Current Time
Currency
hotels
Bilbao + Basque Country hotels
The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997 launched a new wave of modern architecture in Bilbao. Most of the hotels built in the city since then have an angular, minimalist aesthetic (although they don't skimp on luxury). There are some older, statelier hotels in the city, too, but even a few of these are redesigning so they're more "contemporary."
The neighboring seaside city of San Sebastián has surprisingly few great hotels for a tourist town. Apart from the handful of high-end lodgings (some of which have seen better days), there are mainly divey pensiones, which have their charms but not many creature comforts. Our recommendations, below, represent the best of the bunch.
Set right on La Concha Beach, this 148-room hotel recalls the San Sebastián of the Belle Époque era, when Spanish royalty made the city its summer...more
This "outstanding hotel" with a glass exterior and wavy central atrium takes inspiration from the Guggenheim, the city's iconic architectural site just across...more
Of the two upscale modern hotels in Bilbao, the Gran Hotel Domine is certainly showier—and it does have amazing views of the Guggenheim. In just about...more
Bilbao's Beaux Arts grande dame sits right on the grand Plaza Moyúa. Ever since 1936, when it was the provisional seat of the regional government...more
Situated just outside Bilbao in the town of Getxo, where the Nervión River meets the sea, Hotel Embarcadero is a 27-room property housed in a stately 1900...more
Set atop a verdant hill 15 miles west of San Sebastián, this country retreat is a seductive reason to leave the Basque city behind. Outside, vineyards...more
This centrally located Bilbao hotel is just a five-minute walk to the Guggenheim (Frank Gehry stayed when he was working on his initial sketches for the...more
Designed in 1912 by the same architect as the Ritz hotels in London and Paris, this ornate hotel caters to those that love old-school pomp and...more
In the heart of the Rioja wine region (about an hour south of Bilbao) this 2006 Frank Gehry-designed hotel has titanium curves that echo those of Bilbao's...more
Hotel Niza offers affordable, no-frills comfort in San Sebastián's most sought-after location overlooking the Concha beach. The 40 guest rooms (18 with a...more
RSS Feeds