Almar Jesolo Resort & Spa

Almar has no course of its own, but it has an arrangement with local clubs: guests receive discounted green fees at Golf Club Jesolo, at Pra' delle Torri in Caorle and at Golf Club Villa Condulmer, and the Concierge handles the booking.

Jesolo is an 18-hole, par-72 layout of more than 6,000 metres on a 90-hectare estate, with ponds, bunkers and a driving range with double bays. The hotel points beginners towards Pra' delle Torri, while Villa Condulmer, inland near Treviso, is a par 71 of around 5,900 metres. The hotel also recommends the Circolo Golf Venezia, singling out its 11th hole, a par 5 it describes as the most acclaimed in Italy.

Back at the resort, the spa offers energy massages designed for golfers, to ease muscle tension after a round.

The resort opened in 2014 right on the beach, furnished with Italian design. All 184 rooms and suites have a private terrace; the two Loft Suites, Aria and Aqua, sit on the top floor with roof terraces facing the sea. Families can book the Family Deluxe, two communicating rooms with a furnished entrance.

Guests have the private beach, a large attended car park at no extra charge and free fitness classes, from Pilates to yoga, on reservation. Almar belongs to the Preferred Hotels LVX collection.

Almablu Wellness & Spa spreads over 2,000 square metres. The wet area opens with a sea-view whirlpool holding more than 48 cubic metres of water at 32°C, then moves through three saunas (Finnish, Himalayan salt and soft), steam rooms including a salt bath and a lavender-scented Mediterranean bath, an ice room and a Kneipp walk. A glass tunnel leads straight to the 70-metre outdoor pool, partly under a glass canopy and lit after dark.

More than seventy treatments use Almablu's own cosmetics line, delivered in nine rooms, some facing the sea. Couples can book the Private Spa, a suite of over 36 m² with its own steam bath and hot tub. Entry is from age 16.

Mediterra is run by executive chef Salvatore Pullara, a Sicilian who pairs Mediterranean cooking with Venetian tradition. The glass-walled cellar holds over 200 labels: Champagne from Krug to Dom Pérignon, whites and reds from every corner of Italy, and dessert wines such as Recioto della Valpolicella and Picolit. For drinks there is The River Lounge Bar and the poolside Lightblue Bar.

• Running 10 metres up: the gym sits above the seafront, so the treadmills face the Adriatic.
• More than 35 international awards across ten competitions, according to the hotel; in 2020 the World Luxury Hotel Awards named it the world's best luxury spa resort.
• Venice in 50 minutes: that is the hotel's estimate by bus and water bus to reach the lagoon.
• A car wash while you swim: staff can take guests' cars to a specialist valeting centre during their stay.