Hotel Del Mare

You stay in a seafront hotel in Marina Grande, the fishing village tucked into Sorrento's waterfront. Hotel Del Mare keeps things practical for a diving break: air-conditioned rooms, a roof terrace, an outdoor patio and lounge area, plus a beach close enough that your sandals will not have time to complain.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Italian and German. That matters when you are arranging a transfer, asking the concierge about a boat trip or trying to explain that breakfast before a dive should involve more than one lonely biscuit. The atmosphere is built around the sea, local restaurants and easy access to Sorrento rather than a self-contained resort bubble.

The address is Via Roma, in Sorrento, Italy, with the hotel set in the Marina Grande area and close to the sea. Spiaggia Sorrento is about 0.03 miles away, while the hotel's private golden-sand beach is 50 metres from the property, with sun loungers and parasols. Several further beaches, including Marameo Beach and Leonelli's Beach, are within roughly 0.6 to 0.8 miles on foot.

Sorrento's centre is about a five-minute walk away, and the Circumvesuviana station is roughly 1 mile on foot. Around the hotel, you have restaurants almost on the doorstep, with Taverna Azzurra, Zi'Ntonio Mare and Il Monazzero di Teresina all within about 350 feet. Piazza Tasso, Villa Comunale and Parco Ibsen are all under a mile away, so the evening can be as simple as a waterfront meal or as ambitious as a proper town wander.

The position also works for days away from the coast. Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri and the Amalfi Coast are all practical excursion ideas, with the hotel's tour desk and concierge available to help organise them.

Room details are refreshingly focused on the basics that count when you come back tired, salty and mildly suspicious of anyone who suggests going straight out again. Every room has a hydro-massage shower, while air conditioning and heating cover the less glamorous but more useful part of the night. Family rooms are available, and the lift saves your knees from turning the return to your room into a second activity.

If the view is part of your holiday mathematics, choose a room with sea views. The roof terrace adds another place to look across the Bay of Naples, while the shared lounge and outdoor patio give you somewhere to sit without having to commit to a full evening in a restaurant. Room service is available, and breakfast can be brought to your room when an early start has defeated your enthusiasm for public life.

Rooms are non-smoking, and daily housekeeping keeps the practical side of the stay in order. The hotel also offers free Wi-Fi throughout, useful for checking ferry times, sending the obligatory sunset photograph or finding out whether tomorrow's excursion still exists.

La Terrazza handles breakfast, lunch and dinner on its terrace, with Mediterranean cooking and views over the Bay of Naples. The kitchen works with fresh local ingredients, and the format is half board. Breakfast is a buffet with continental, Italian and American choices, served from 7.00; vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

There is one named bar: the Pool Bar, beside the outdoor pool. It focuses on cocktails and light snacks, which is the right level of ambition when you have spent the day being squeezed into neoprene. A coffee house, snack bar, fruit and wine or champagne are also available on site, while room service operates with limited hours.

For a change of scene, Marina Grande supplies its own collection of intimate restaurants and bars, with several restaurants only a few hundred feet away. You can eat at the hotel, walk a minute or two for dinner, or do the sensible thing and decide only after the first drink.

The main outdoor pool gives you a straightforward place to float, with its own poolside bar. The private beach is 50 metres away, with golden sand, sun loungers and parasols. Between the two, you have the classic post-dive decision: lie down immediately, or lie down somewhere slightly wetter.

The Wellness Center covers the more deliberate recovery work, with massages, facial treatments, a sauna and a jacuzzi. A gym and yoga sessions are available if your idea of relaxation includes making your muscles answer questions. A solarium, sun terrace, outdoor furniture and a shared lounge provide quieter alternatives.

On the water, the hotel offers snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, boat excursions and equipment hire. Away from the shoreline, bicycles, hiking, cycling, horse riding, fishing and cultural excursions give you options for a non-diving day. Cooking classes and trips to Pompeii or Herculaneum add a little structure, while live music takes place at weekends.

Naples International Airport is about 30 miles away, with a drive of around 45 minutes. An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the hotel; car hire is also offered. If you arrive by public transport, take the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento station, then continue to the hotel. Parking is available on site, and luggage storage, concierge service and a 24-hour front desk make awkward arrival and departure times easier to manage.

Check-in runs from 14.00 to midnight, while check-out is between 10.00 and 10.30 under the booking policy; the hotel's own policy lists check-out at 12.00, so confirm the applicable time for your stay. Early check-in and late check-out can be requested. Private check-in and check-out are available, as are daily housekeeping, laundry and ironing services.

Children of any age are welcome. Cots and extra beds can be requested, and family rooms are available. Babysitting and a children's menu are offered. The hotel accepts cash and major cards, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and has an accessible lift. Pets are not allowed.