Hi All,
Well Fodorites you weren't kidding with the price of SS hotels. I'm defaulting to a b&b called "Casa Nicolasa"-does anyone have any intell on this one? Realize that all have their own standards and I'm learning that my bar is high but my pocket apparently has a rip in it.


At this point in our trip, I don't need sea views or fancy-fancy, but I do need quiet, clean and well-located. Gets decent reviews on TP and a brief walk to La Concha. Have always preferred the B&Bs and Inns in Europe to the 4-stars. Unfortunately I could have booked Arbaso a few days ago for a rate that was tolerable.
BTW: Is it worth a ferry trip to Santa Clara? Sounds like a touristy trap.

Looked at Legazpi & Room Mate Gorka-meh.

All suggestions welcome!
pepperment

Hmmm Casa N does not sound very quiet or comfortable, after digging deeper into the reviews If anyone has a suggestion that meets my quiet, comfortable and well located I could sure use it.
Thank you!

Yes, I do know the Pensión Casa Nicolasa in the Old Quarter, the "Parte Vieja". It is considered a very upscale and well-run "hostal", with the feeling of a small B&B, but it doesn't offer breakfast or a bar, just a coffee-drinks vending machine. Like many hostales or pensiones, the reception desk is manned only from 9 am until 8 pm. And rates can run steep during high season.

It's retained the name "Casa Nicolasa" after the acclaimed restaurant, now closed, that used to reside there.

Staying in the Old Quarter with its door-to-door pintxos bars, restaurants and now pubs can be a noisy experience, but Casa Nicolasa doesn't sit on one of those very busy, bar and restaurant-lined streets, luckily. It sits across from the La Bretxa market.

If you do opt for the Casa Nicolasa, you may want to opt for the largest room, as some can run quite small, especially the interior rooms. To get 18 square meters you would need to book the double deluxe with balcony. The double superior with terrace gives you 21 square meters. And rooms may require a pre-payment, depending on your dates.

Yes, you can walk from Casa Nicolasa to La Concha beach, as you can from virtually every hotel in the center. San Sebastián is an extremely easy small city to walk around.

If you find the Legazpi Suites a "meh", and a "meh" the very nice 4-star Hotel Roommate Gorka (considered the flagship of the Roommate chain, as the director of this chain, Kike Sarasola, is from SS), I'm afraid you won't be particularly impressed by the Casa Nicolasa.
I do know all three.

What is your budget? Knowing your budget (which will probably need to be stretched in SS), we may be able to provide other suggestions.

Santa Clara is simply a small island in the middle of the bay (some swim or paddle out to it), and no, the very short ferry ride to it wouldn't be worth it to me.

Just because I'm dumb, what is SS?

The quick abbreviation for San Sebastián/Donostia.

Pepperment,
You may want to consider the Villa Katalina in the center, quite near the Arbaso. It’s where we stay when attending the SS Gastronomika food conference in October and when attending the Tamborrada in Jan. Rates will be lower here.
We opt for the largest room with a little alcove facing the street with a table.
It’s fairly new, nice staff. Easy walk to La Concha but of course, no bay views.
It’s a member of the Intelier group and usually doesn’t cost a King’s ransom.
It’s quiet.

Thanks, though for a country full of towns with the name "San-" that is open to confusion ;-)

I’m very used to this shortening. Use it myself when too lazy to write San Sebastián/Donostia.
And I’ve followed peperment’s several threads on her September País Vasco/ Pays Basque vacation… Hegoalde to Iparralde.

pepperment,
This is the room at the 3-star Intelier Villa Katalina
https://www.intelier.com/en/hotel-vi...-2-beds-33057/

Not as "posh" as the 4-star Roommate Gorka or the 4-star Arbaso or any of the 4-star hotels facing La Concha or the 5-star luxury María Cristina, but the price won´t break the bank. And it's certainly not a pensión or hostal. And it does have a breakfast service and a reception desk served 24 hours.

Hi again,
I took a second look at Legazpi and had a private message from someone, who really liked it (in 2019)--so I grabbed their last room (a family suite!). Dang! I've been off Fodor's so missed your recommendation on Villa Katarina--hmm didn't get an email (dang again)...of the two which do you prefer?
pm

Maribel, yes reacting to your recommendation on Villa Katarina, if TA reviews have any credibility, VK seems to win. vs. Legazpi -- zero bad reports on VK. On location, comfort and pricing...VK seems the best. Especially with the room we have a Legazpi-on the 3rd floor, street facing.
Rooms at VK: attic (top floor which means quietest) would appear to be the best choice, we try to step up one from standard rooms. And want to avoid street facing, of course, what I've learned about Spain is that it's difficult to make specific requests, even in smaller hotels. (I've been spoiled by French B&Bs).
Do you recall what room you booked at VK that suited?
Anyway, looking forward to your opinion and regret greatly not seeing your post on this!

Actually, for me the double VK attic room wouldn't be my first choice only because it's smaller (measuring 17 square meters, and is a dormer room with skylights (note the photos), so less head room, if traveling with a tall partner, if you notice the fine print on booking.com. There is an attic twin, again with a low ceiling because of the skylights, that does measure 21 square meters. Twin means 2 twin beds put together to form a king, a standard practice in Spanish hotels.

But those two issues, more space and higher ceiling, matter to me and may not matter to you at all.

The street facing room we have had, measuring 21 square meters with an alcove is quiet, as it faces a pedestrianized square and there is a drapery that can be closed between the alcove and the sleeping area. On booking.com it's called the "twin room with street view", and from the photos you can see the alcove. And in it, the twin beds are put together to form a king.

On booking.com (even for both hotels) you may want to read all the reviews, clicking on "show more" to read about other issues, such as "quiet", "window", shower", to see if the VK is appropriate for you.

During the high season, including the entire month of September, we are price sensitive when staying in SS.
When we are "car free" during SS Gastronomika (Oct), Jazz Festival (July) or International Film Festival (Sept) we look for a property that is not so exorbitantly priced. At other times, in winter, we can up our budget and stay at the Arbaso, where we like to dine at its Narru restaurant and where prices drop dramatically during the low (rainy) season.

Just to add,
If you're looking at online reviews, I would read first and foremost and pay more attention to the reviews on booking.com rather than TA or Google, as only those who have booking with booking.com and have completed their stay are allowed to post reviews. Thus, all the reviews are verified.

As for the booking.com ratings of Legazpi Doce versus Villa Katalina, both receive an overall review score of 9.0 ("wonderful"), so there's that...

It's not difficult for me to make special requests in Spanish hotels. But I do this directly with the hotel desk staff by email (not through a corporate office). Sometime they can honor these requests and sometimes not, if they anticipate being completely booked during my dates. I've also stayed in my share of French B&Bs over the years and have made some special requests. I haven't noticed the difference between a special request at a small boutique Spain property or a French one, personally.

All street facing rooms aren't created equal. Some of the newer hotels have rooms facing the street with windows with very good double glazing that keep the street noise at bay (and some not). Again, that's why it's important to read through the verified reviews on booking.com rather than on TA (to avoid reading fake reviews), especially paying attention to those under the category of quiet.
And on the booking.com reviews, the reviewer indicates what type of room they've been given.

I'm a firm believer in reading through the specific Booking review topics that are important to me to get a much better sense of whether a particular property is the right fit for me.

I have two very good friends who are professional Basque guides and they have had clients lodged at the Legazpi. The Legazpi sits on a busy square, Plaza Gipuzkoa, where interurban buses depart (such as the bus to Hondarribia). If on booking.com for the Legazpi you check the 1,176 verified reviews at the top right, then check "show more" in the review topics, then look under the topics of "noisy", "window" and "quiet", you'll find out all that you need to know about the quality of the windows' double glazing.

Maribel,
Excellent intell-I agree with TA's reviews and looked through Booking.com for both. I planned on Arbaso, but 400 Euros a night is not necessary for a 2 night stay.
When we travel for 3 weeks in Europe, a deluxe room is unnecessary (unless its Paris where we have our favorite Hôtel de Saint Peres-which is reasonable & lovely).
In SS it's really between VK double room (non attic) vs Legazpi (booked the last room which is a studio suite on the street w/two twins). Given that both hotels are about the same price: would you recommend VK's rooms over what I have at Legazpi (the 2 twin studio on the 3rd floor).
One spring 2024 review said a 'sewage odor was present in room and lobby'---I've seen these before which are a deal killer. Given all this which would you choose? Sounds like Legazpi is definitely noisier with constant buses on the street.

On the VK website, there's a double room and an attic room available--nix on the attic, but the double will likely be too small for both of us, do I have to call there (at 3 am) to find out if they will do 2 beds?

And re. contacting the hotel desk directly, I always do that re. specific requests, but with all the hotels in Spain I've received not one email response, even when I write in Spanish.

Yes I do know the Saint Pères in the 6th, a member of Esprit de France. We've stayed happily in the 7th at the Esprit de France sister property, the Hotel d'Orsay.

Well, about the noise of constant bus departures on the square, it depends entirely on what floor your suite sits and the quality of the double glazing, which is why I urged you to look carefully at the verified booking.com reviews under "show more" then the topics, "quiet", "noise", "windows" before simply assuming that the buses on the square will create too much noise for you to enjoy your stay at this property. The 3rd floor studio suite at the Legazpi gives you much more space.

We are just 2 travelers, so 21 square meters if fine for us. I'm very picky and prefer even more space (our deluxe room at the Hotel d'Orsay measured just 19 but that's Paris), but I'm also price sensitive in SS in high season.

What do you mean you need to call the VK at 3 am to find out if they will do 2 beds? You simply send them an email.
If you haven't received one email response in your dealings with Spain hotels, I'm frankly amazed.
I write both in English and in Spanish (I'm fluent), but for non-Spanish speaking friends' lodging, when I arrange it for them, I contact them in English.
No need to call at 3 am to either hotel, ime, but I have lots of experience in dealing with Spain hotels by email.

How many in your party? I assumed it was the two of you, but in retrospect, maybe I've just forgotten and misunderstood, and you're traveling during the entire trip with your kids. If there are 4 of you, yes, the double at the VK will be much, much, too small at only 21 square meters, and it is strictly for double occupancy (Spanish hoteliers are very strict about this). If you are 3 or 4, you will then need the family suite at the Legazpi, which will have a double bed, living room with double bed sleep sofa and kitchenette. It sleeps 4.

OCD on these hotels! Both VK and Legazpasi Doce Suizu report 'noise' 'loud' on Booking.com. So I guess we will choose to save $100 at the latter, and spend the $100 on lightweight noise cancellers!
Will try once again to contact the hotel desk at Legazpi to inquire about buses.

Maribel,
Done w/SS...we are staying at the Doubletree in Madrid when we arrive from California. We return for 4 more nights before we return home.
You suggested a number of Madrid hotels in a past post: but where do you usually stay-again we don't need super lux. Thought it might be fun to have a different experience of hotel than the Doubletree-but still wish it well-located. But we think the Doubletree is great for English speaking and their courteous call back feature. So willing to re-book DT for our final stay.

If you've looked at all the reviews or at least many, regarding noise, as I have, you will find that some reviewers report no noise when the windows are closed. I did take the time to read all of the reviews regarding noise at both properties so as to educate myself. I do see some reviews about street noise when windows are open, but when they are closed, not many. Any SS hotel, unless it's up in the hills (Arima, Akelarre or Villa Soro, which is in town but a bicycle ride from Zurriola beach), will have a comment or two about noise level from the street, as Spain is in general a noisy country.

I don't take to my hotels lightweight noise canceling devices, but I live in Spain, so I'm not bothered and have been traveling here for 50+ years, so I've become used to street noise.

I also attend major festivals here, such as the Tamborrada (24 hours of drum beating in SS from Jan. 19 midnight to Jan. 20 midnight) and the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, 8 days of constant revelry, but there we choose a hotel away from the fray that is blissfully quiet.

You don´t need to email the Legazpi to enquire about buses, because I already know what the response, more or less, will be. "Our windows are double glazed so that our clients aren't bothered by street noise", with a caveat, that the hotel has no control whatsoever about very early morning garbage pick up at street level. Hoteliers can't do anything whatsoever about the early morning timing of urban garbage collection on the street. It's out of their control.

Again, I´m still wondering if you need a double room or a room for 4 people.

Is it that you've reserved in SS, "done", and have completed this stage of your planning? I'm confused.

I live in the Madrid suburbs now, have lived here for the past 8 months, a very permanent move, returning once again to Madrid from the West Coast (Seattle),
Over the many years I've stayed in many, many Madrid hotels, too many to count, depending on my budget at the time, first as a student, then as a teacher, then as a retiree.

Over the Christmas season we always stay now in the city for the holidays, usually in the Barrio de las Letras, at least for some of those days (other days we decamp to the Barrio de Salamanca or Almagro).

In Letras, I've stayed happily at the Doubletree Hilton Madrid Prado, which is not like an American Doubletree at all (save for the warm chocolate chip cookies!).
For me it has the perfect location. We choose a deluxe room on a higher floor, and it's on a very quiet street, tucked away, but close to the Palace, the Ritz and the Prado.

But I've also stayed at the NH Collection Paseo del Prado (rooms run small, and it's a bustling location), the Mandarin Oriental Ritz (when it was still "affordable"), the Palace (with my parents), the Catalonia las Cortes (a very good value with a complimentary evening buffet), the Vincci Soho (only when the Roommate was fully booked), the Radisson Red (on the busy Atocha street but very nice rooms and excellent restaurant by Joaquín Felipe) and the Roommate Alba on Huertas, which is the Madrid "flagship" of the Roommate chain.

And other more budget choices, when I was closely watching my pennies 2 decades or so ago but now no longer need to be frugal.

For a first timer's visit to Madrid, the Barrio de las Letras is very handy.

Once again, a little question: How many in your party? Just the two of you or 1-2 others?