Marechiaro apartment

Marechiaro apartment is a compact aparthotel for two, with the practical shape of a one-bedroom flat rather than a conventional hotel room. You get your own kitchenette, dining table and refrigerator, so the evening can be as simple as making something light, chilling a bottle of water and putting your feet up without dressing for dinner.

Air conditioning, heating, free WiFi and a lift keep the basic mechanics straightforward. The apartment is non-smoking throughout, with a private bathroom, tiled floors and a flat-screen TV for the part of the evening when conversation gives up before you do.

You are in Monopoli, Italy, with the town's useful bits close at hand. Lido Pantano Beach is about 0.7 miles away, while Porta Vecchia Beach is about 0.8 miles away; Cala Suschetta is also within roughly 0.8 miles. This is a town base, not a resort sealed off from its surroundings.

The Monopoli railway station is about 0.2 miles away, and several places to eat sit within a short walk. Oltre Mare is around 0.1 miles away, Brasserie d'Avril and Mediterranea are around 0.1 miles away, and Bar Milan is also about 0.1 miles away. Historic Monopoli is close enough to explore on foot, with Chiesa di San Domenico around 0.5 miles away and Palazzo Vescovile around 0.6 miles away.

The single Suite is designed for a couple rather than a group, with one bedroom and one private bathroom. The kitchenette gives you a stovetop, cookware, dining table and refrigerator, which is handy when you want breakfast at your own pace or a cold drink ready when you come back tired and salt-covered.

Air conditioning matters here for recovery, while the tiled floor should be easy to live with after a day outdoors. You also have a wardrobe, clothes rack, hypoallergenic bedding, bathrobes, towels, a hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. A socket beside the bed is a small but welcome detail when phones, watches and torches all want charging at once.

Your meals are built around the apartment itself: a kitchenette with a stovetop, kitchenware, refrigerator and dining table. That gives you the option of keeping things simple indoors, particularly when the day's diving has left you more interested in food than ceremony.

For a meal out, Oltre Mare, Brasserie d'Avril and Mediterranea are all close by, with Oltre Mare the nearest of the three. Bar Milan is around 0.1 miles away, while Caulì Caffè Point is about 0.2 miles away for coffee. The arrangement suits divers who prefer choice nearby rather than a fixed hotel dining timetable.

The coast gives you an easy non-diving plan. Lido Pantano Beach is about a 12-minute walk, and Cala Suschetta is around a 15-minute walk, so you can trade fins for a towel without organising an expedition. Porta Vecchia Beach and Porto Rosso Beach are also nearby by car or on foot, with Porto Rosso around 1.1 miles away.

For a change of scenery, Monopoli's historic buildings and churches are close enough to make a quiet walking circuit. The archaeological area of Egnazia is about 6 miles away and its museum about 7 miles away, while San Domenico Golf is around 8 miles away. Back in the apartment, the TV and fast free WiFi cover the less ambitious end of the afternoon.

Free public parking is available on site, with no reservation needed. The lift serves the upper floors, making luggage less of a wrestling match, and free WiFi is fast enough for 4K streaming and video calls on several devices. Bari Karol Wojtyla Airport is about 32 miles away by road; Brindisi–Salento Airport is about 42 miles away.

Check-in runs from 16:00 to 22:00, and you need to tell the property your arrival time in advance. Check-out is from 09:00 to 10:00. Children of any age are welcome; a cot can be requested for children aged up to three, while extra beds are not available. Smoking, pets and parties are not permitted.