San Sebastian Hotel Suggestions Please
 

Hello Spain experts, I've got eveything booked for our Northern Spain Part 1 tour in September, except our hotel in San Sebastian.

I went to Trip Advisor (I know, it can make you crazy), but it seems that the hotels suggested with a sea view in town, are in need of repairs i.e. Abba Londres & Nizza. Also I don't like that the Nizza will not guarantee a sea view room. Maria Cristina seems a bit too high end for us.

Any suggestions for hotels in San Sebastian will be appreciated (150 – 250 EUR). That will finalize our plan for our first trip to Northern Spain.

Then I get to read all of your reviews about restaurants and start copy and pasting them to take along. Yippy!

Here’s the almost final itinerary:

Boston/Madrid/Barcelona – 4 nights Hotel NH Podium

Rent car
S’Agaro Costa Brava – 3 nights Hotel S’Agaro

Fly from Barcelona to San Sebastian
Rent car
San Sebastian – 3 nights (Hotel?)

Santander – 3 nights Hotel Bahia

Fly from Santander/Madrid/Boston

Thanks so much for your help.

Your options are pretty limited in San Sebastian-Donostia since you have already eliminated the Londres, Nizza and Maria Cristina:

4-star NH Aranzazu next to the Ondarreta beach.
4-star Barcelo Costa Vasca in the residential area of Ondarreta beach.
4-star Tryp Orly
3-star Europa

I've stayed a few times in "Hotel San Sebastian" at 200 metre from Ondarreta beach. It's a nice quiet area not too far from downtown.

I stayed in the Londres this April .

Although it is an older hotel, I would not say it needed renovations. It is superbly situated, the views are magnificent and unless you are looking for spotless 4 star accommodations, you will be glad you picked it.

Hi there! Got a laugh that you are doing almost the same trip I am! I'll be at a villa in Platja d'Aro, the the overnight train to San S. from Barcelona. In San S. I'm at the Niza and frankly a Bay view isn't a priority because I'll be out most of the time. I'm doing a chocolate trip across the border to Bayonne (not N. Jersey). have fun.

John I am curious about your "chocolate trip." We visited Bayonne (NOT NJ!) last fall for the same reason.
Stayed at the Grand in Bayonne.

Thanks for the replies. I wasn’t really eliminating the main hotels in San Sebastian, but just requesting Fodor’s opinions (verses Trip Advisor). We have stayed in many old hotels and even if people complain about torn carpets and old drapes, we still love the charm, providing the hotel is clean.

Thanks Aramis for your comments. I will be booking Hotel Abba Londres. I like the idea of the location. Now I’m ready for restaurant suggestions. Got to start a new search…

PS – I too am curious about John’s "chocolate trip." Can we go too? What is your itinerary?

There are so many good, if not great restaurants in San Sebastian-Donostia; it all comes down to how much you want to spend for lunch. Dinner should be reserved for pintxos.

San Sebastian is the center of the universe for gastronomic cuisine, so take your pick. You can try Arzak (http://www.arzak.info/index.html), Akelarre (http://www.akelarre.net), or Mugaritz (http://www.mugaritz.com/), but you may want to refer to Maribel’s Guide of the País Vasco for a more comprehensive list.

Easygoer - don't forget to reserve a sea view room. Small balconies but what a special sight both in the morning and at night.

Have fun

This is one of many Chocolate stops in Bayonne. www.atelierduchocolat.fr (click on the video). Bayonne is the Premire Ville chocoatiere de France. Chocolate caviar will interest me as I pick my way through the shops! Non-fat I'm told! LOL!

easygoer...I'm staying very flexible because the International Film Festival will be going on and I don't know how crowded and overblown prices will be. I am going down to Geteria for a day trip/fresh fish off the boats (I also have great respect for Cristobal Balenciaga who is buried there),a day trip to Hondarria, St. Jean Luz (Fr) one day and then another to Bayonne.

Thanks for the restaurant, day trips, & chocolate info. I was able to get a sea view room for Sunday & Monday. We will be in a street view for our first night, Saturday. We're there September 8,9 & 10. I think the film festival is the last two weeks in September. Can't wait - 23 days and counting.

The most famous chocolate shops in Bayonne are Darantz and Cazenave. There is a chocolate fair every spring in Bayonne. Make sure you try the chocolate studded with piment d'Espelette! Unfortunately there are very few family owned producers these days..it appears that the current generation has scant interest in continuing the tradition of chocolate making in the city.

The website for pintxos (tapas) in San Sebastian is:
www.todopintxos.com (available in English)

Revulgo, thanks for the web-site. I have died and gone to Pintxos heaven. My husband is going to fill out when he sees all of the pictures.

I printed all of the tapas routes. Hope to hit every bar mentioned. Yippy!

Opps, I meant to say my husband will flip out, but fill out is probably more appropriate!

If you are like me, you will not get much further than Cuchara de San Telmo. They are famous for their foie but I think I tried every dish they had on offer on 3 successive nights. Wondeerful!

ekscrunchy, I must say, I have been a maniac, copying and pasting from this web-site. www.todopintxos.com. I’m the pre-planner, hotels, cars, day trips etc. My husband is the “in the moment guy” once we get there. So when I said I want to eat every one of these tapas, he said, I’m sure we’ll find a place where everything is great and not move as soon as we stand/sit at the bar. Cuchara de San Telmo looks like a place we can call home.
We’ve tapas hopped in Madrid, Leon and somewhat in the Andalusia, but this trip I believe will top all (pun kinda of). Thanks to all for the San Sebastian thread. It’s intoxicating.

Easygoers:

While on your way to Bayonnne, you might want to stop in Biarritz and visit their little chocolate museum, short flick on the history of chocolate, and samples...then go on to nearby Bayonne and gorge. Is Fanny Farmers still in business around Boston??

Stu T (Quincy and L.A.)

addendum:

New Englanders, while driving from San Sebby to Bayonne, I might suggest that you get off the road at Bidart (about three mies before Biarritz)...go to the coast road, take a right and after a few kms. stop for a visit at the super fabulous Villa L'Arche. Mme. Salaignac loves for visitors to stop by and inspect her charming little hotel(recommended in Hotels of Charm and Character...it's quite unique, on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic and an amazing lunarscaped beach with very odd rock formations.

It remains on our Top Ten list even after 9 years since we were last there. From there you can get back on the highway and you're in Biarritz and then Bayonne in minutes.
The view is incredible. If you're in the vicinity around lunch time, stop in at La Cucaracha in Bidart town center...excellent.


Stu T.