BlueBay Residence Resort

This is an aparthotel for divers who prefer room to spread out rather than a standard hotel room with nowhere sensible to put a wet towel. BlueBay Residence Resort combines apartments and suites with a garden, outdoor areas and the useful freedom of a kitchen in every apartment.

Air conditioning, free WiFi and a seating area make the return from the water straightforward. You can cool down, put the kettle or coffee machine to work, and settle in without having to perform the full social ritual of a resort. The property also welcomes families, and children of any age can stay.

Italian is the language of the hotel's website. For a relaxed evening, you have the on-site restaurant and Mikalto Bar; for a more independent stay, the apartment format lets you organise part of the day yourself.

The residence is in Taranto, Italy, at Via Mormore 59. It sits next to rocky beaches and the sea, while the sandy beaches around Leporano Marina are about a fifteen-minute drive away. Conchetta di Posto Vecchio Beach is roughly 1.2 miles away, or around six minutes by car; Mon Reve Beach is about 2.4 miles away.

You are not cut off from dinner options. Bluebay Pub is around 700 feet away, Arkadia is about 0.9 miles away, and Pizzeria Paninoteca Banacher is roughly 1 mile away. Qua Bar Tabacchi and Bar Lady White are both around 1.5 miles away by road, with Eni Café at about 1.7 miles.

Taranto station is about 5 miles away as the nearby landmark, with the road distance closer to 7 miles. The historic centre and its sights take a short drive: Palazzo degli Uffici is around 3.3 miles away, while Taranto Sotterranea, the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto Marta and Castello Aragonese are each about 5 miles away by road.

The accommodation makes most sense when you decide how much space your dive kit, clothes and travelling companions will need. The larger two-bedroom apartments suit families or groups who want separate sleeping areas and a living space rather than a nightly game of luggage Tetris. Apartments also include a kitchen, refrigerator and coffee machine, which is handy for keeping water cold and sorting out a snack before the next departure.

For two people, the suites are the more compact choice. The Deluxe Suite with Spa Bath, Suite with Spa Bath, Queen Suite with Spa Bath and King Suite with Spa Bath all put the emphasis on a couple's stay, while the Double Room with Garden View keeps things simpler with a large king-size bed and a garden outlook. Some apartments add a terrace, giving you somewhere outdoors to sit once the sun has done its work.

Every room and apartment has air conditioning, a private bathroom with shower, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer, plus a seating area and flat-screen television with DVD player. A mosquito net is provided, and wardrobes give you somewhere to put the kit that otherwise ends up draped over every available chair. Upper floors are reached by stairs only, so choose accordingly if stairs after a long day are not your favourite surface interval.

The on-site Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you have a proper option within the residence when the day's diving has left you hungry rather than adventurous. Breakfast is presented in several familiar formats, including continental, Italian, full English/Irish, American and buffet choices. The Italian side comes with the expected sweet start: croissants, cakes and hot drinks, with a savoury option available on request.

There is one named bar, Mikalto Bar, and the property also has a snack bar and a coffee house. Room service is available, as is breakfast in your room, while packed lunches can cover the awkward gap between an early start and a late return. Grocery deliveries are another practical touch for apartment stays.

The kitchen in the apartments gives you a second way to handle meals, with a refrigerator and coffee machine ready for simple supplies. You can also walk to nearby places such as Bluebay Pub or Arkadia when the thought of cooking after diving feels needlessly ambitious.

The seasonal outdoor pool is the obvious place for a non-diving afternoon, with sun loungers, beach chairs, a pool bar and a solarium around it. Sun umbrellas are available, and the setting gives you somewhere to read, dry off and let the day's exertion catch up with you. The pool is paid and seasonal, so it is worth treating it as an optional extra rather than the centre of the whole stay.

For a slower reset, Spa & Wellness includes an open-air bath and a hot tub or Jacuzzi, while the residence also has a gym. The wellness centre closes from 1 June to 30 September, making the calendar more important than the brochure language here. When it is open, this is the place for the sort of post-dive soaking that requires no timetable and very little enthusiasm.

Cycling, canoeing and fishing are available for days when you want to move without putting on a wetsuit. The garden, sun terrace and outdoor furniture cover the less ambitious option. Families have children's outdoor play equipment and board games, while babysitting and child services are available as paid services.

Brindisi–Salento Airport is about 40 miles from the residence, with a road journey of roughly 45 miles and around 1 hour 15 minutes by car. An airport shuttle and a separate shuttle service are available to arrange with the property, and car hire is also available. Free private parking is provided on site, although it is unavailable from 1 June to 30 September and spaces cannot be reserved.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 22:30, and you need to give the property your expected arrival time. Check-out is from 07:30 to 10:00. Private check-in and check-out, luggage storage and lockers are available, which helps when travel times do not line up neatly with the room.

Cash is not accepted; Visa, Visa Electron and Mastercard are accepted. Quiet hours run from midnight to 07:00, and parties or events are not permitted. Pets can stay on request. Cots for children aged up to two are available on request, subject to the accommodation selected, and the upper floors are accessible by stairs only.