Hotel Residence Portoselvaggio

Hotel Residence Portoselvaggio is a resort in Nardò, suited to a stay where the hotel does more than provide a bed between outings. You have a restaurant, bar, seasonal outdoor pool, spa and garden on site, so the evening does not depend entirely on finding the next place on the map.

The layout also makes sense for different kinds of travellers. Couples can keep things simple in a double room or studio, while the apartment accommodation gives families and small groups somewhere to eat and settle in without treating the bedroom as a dining room. There is also a children's play area, which may buy the adults a little time at the table.

You stay at C.da Sciogli, in Nardò, in Italy's Salento. The town centre is 7 km away, putting the resort outside the middle of town rather than in a street-by-street urban setting.

A free transfer to the beach is available, which is useful when you would rather not turn a beach outing into a parking exercise. The hotel also has free parking if you are travelling by car, and its tourist assistance service can arrange excursions around the area.

The accommodation ranges from straightforward rooms and studios to apartments with more practical living space. For a couple wanting a simple base, a double room or classic double studio keeps the arrangement uncomplicated. The one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments make more sense when you want a kitchen, dining area and fridge close at hand rather than relying on restaurant hours for every meal.

The apartments bring the useful details for a longer stay: air conditioning, kitchen facilities, microwave in the one-bedroom option, fridge, dining area, private bathroom, Wi-Fi, television and a safe. The two-bedroom apartment also has a kitchen and dining area, with a fridge and the same everyday basics, making it the more natural choice for a small group.

Air conditioning matters when the day has been hot, and the apartment layout gives you somewhere to sit rather than ending every evening on the edge of the bed. Towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and a wardrobe are included in the better-equipped apartment and classic studio categories. Several categories have private bathrooms, while the apartment accommodation adds the most useful self-catering features.

The resort has a restaurant for proper meals, a snack bar for something less ceremonial, and a bar for the drink that usually becomes the first decision of the evening. Breakfast is available on site, so you can start the day without immediately looking for a café.

The practical point is flexibility. The restaurant covers the sit-down meal, while the snack bar suits a quicker appetite or a less formal return to the hotel. Meal inclusions vary by room plan, so check the arrangement attached to your stay before assuming every breakfast or dinner is covered.

There is no need to dress the snack bar up as a culinary event. It is simply useful to have food and drinks within the resort, particularly when you return tired and would rather not set off again.

The seasonal outdoor pool is the obvious place to spend a non-diving afternoon, with pool facilities and pool towels available. A children's pool and games room give younger travellers their own options, while the sun terrace and garden offer quieter places to sit.

For a more deliberate reset, Phito Thalasso Spa has a hammam and treatments including massages and facials. That is the part of the resort designed for the day when your muscles have had enough plans and would prefer warm water, heat and a treatment room.

The hotel can also arrange cultural outings rather than limiting your time away from the water to the pool. Excursions include visits to wine cellars, Specchia, Maglie and Santa Maria di Leuca. There are meeting and conference facilities as well, although the leisure side of the resort is the more relevant reason to stay here.

Check-in is from 18:00 and check-out is by 10:00. Transfers are available through the hotel, including a transfer to the beach, and tourist assistance can arrange excursions. Free parking and Wi-Fi are useful basics if you are travelling independently, while luggage storage helps when your arrival and departure do not line up neatly with the room.

The property has wheelchair-accessible facilities and accessible access. A safe is available, and pets are accepted. Cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted, as well as cash.

The resort also has meeting and conference rooms, which may matter if your trip combines diving with work or an organised event. The seasonal nature of the outdoor pool is worth keeping in mind when choosing the time of year.