We really like Pension Alemeda. Easy walking distance to everywhere, (2nd flr.--only reason for 2 * designation) with lift.super clean and pleasant, Ped. street and very close to train station. Three times and would do it again if I were lucky enough to go back..Wish, wish!!!

Hotel Londres and Ingleterra - a higher priced option. We went for a non-sea view to keep our costs lower but excellent location.

Excellent recommendations, thank you.

A second vote for Hotel Londre. Stayed there May 2012, loved the hotel and location. Booked non sea view . Did not have breakfast at hotel but found very nice place nearby. Just went out back door, restaurant side entrance , diagonally across the road, Really nice breakfast very inexpensive.

I booked about 6 months inadvance and got great rate.

Hotel Parma is right on the edge of the Old Town. Mixed review although we've stayed there several times due to location, parking (extra charge), helpful staff and immaculate rooms.

Why mixed review? Price is a bit high and breakfast not good value, but plenty of cafés in the neighborhood. Street noise can be a probkem if you like to sleep with the window open. However, the AC is excellent and windows are double-glazed.

I would only stay in a first floor room (second floor U.S.). The ground floor rooms are actually about 5 steps below street level and have only opaque transom windows.

www.hotelparma.com

Here's third vote for the Londres and Ingleterra. We had a seaview room and it was 180€. They had just reopened after an extensive renovation. This was last May 2012. We loved the location and the hotel. We did not have the breakfast so cannot comment on that.

We just booked for this place in June:

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g187457-d286061-Reviews-Pension_Amaiur-San_Sebastian_Donostia_Guipuzcoa_Province_Basque_Country.html

Obviously haven't been there yet but everyone says it is fantastic. We wanted to be right in the old-town, but didn't want to pay Hotel Maria Christina prices (as our splurge hotel is in Seville).

Very small distances in San Sebastián, and you would perhaps not want to stay in the Parte vieja/Old town itself, very noisy into the night. But as people have suggested, Hotel Londres is located in the best position in town and just a three minutes walk from the Old Town and the most packed display of pintxos bars.

Excellent to go from pintxos bar to pintxos bar in the Parte vieja, but some of the best places are located in other parts of town such as the more local feel Gros district across the city river Urumea, some 5-10 minutes walk from the Old town.

If you decide to stay in Hotel Londres, I warmly recommend next door pintxos bar San Marcial (Alustiza, an institution in town: http://www.todopintxos.com/bares/bares.php?id_bar=99&do=vista_bar

Here's the top ten pintxos bar list suggested by Hotel Londres: http://www.hlondres.com/en/concierge-blog/top-10-pintxos-places-in-san-sebastian

All about going for pintxos in San Sebastián, suggested routes etc: http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en

Thank you so much everyone. Kimhe, those websites and your insight will be so helpful when I start booking this trip.

THR, I know what you mean about having splurge hotels and not-so-much-of-a-splurge hotel. I'm the one who plans the vacations for my husband and I and when I do my "presentation" of my ideas and plans I usually say the same thing: "well, this place is pretty expensive, but look at how economical this other place is!"

It seems like Hotel Londres is getting the most buzz here. I love that it is close to the old town and pintxos bars and also right on the ocean.

I stayed at Pension Itxasoa http://www.pensionesconencanto.com/in/datos_generales.php?id=3.
It was immaculate and had a great view of the sea and Gros beach. We found it really peaceful to be there, plus everything was walkable. No breakfast, but all of the pintxo places serve breakfast, and there is a cafe on the street. Great value--just in case you had a splurge planned for elsewhere on the trip!

That Pension Itxasoa seems very nice--and heck, with those prices I can splurge on the next leg of my trip!

You know of course of all the Michelin star gourmet restaurants in San Sebastián, but I would like to recommend my favourite, Casa Urola in Fermín Calbetón 20 in the midst of the Old town/Parte vieja since 1956. It has recently reopened under the reputed chef Pablo Loureiro, and as always the Urola way is classical Basque cuisine with a modern touch. http://www.casaurolajatetxea.es/es/portada/

And when you get a little tired of the gourmet hype, there's not many places better than very traditional Casa Vallés in C/ Reyes Católicos, 10 just behind the Cathedral: http://www.barvalles.com/

Local specialities that should not be missed include
- the pearling dry white wine Txakolí: http://www.saveur.com/article/Wine-and-Drink/Txakoli-Summers-Coolest-Wine
- the Sopa de pescado a la Donostiarra, (Donostia is the Basque name of San Sebastián), fish soup from heaven: http://www.hogarutil.com/cocina/recetas/sopas-cremas/201103/sopa-pescado-3385.html
- Besugo a la Parilla, the best grilled fish on earth. Simple and expensive. Take a look at 16 mins 20 sec and be convinced: http://www.eitb.com/es/videos/detalle/923208/video-tu-plato-favorito--jose-luis-korta-besugo-parrilla/
- and no meal in the Basque country is complete without the blackthorn liqeur Pacharán/Patxaran from Navarra: http://spanishfood.about.com/od/drinks/a/pacharan.htm

Pacharan/Patxaran liqueur--30% alcohol! Now for sure I need to book a hotel walking distance from the restaurants and bars. The Txakoli wine--that's the one they pour from high above their heads, right?

Thank you for your insight.

I LOVE txakoli, was thrilled that you can find it in the US. I even got one of the little stoppers they use to pour it from up high. It is a perfect companion for seafood. I quite like the cider as well--sorry I missed the patxaran!

Yes, the Txakolí is the one they pour from high above their heads.

Lots of my clients stay at Hotel Londres. Another option and also on Playa de la Concha is Hotel Niza but I don't know so much about it I'm afraid. About the same distance as Hotel Londres from the old town but on the other side of the river in the Gros district is Hotel Arrizul. Might be worth a look for a slightly cheaper alternative.

The Parte Vieja is very compact so you never very far away from any pintxos bars. Which? magazine recently voted San Sebastian the best destination in the world for food lovers beating cities such as Paris, London, New York and Tokyo: http://www.biarritzairporttransfers.com/Biarritz-to-San-Sebastian.html

To stay at the Hotel Maria Christina for $90 US per night, one just has too sign up for the Starwood American Express CC and get 25000 points.

No annual charge the first year. You do have to spend a few thousand on the CC to get the points.

Then using points and dollars, it's 4800 points and $90 dollars per night.

We have three nights booked using this method.

Many loyality, cc deals are offered out there..Hope you also belong to SPG..Upgrades do happen quite often with these memberships..You might be able to collect the $90 a night points also. you never know..

I am also planning on a stop over in San Sebastian in June. It was our intention to not reserve a hotel on line but have a list of places to stop in on and inspect and shop for a price. I worry that the Hotel reservation system is rigged to make it appear like we all fighting to book a room and creating a frenzy.
We're booking a hotel for when we arrive in Barcelona and maybe when depart from Madrid but waiting seeing for the cities and towns along the way through the mountains and up on the coast.

If you happen to plan on arriving in Donostia in late June, you'll find very few inexpensive hotel rooms available because of the Donosti Cup 2013, a few thousand young football (soccer) players and their parents.

You should realize that waiting to find some place for the night has major disadvantages in popular destinations. You could end up wasting valuable time trying to find a room, when all you had to do was book ahead. The best prices are always found online or by checking with the hotel. What you'll find, if you don't book ahead. is that the hotel will offer you the most expensive rooms (a few will be available), at rack rate, not discounts.

This is not like hopping in your car and staying at some cheap motel along the highway while on a road trip. You're spending hard earned money on this trip, why not spend it wisely?

In my experience you book ahead - research the online sales sites, check the hotel direct, and contact the hotel directly.

Leaving it late, particularly in the busy season, can only end in tears. Or a much larger credit card bill than necessary!

wolflake,

Not a good idea in S.B. You may get lucky but added to the fact it's very popular in June, driving and parking is very, very difficult.

In the old town, where there are several budget pensions, you can't take a car. Once you book a pension or hotel, they in a few cases will have parking or can direct you on where to park.

You could waste several hours of your vacation and come up with nothing.

I also agree that you need to book ahead in San Sebastian. Even in the smaller towns on the coast If you know where you're going,to be. We wasted a whole afternoon looking for a place and ended up far from the village.