Hotel Bemon Playa

Hotel Bemon Playa is a straightforward coastal base in Somo, on the Cantabrian shore. You come here for the combination of a seaside location, a proper Italian restaurant and the option of doing very little once the day is done. No need to dress the place up with grand words; the useful bits are already on the table.

The hotel works for a solo trip, a couple or a family, with rooms ranging from compact single accommodation to family layouts. You also have a terrace for summer sun, free WiFi throughout the property and private parking on site. Pets are welcome too, which may matter if your travelling companion has four legs and a firm view on hotel selection.

You are in Somo, in the municipality of Ribamontán del Mar, on the Bay of Santander in Cantabria. The hotel sits by the sea, with direct access to a golden-sand beach extending for 2 kilometres from the dunes of El Puntal towards Loredo. Sun loungers and parasols are available on the beach, while the strong surf gives the shoreline a distinctly Atlantic character.

Somo itself keeps everyday stops close at hand. Bar Old Fort is about 300 metres away, Bar Sol y Mar roughly 350 metres, and Surf Café Somo around 400 metres. For dinner away from the hotel, Hosteria de Somo is about 100 metres away and Irons Tacos roughly 150 metres. Santander is across the bay: the boat crossing from Somo takes about 10 minutes, giving you an easy way to reach Centro Botín, Plaza Pombo and the museums in the capital.

For a second beach, Playa de Loredo is about 1.2 miles away. Santander railway and bus station is about 3.5 miles away, while Santander Airport is around 3.7 miles from the hotel. Bilbao Airport is the longer option, at about 41 miles.

The rooms are light and each has a view, so you do not return from the day to a dark box with a bed in it. Every room has a private en-suite bathroom with a bath or shower, towels and a hairdryer, along with a wardrobe, bed linen, satellite television and a stereo. A desk gives you somewhere to deal with the practical business of travel, although the sea may make that task less urgent.

Travelling alone, the Single Room keeps things simple and compact. For two people, the Double or Twin Room gives you separate single beds, while the Queen Room with Spa Bath is the one to look at when the evening deserves a little more ceremony. Couples may prefer that arrangement after a full day outside; the spa bath is a more useful luxury than another decorative cushion.

The Executive Triple Room suits three guests sharing, with one double and one single bed. Families have a dedicated option with two single beds and two bunk beds, making the sleeping plan clearer than trying to negotiate a standard double at bedtime. Family rooms are available, children of any age are welcome, and extra beds or cots can be requested according to the accommodation selected.

Heating, a lift and non-smoking rooms cover the practical side of the stay. Daily housekeeping keeps the room in order while you are out, and the television is there for the rare evening when your body has voted for an early finish.

Food is one of the hotel's stronger reasons to stay put. Mamma Angelina serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with traditional Italian cooking built around fresh homemade pasta, wood-fired pizzas and homemade desserts. The menu also includes pasta cooked al dente and meat dishes, with Cantabrian ingredients worked into the Italian style rather than treated as a footnote.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, which is the sensible format when you have a day ahead and do not want to negotiate every slice of toast. Dinner on half-board arrangements takes place at Mamma Angelina and follows a set menu: veal carpaccio with Parmesan and rocket, melted cheese with garlic oil and parsley, a pizza chosen from the menu and a bottle of Lambrusco. Dishes can vary with availability.

For something less formal, the cafeteria handles snacks, tapas and sandwiches. Vending machines cover snacks and drinks as well, useful when you return late or when the gap between lunch and dinner has become a matter of personal urgency. In summer, the terrace gives you somewhere to eat or sit in the sun without turning every meal into a timetable.

The beach is the main outdoor activity, and it is a substantial one: 2 kilometres of golden sand with loungers and parasols. You can walk, sit in the sun or watch the surf doing what surf does best. The shoreline is also suited to surfing, so there is plenty to look at even when your own plan involves remaining horizontal.

For a slower afternoon, the spa offers massages, facials, a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, mud baths and body wraps. That is a useful menu when your shoulders have spent the day carrying more equipment than they strictly needed. The hotel also has a sun terrace and terrace for warm-weather downtime.

Golf is available at a course within about 2 miles. If culture wins over sport, Santander is close enough for a trip across the bay to Centro Botín, the Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria or the MAS Santander and Cantabria Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. La Magdalena Palace and its surrounding park are also around 1.6 to 1.9 miles away.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 23:00, and you need to tell the hotel your expected arrival time. Check-out is from 08:30 to 12:00. The minimum age for check-in is 18. A cash damage deposit is taken on arrival and returned at check-out after the property has been inspected.

Private parking is available on site, with spaces in a parking garage; reservation is required. WiFi is free throughout the hotel. There is also luggage storage, a wake-up service and a tour desk, handy for an early departure, a late return or planning your Santander crossing without turning the reception desk into a command centre.

The hotel accepts cash payments. Pets are welcome, with possible charges, and children aged six and over are treated as adults for occupancy purposes. Cots and extra beds can be requested, subject to the selected room arrangement and availability. A lift makes the building easier to navigate with luggage, and non-smoking rooms are available.