Elke Spa Hotel

You stay here for the combination rather than a single headline feature: a four-star hotel in the centre of Sant Feliu de Guixols, right by the sea, with an on-site spa and a restaurant working with Catalan and Mediterranean cooking. It is a sensible base if you want the coast outside the door and a warm, fairly well-equipped room waiting at the end of the day.

The hotel has 66 rooms across four floors. English, Spanish, Russian and French are spoken by the team, which makes the practical conversations easier when you are sorting out arrival, dinner or a day away from the hotel. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, and there is a terrace for taking the air without having to organise an expedition.

The address is Rambla del Portalet in Sant Feliu de Guixols, on the Girona coast. The hotel sits in the town centre and directly by the sea, so you can move between town streets, the waterfront and the hotel without turning every outing into a transport problem.

Sant Feliu de Guixols Beach, the Museu d'Història de la Joguina and Cala Jonca are nearby. That gives you a mix of sand, local history and another coastal spot to explore. The hotel also has parking, with additional parking nearby, which is useful if you are arriving by car and would rather not hunt for a space after the drive.

The room choice is broad enough to cover a solo stay, a couple, three people or a family, but the useful distinction is what your room gives you at night. Standard rooms with air conditioning, heating, soundproofing, a private bathroom, Wi-Fi, a safe, television and a minibar make the straightforward choice for a diver who wants the basics handled properly. There are also double rooms with a garden, courtyard or sea outlook, so the view can matter as much as the label.

Travelling alone? A single room keeps the arrangement simple. For two, a double room with a double bed is the obvious fit, while the triple and quadruple categories are there when you need more sleeping capacity. Some junior suites add a balcony, and the balcony category also brings a minibar, bathrobe, slippers and the rest of the more complete room set-up.

The practical details are the ones that earn their keep: air conditioning when the day has been hot, heating when it has not, soundproofing when you want the night to stay quiet, and a private bathroom for getting rid of the salt and sand. Coffee facilities, toiletries, towels, a hairdryer and a wardrobe are available in the more fully equipped categories. Check the individual room description carefully, because the equipment varies between categories; not every room carries the same kit.

Les Noies is the hotel's restaurant, serving lunch and dinner in an elegant setting. Its cooking joins Catalan roots to Mediterranean cuisine, using newer techniques without abandoning the regional starting point. That gives you somewhere to sit down properly rather than treating dinner as an afterthought.

A bar is available for an evening drink, and breakfast is served at the hotel. Room service is also available, which is handy when you have had enough of making decisions for one day and would rather eat without leaving your room. The meal arrangement depends on the room booking, so check what is included when you reserve.

Elke Spa is the obvious place to slow the pace. The spa includes an outdoor pool, a Turkish bath and a Finnish sauna, with treatments ranging from massage and facials to exfoliation, wraps and hot-stone massages. It is a useful post-dive option when your legs want a chair and your shoulders have had enough of carrying things around.

There is also an outdoor swimming pool with pool equipment, plus a sun terrace with loungers and parasols by the beach. If sitting still feels too ambitious, the hotel lists hiking, fishing, windsurfing, snorkelling and a golf course among its leisure options. Excursion assistance is available through the hotel, so you can arrange time ashore without turning the concierge desk into a second job.

Families have a games room, a children's play area, a kids' club and babysitting or childcare services. For everyone else, the terrace, spa and waterfront do the less demanding work. The hotel also has massage and spa services, while the restaurant and bar remain available when you have decided that the day's main activity was getting back from the beach.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight, and check-out is at 12:00. Reception operates around the clock, which takes some of the sting out of a late arrival. Airport transfers and other transfer services are available through the hotel, and car hire can also be arranged.

The property has a lift, wheelchair-accessible facilities and accessible rooms or common areas. Express check-in and check-out, luggage storage, concierge services, laundry, dry cleaning and ironing are available. Parking is available on site and nearby, but parking is a paid service. Extra beds are available in some room categories, with the number depending on the room selected, so check the room details rather than assuming every category can take one.

The hotel accepts Visa and Mastercard. The building uses 230-volt electricity with type C and F sockets. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and room equipment varies by category, so the cheapest-looking option is not necessarily the one with the air conditioning, minibar and soundproofing you may want after a long day outside.