LHP Hotel Santa Margherita Palace & Spa

Set in the centre of Santa Margherita Ligure, LHP Hotel Santa Margherita Palace & SPA is built for a stay where diving is part of the plan, not the only plan. You can step out into town, return to air-conditioned comfort, and still have a restaurant, bar and spa on hand when the day's salt and effort begin to catch up with you.

The feel is polished but practical: a resort-style hotel with a terrace, garden, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym and a proper wellness area. It also works well for couples who want a base for the Ligurian coast rather than a hotel that shuts down once the sun goes in.

English and Italian are spoken by the hotel team. That matters when you are arranging dinner, a transfer, a massage or simply trying to explain that the room key has gone walkabout after a long day outside.

The address is Via Roma, in Santa Margherita Ligure, with the hotel positioned in the town centre. You are near the beach and within walking reach of the everyday business of the town, rather than tucked away on a hillside where every coffee requires a logistical briefing.

The surrounding area gives you several easy outings. Piazza Colombo, Palazzo della Prefettura and Piazza de Ferrari are among the nearby points of interest, while the hotel can help arrange excursions to Portofino, Camogli, San Fruttuoso and the Cinque Terre.

That central setting suits a mixed holiday particularly well. One person can go looking for another dive or a coastal excursion, while the other can stay with the town, the spa or the pool without being stranded at the property.

The room range is aimed at two people, with double beds throughout and categories running from straightforward double rooms to several suites. If you want the least complicated choice, the Superior Double Room is the useful middle ground: air conditioning, soundproofing, a minibar, tea and coffee facilities, a safe, slippers, a bathrobe and Wi-Fi cover the things that become surprisingly important once you have spent hours in a wetsuit.

For a couple who want more room to spread out after a full day, the junior suites and suites make more sense than simply choosing a room because its name sounds grand. The Deluxe Double Suite adds air conditioning, blackout blinds, soundproofing, a minibar, a desk, tea and coffee facilities and Wi-Fi. That is the combination that helps with an afternoon nap when your internal clock is still somewhere offshore.

Every category has a private bathroom, and selected rooms add toiletries, a hairdryer, television, wardrobe space and a safe. Some categories are in a dependance, and the rooms are spread across several sites, so the exact location within the property matters when you book. Family rooms are available as a hotel facility, while children under 12 can stay free in an extra bed where the reserved room allows it.

The practical details are equally useful at night: air conditioning is available in selected categories, soundproofing is available in selected rooms, and blackout blinds appear in the Superior Double Room and Deluxe Double Suite. Pets are allowed, and non-smoking rooms are available.

Francy Restaurant handles the main meals, with Mediterranean cooking served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner takes place from 7.30 pm to 10 pm, on the terrace. It is the sort of arrangement that leaves room for a slow return to the hotel rather than forcing you to eat the moment you have put your shoes back on.

Breakfast gives you two formats: a buffet and an à la carte choice. The hotel also offers breakfast in your room, a café, a snack bar and picnic lunches, so you are not limited to one formal meal pattern every day. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices are available.

There is one named bar, the Illusion Stone Bar, described as a beach bar with signature cocktails. Add the restaurant, snack bar and café, and you have enough options for the familiar post-dive question: proper meal, small bite or something cold in a glass?

The Santa SPA is the main reason to leave the poolside lounger. Its treatments include massages, facials, a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, mud baths and body wraps. For a couple, that gives the evening a clear alternative to discussing who is going to rinse the salt out of everything first.

There is also a gym and fitness equipment, while the indoor and outdoor swimming pools provide a gentler way to move after a demanding day. A terrace, garden, outdoor furniture and a sun terrace give you places to sit without turning every hour off the water into another scheduled activity.

When staying on land feels too passive, the hotel can arrange excursions to Portofino, the Cinque Terre, Camogli and San Fruttuoso. Concierge and excursion assistance are available, with babysitting also offered for families who need a little time to themselves.

Check-in runs from 3 pm to midnight, check-out is by noon, and reception operates around the clock. Early check-in and late check-out are available on request. A lift serves the property, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, which is useful when the day's photographs need sorting before dinner.

Airport transfers are available through the hotel, and car parking is available on site. Parking is paid, so it is worth including that in your planning if you are driving. Vehicle hire, luggage storage, laundry, dry cleaning, ironing and concierge services are also available.

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and Diners Club are accepted. The hotel is pet-friendly, and an on-site infirmary is available, with a doctor on request. For arrivals with children, extra beds may be available depending on the room's capacity. The hotel also has meeting and conference facilities, although the useful part for most divers is simpler: you can return late, use the lift, connect to Wi-Fi and get on with the evening.

The facilities include an electric vehicle charging point, a practical option if you arrive by car and want to continue your journey with less reliance on fuel. You can also use the airport transfer and on-site parking, which simplify the logistics of arriving in Liguria. Travel, accommodation and exploring the region can all be organised through the hotel, so you do not have to arrange each stage separately.