CCIE_Flyer

Thanks very much for the update! Was the ride scenic at all? I always love looking out the window of the AVE between Madrid and Seville - hoping it's something akin to that (or better!).

Not that I've been able to book the MC during desired dates using points, since their twin garden room is already booked

seanp7

It gets scenic about 90 mins from San Sebastian. Mountains, villages. It's nice. You'll like it.

Condition One

This is a lovely Luxury Collection set right outside of old town. I arrived from bus (17 Euros) from Bilbao Airport. The bus station was a short 5 minute walk to the hotel. Used SNAs to upgrade to a larger corner Garden View Suite. Although higher category rooms were selected via SNA and available on the website, such as a terrace suite, I was not further upgraded. Despite that, my suite was a good size and well laid out. The room looked new and very comfortable. The bathroom could have been a little larger though. There was a separate walk-in shower with a waterfall shower head. Really nice Byredo toiletries.

WiFi speed was 7Mbps. There was a spacious gym in the basement that’s open 24/7. Breakfast was chosen in lieu of points, and there is a large and varied buffet spread in a very upscale setting. Staff was really friendly, and had a curated pintxos guide that they hand out. There is also a Mimo store that sells local products (they have a sister store in the Sevilla Alfonso Hotel). Pintxos tours and cooking classes can be arranged through Mimo, albeit at high rates. Believe the pintxos tour alone was 110 Euros!

Also, on Saturdays the hotel offers Platinums a free hour long guided tour of the hotel at 5pm. The hotel tour itself is 20 minutes, after which they drop you off at Mimo in the basement for a free pintxos and wine tasting.

This hotel is more than meets the Luxury Collection standard, and I would return in a heartbeat. I’m sure the summer ambiance is quite different from the winter!

damon88

damon88

hockeyinsider

Is this the sort of place you go in the winter or the summer? I looked at the hotel's website and they have lots of pictures of the nearby beach, but the average summer temperature barely gets above the high 70s. Surely, if you want warm, summer beach weather there are other destinations in the Iberian Peninsula.

Would two nights be enough to explore the town? Is there anything old to see?

EuropeanPete

San Sebastian is a good year-round city. In the summer you get the benefit of the beach as well as nearby port towns, but in the winter you still have the old town and tons of the world's greatest food. In terms of time in the city, I'd say 3 nights is a good base as you can spend some time in San Sebastian proper and maybe go somewhere a bit further away for a day/ evening. You will also want to balance fresh fish, old town pinxos and some Michelin starred cooking...

damon88

Condition One

For a bit of history, walk around the building and check out the bullet holes left over from the Civil War! Apparently there was a skirmish with one faction occupying the hotel, and the other in the Opera house.

CLEguy

hockeyinsider

Do you drink red or white with seared mushrooms? Or maybe sparkling?

CLEguy

damon88

haahwee

Any recent trips by Plat members? Any recommendations on how to get to the hotel from the San Sebastian airport, will family of 4 with 2 young children? Can anyone confirm that breakfast is included for Platinum members?

sonomawine

Since it has been several years since this thread has been updated, I thought I would report on our wonderful eight night stay. As in the past, the hotel did not disappoint, especially the friendly service. I first stayed here in early 2000 when it was a Westin, and then in 2018 after the extensive renovation. It has a great location with the beach, old town and plenty of restaurants within walking distance.

We booked two rooms through the Stars program with Vince at QX Travel. Vince, is wonderful and always quick to reply to rate requests. I applied my SNAs (Titanium here) and was pleased we were upgraded to a large corner suite five nights prior to arrival. The suite was spacious, in great condition, but the views were nothing to speak of. Our other room was upgraded to a river view deluxe and had an excellent view along with a small walk-out balcony. They did offer us an upgrade to a river terrace suite for an additional 95 Euros per night, but we declined as the forecast was for rain most of the stay.

Service is where this hotel excels. Prior to arrival the concierge was prompt in making transfer arrangements, dining reservations and letting us know of the local activities during our stay. Every staff person greeted us when passed in the hallway, and the doorman always was available to point us in the right direction or offer umbrellas.

Breakfast was good, however the buffet got a bit boring after eight days. They did not offer any variation but did have a large selection of items which was continually refreshed. You could also order off the menu, which included the usual breakfast items of eggs benedict, omelets, etc.

The Dry Bar is one of our favorite hotel bars in the world, and, once again the staff excels here. Always eager to greet you, get you seated and ask if you would like the same drink as you had the evening before. They pour your cocktails at the table and make a show of if it by adding special garnishes and tinctures.

We did not try their restaurant, Cafe Saigon, as there are many dining choices in San Sebastian. The menu is a compilation of many different Asian cuisines.

Last, a big shout out to our guide Iker with Basque Guides. This is the second time using him and has a host of knowledge and great fun to be around. His food knowledge and passion for the Basque culture is amazing.