On Sundays and public holidays, breakfast runs until 11:00 and a later check-out until 12:00 can be requested. The 24-hour front desk, concierge, luggage storage and tour desk make an early arrival or late departure easier to manage.

Private parking is available on site, with valet parking, and does not require a reservation. An airport shuttle and a general shuttle service are available to arrange with the hotel. Pisa International Airport is about 10 miles away, while Livorno Centrale railway station is roughly 2.2 miles away; buses to the station stop directly outside.

The spa and wellness centre are available on request and carry an additional charge. The hotel accepts children of any age, with cots available for children aged up to three on request; extra beds are not available. Pets are welcome on request, and rooms include accessible options with wheelchair access, accessible bathrooms and upper floors reached by lift.