Ortea Palace Hotel, Sicily, Autograph Collection

History does some of the heavy lifting here: the Ortea Palace Hotel occupies a converted Art Nouveau post office on Ortigia, in the heart of Siracusa. You get the sort of address that lets you step straight into the old city, with the practical comforts of air conditioning, soundproof rooms and a 24-hour front desk waiting when the day is done.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside German, Spanish, French and Russian. That matters when you are arranging a late arrival, asking the concierge about an outing or simply trying to locate dinner without turning the conversation into a mime show. The atmosphere suits couples particularly well, but children of any age are welcome and babysitting is available.

This is a city hotel for divers who like their evenings to have a bit of life around them. You can walk out for history, food and a glass of wine, then return to an indoor pool or the spa when your legs have had enough of Siracusa's paving stones.

The address is Via Nazario Sauro on Ortigia island, in Siracusa, Italy. The hotel sits in the real centre of the action: the Temple of Apollo and the Ortigia Street Market are about 0.2 miles away, while Siracusa Cathedral is roughly a 10-minute walk. Fonte Aretusa and Castello Maniace are also within walking distance, at about 0.8 and 0.8 miles respectively.

You are not marooned in a resort bubble. Restaurants are close by, including Area M at about 250 feet, and the Antico Mercato di Orti is around 350 metres away. The railway station is about 0.9 miles from the hotel, or roughly a 17-minute walk, which is useful if you are extending the trip beyond Siracusa.

For sea time away from the historic centre, Cala Rossa Beach is about 0.8 miles on foot. Aretusa Beach is around 0.7 miles by road, while the Plemmirio Marine Park is about 6 miles away by road. Catania Fontanarossa Airport is roughly 38 miles by road, with a drive of about 48 minutes.

The useful split is between compact rooms for a simple couple's base and the larger suites when you want room to spread out after a day in wet kit. The King Room with Partial Sea View and the Deluxe King Room with Partial Sea View give you a view element without moving into suite territory. For a quieter, more generous retreat, the One-Bedroom Junior King Suite or the One-Bedroom Bi-Level King Suite provide separate suite-style space rather than asking you to live entirely around the bed.

Some rooms look towards the Porto Piccolo marina, while the Queen Room and the twin room with sofa bed have no view. That is not a small detail: choose the former if the outlook matters to you, and the latter if the room is mainly somewhere to sleep between dives and city walks. The accessible Futura Queen Duplex and the larger sea-view bi-level suite can accommodate up to four guests, making them the practical choices for a small family or two couples travelling together.

Every room has air conditioning, a kettle, a minibar and a private bathroom with bathrobes and slippers. The air conditioning is the part you will appreciate most when salt, sun and Sicilian heat have all had their say. Soundproof rooms help keep the night from turning into an unwanted encore, while daily housekeeping, room service and luggage storage keep the practical side of a multi-day stay under control.

The hotel has two restaurants, with breakfast, lunch and dinner covered. Breakfast is a buffet with continental, Italian, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices, so you can build a proper plate before heading out rather than attempting a dive day on coffee and optimism.

There is also a bar, a snack bar and an on-site coffee house. The snack bar is the useful middle ground when a full meal feels too ambitious but you still need something after the water. Breakfast can be served in your room, and room service is available when the sensible plan is to eat without changing out of whatever passed for clothes after the dive.

Wine and champagne are available, as are special diet menus on request. The nearby Ortigia streets give you further options when you want to eat outside the hotel: Area M is about 250 feet away, and Antico Mercato di Orti is around a four-minute walk.

The indoor pool is the obvious place to decompress without committing to another outing. Add the spa's sauna, two Turkish baths, Jacuzzi, steam facilities, relaxation area and foot bath, and you have several ways to persuade tired muscles that the day's exertions were worth it. Massages include full-body, couples, back, neck, head, hand and foot treatments.

The wellness side is broader than a token treadmill in a back room. There is a fitness centre, yoga, fitness classes and a personal trainer. The spa also covers facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures and hair services, which gives travelling couples a practical way to occupy different levels of energy without splitting up for the entire afternoon.

When you want to leave the building, the concierge and tour desk can help arrange walking tours, bike tours, cultural outings and cooking classes. Bicycle rental, hiking and tennis are also available, while evening entertainment and live music provide options after dinner. The hotel can arrange car hire, and the city itself supplies the more reliable entertainment: ancient remains, markets, fountains and the narrow streets of Ortigia.

Catania Fontanarossa Airport is about 38 miles away by road. An airport shuttle is available, and the hotel also offers a shuttle service; arrange the transfer with the hotel before travelling. Car hire is available as well. Private parking is possible nearby with valet service, and a reservation is needed, so this is worth sorting before you arrive rather than improvising with a car in the old city.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight, and check-out is by 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to share your expected arrival time. Early check-in and late check-out are available on request. The front desk operates around the clock, with concierge assistance, a tour desk, currency exchange and luggage storage.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing are available, and the hotel is non-smoking throughout with non-smoking rooms. Pets are welcome, children of any age can stay, and children aged six and above are treated as adults for occupancy purposes. Cash is not accepted; Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and bank transfer are accepted.