Radisson Blu Martinez Beirut

City hotels are not usually accused of encouraging you to slow down, but this one gives you a few practical reasons to do exactly that. The Radisson Blu Martinez Beirut sits in central Beirut, with air-conditioned rooms, 24-hour room service and a wellness centre where the indoor pool, hot tub and sauna take over once your fins are back in the bag.

The feel is urban rather than resort-like: bright rooms, soft lighting, city views and a lobby bar for the first drink of the evening. That suits you if diving is one part of a Beirut stay rather than the entire programme. English-speaking guests are catered for through the hotel’s website, which is also available in Arabic, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian and Turkish.

You are in Beirut, Lebanon, in the Phoenicia area and within the city centre. The Corniche, Beirut’s seafront promenade, is a four-minute walk away. That is the useful distinction here: you are close enough to reach the sea on foot, but the hotel itself is not presented as a beach property.

For an actual stretch of sand, Ramlet Al Baida Beach is about 1.8 miles away on foot, or around 1.9 miles by car. The city is close at hand too. Nejmeh Square is roughly 0.9 miles away on foot, while the Beirut National Museum is about 2.4 miles away. Restaurants are nearby, including Wok W.O.K, Eau de Vie and Boulevard Beirut, all within about four minutes on foot.

Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is around 4.6 miles away by road. The hotel’s description puts the drive at about ten minutes, though Beirut traffic remains perfectly capable of turning a short journey into a small philosophical exercise.

For a straightforward diving stay, the standard room keeps things simple: a double bed, air conditioning, a kettle for the first cup of tea and a city view. You also have free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen satellite television and daily housekeeping. The small room is intended for solo travel, while the larger room categories make more sense if you are sharing the space with a partner or travelling as a small family.

The executive room and junior corner suite add lounge access, which gives you a reason to choose them beyond simply wanting more floor space. If you prefer a separate, more generous layout, the suites provide that extra breathing room; the two-bedroom presidential suite is the one designed for a group of up to four. A rooftop suite adds a terrace, useful when the evening is warm and you would rather sit outside than watch another programme about someone else’s expedition.

Soundproof rooms are available, and that matters in a city hotel when your alarm is set for an ungodly hour. A private bathroom, towels, slippers, hairdryer and either a bath or shower cover the post-dive basics, while the minibar and tea-and-coffee facilities help when returning to the room is more appealing than finding food immediately. Room service runs around the clock, so a late return does not have to end with a packet of biscuits.

Breakfast is served as a buffet at Olivos, which is the sort of arrangement that works well when your morning starts with a boat departure rather than a leisurely debate about toast. In the evening, the restaurant moves towards Lebanese and international cooking. You can keep things familiar or use dinner to make a proper start on Beirut’s food culture.

There is one named bar in the hotel’s description: Lobby Lounge Bar. It serves cocktails and light snacks, giving you somewhere to sit with a drink without turning every evening into a formal meal. A snack bar and minibar are also available, while breakfast can be brought to your room.

La Paillote serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food details are not elaborate, but the useful point is the spread of meal times: you have an in-house option beyond the morning buffet, and 24-hour room service remains available when the day has run long.

The indoor pool is the main post-dive proposition, and it is not merely a token rectangle beside the gym. The pool sits within the wellness centre, with classical columns and low lighting giving the room a more deliberate atmosphere. Add the hot tub and sauna, and you have a sensible place to loosen shoulders and legs before dinner.

The InShape Fitness Club includes gym equipment and personal trainers if you still have energy to spend. For most divers, the more appealing menu is probably the spa: back, neck, head, foot and full-body massages are available, along with facial treatments, a hammam, jacuzzi, sauna, manicure and pedicure services. The hotel also has a beauty salon, so your companion can make an afternoon of it while you recover from the morning’s exertions.

When you want to leave the building, bicycle rental and bike tours offer a way to see more of Beirut without committing to another organised excursion. Evening entertainment is available at the hotel, and the Corniche is close enough for a simple walk beside the sea. No elaborate timetable required.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:30, with check-out from 07:30 to 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in. The 24-hour reception also handles luggage storage, currency exchange, express check-in and check-out, private check-in and check-out, and tour-desk services.

Private parking is available at the hotel and is paid. Valet parking is also available. If you prefer to drive around Beirut, car hire can be arranged, while laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are available for the clothes that have met salt water, hotel dinners and general travel abuse.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Wheelchair access and upper-floor access by lift are available, and family rooms are offered. Children of any age are welcome; cots and extra beds can be requested, subject to the selected accommodation and availability. Pets are not allowed, and the property is non-smoking.