Mövenpick Hotel Beirut

You arrive at Mövenpick Hotel Beirut with two very different days available to you: a morning by the water, or an urban day among Beirut's squares, museums and restaurants. The hotel sits on the Mediterranean coast in Raouche, with its own private beach and enough facilities to keep a non-diving companion occupied without sending you both on a daily expedition.

The mood is polished rather than rustic. You have several pools, a substantial spa, restaurants on site, a bar and room service, so the post-dive routine can be as simple as shower, food and a horizontal position. The hotel website is available in English, as well as French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and several other languages, making it clearly geared towards an international clientele.

The address is on General de Gaulle Avenue in Raouche, Beirut, directly on the Mediterranean. You do not need to cross the city to reach the private beach, which has sun loungers and parasols. Ramlet Al Baida Beach is about 300 metres away as well, giving you another nearby stretch of coast to consider.

This is Beirut rather than an isolated beach compound. Playtown is about 400 metres away, while several restaurants and bars sit within roughly a mile. Place de l'Etoile, also known as Nejmeh Square, is about 2 miles away, and the Beirut National Museum is about 2.5 miles from the hotel. The Charles Helou Bus Station is about 3.5 miles away.

Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is listed at 10 km from the hotel. An airport shuttle is available, and the concierge can help with the practical business of getting around. For a dive trip, that combination of coastal access and city location is useful: you are not choosing between a beach and a functioning city.

The room choice is mainly about the view, the bed arrangement and how much space you want around your kit bags. Sea-view rooms face the Mediterranean, while city-view and courtyard options give you a more urban outlook. For a couple, a king room with a sea view is the obvious direction if the view matters; twin rooms make more sense when two divers would rather not negotiate the centre line of the bed after a long day.

Families or small groups have a more practical option in the connecting rooms, which join two rooms and accommodate up to six people. Suites add space for sitting and are suited to longer stays or to anyone who dislikes having luggage, clothes and dive accessories competing for the same few square metres. The room cards below give the exact dimensions and capacities, so the important question here is how you intend to use the space rather than how many labels the hotel can attach to it.

Rooms come with air conditioning, a seating area, desk, television, free Wi-Fi, minibar and electric kettle. Private bathrooms include towels, slippers, toiletries, a hairdryer and either a bath or shower. Daily housekeeping keeps the room from becoming a small logistics depot, while the wardrobe and clothes rack give wet-day clothing somewhere to go. Sea, city or courtyard views are available according to the room category.

Food is handled on site through five restaurants, with Hemingway's and Square providing the clearest sense of what the evening can look like. Hemingway's Bar and Lounge serves Lebanese food for lunch and dinner outdoors, with views across the Mediterranean. That is the place for a proper local meal without having to organise another car journey after diving.

Square also serves lunch and dinner, with chill-out music from Middle Eastern performers. It gives the hotel a different pace from the Lebanese table at Hemingway's: less about sitting down to one cuisine, more about lingering with music in the background. The property also has a bar, snack bar, coffee house and room service, so you have alternatives when a full restaurant meal is more commitment than appetite can manage.

Breakfast is continental and halal. Special-diet menus can be requested, and the hotel also offers a minibar and wine or champagne. No timetable is given for breakfast or late dining, so early boat departures are worth coordinating before you rely on the restaurant for your first meal of the day.

The private beach is the simplest place to spend a non-diving afternoon, with loungers and parasols already part of the setup. If sitting still loses its appeal, the property has four pools: three outdoors and one indoors. You can move between the sea, the pool and the sun terrace without turning the day into a sightseeing programme.

Essential Spa & Health Club covers 2,000 square metres and includes massages, facial treatments, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi. Couples can book a couples massage, while individual treatments include full-body, back and head massage. There is also a spa lounge, fitness centre, yoga and fitness classes. After several days of salt water and carrying tanks, the sauna or a massage may prove more realistic than heroic ambition.

For something more active, you have tennis courts, squash, table tennis, aerobics and water sports on site. Windsurfing, fishing and snorkelling are also available, while a golf course is within 3 km. Families have a kids' club, babysitting and family rooms, so a diving couple travelling with children has a few workable ways to divide the afternoon.

Check-in is from 14:00, with arrivals handled through to 23:30, and check-out is by 12:00. You need photo identification and the payment card used for the booking at check-in, and the hotel asks you to give your expected arrival time in advance. The minimum check-in age is 18.

An airport shuttle is available, while valet parking and private parking on site cover arrivals by car. Parking is paid, and spaces cannot be reserved. Car hire, concierge service, luggage storage, currency exchange and a 24-hour reception are also available. Free Wi-Fi covers the hotel, including the rooms, which is handy for checking travel arrangements or sending the obligatory “back on dry land” message.

Laundry, dry cleaning, ironing, a business centre and room service add the useful rather than glamorous layer to the stay. The property has lifts and wheelchair-accessible areas. Children of all ages are welcome; cots and extra beds can be requested, subject to the chosen room and availability. Pets are not allowed. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted.