56 Best Hotels in The Basque Country, Navarra, and La Rioja, Spain

The oldest hotel in Pamplona, where Ernest Hemingway conceived of his first novel, The Sun Also Rises, is a comfortable and conservative hotel with some early-20th-century accents such as velvet bergères and ornate headboards. Hemingway watched the running of the bulls from room 201 in 1924. 

Frank Gehry's post-Guggenheim hotel, presided over by Marriott, looks like an extraterrestrial colony in the middle of one of La Rioja's oldest vineyards. The jumble of pink-and-gold titanium sheets curves around rectilinear sandstone surfaces; inside, guest rooms are streamlined and appointed with designer furniture. Amenities include the winery visitor center, historic cellars, and horseback riding, and golf. There's also a spa featuring grape-based emollients and two award-winning restaurants.

Built in the mid-19th century for Empress Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoléon III, this neo-Gothic limestone castle-cum-hotel with rooms in the watchtowers and defensive walls is one of the most extraordinary lodgings in the area (and Relais & Châteaux agrees). Overlooking the Urdaibai Nature Reserve wetlands 30 minutes north of Bilbao, near Gernika, it's a favorite home base for bird-watchers, with excursions by canoe available for exploring the marshes. The excellent restaurant focuses on local products, from seafood to Txakoli, making this a culinary destination as well.

Rioja's renowned "gastro hotel," Echaurren is a food lover's paradise with two envelope-pushing restaurants and Relais & Châteaux--certified digs. The crown jewel of the property is El Portal, a two-Michelin-star temple to Riojan cuisine with surprising offal preparations, but there's also casual bistro dining in El Cuartito. Rooms are minimal and modern with blond wood, large windows, and—in upgraded rooms—uncommon perks like double showers and wine-based bath products.

Arbaso means "ancestor" in Euskera, and though this newcomer is awash with modern comforts, it exudes Basqueness in its staff uniforms, inspired by traditional jai alai uniforms; cuisine at Narru restaurant, hinging on local meats and seafood; and design elements incorporating Basque timber and stone. Entry-level rooms peer out over a zen courtyard, while the best digs afford vistas of the bay and add fireplaces and living rooms. Keep an eye out for low-season deals. 

Belle Époque grace and opulence define San Sebastián's most legendary hotel, which has hosted countless movie stars and dignitaries since opening in 1912. Public spaces are appointed with Oriental rugs, potted palms, and Carrara marble columns, and there's a spacious gym in the basement. The renovated guest rooms—many with river views—feature elegant (if perhaps gaudy to some) design accents like tufted headboards and fuchsia wall art. Marble bathrooms add more pampering with deep-soak tubs and separate showers. A piano player teases out an eclectic medley of tunes nightly at the bar.

This quirky, cozy hotel occupies a traditional town house in the Casco Viejo. The beamed ceilings, stone floors, and ethnographical and historical objects (including a portable Spanish Civil War combat confessional) convey a sense of place—a welcome trait in a city where bland name-brand hotels dominate the market.

Brightly lighted, with clean Scandi-minimal design, this adorable B&B is steps from Plaza de España. Rooms are open and airy, and the continental breakfast, served in the cozy upstairs lounge, is fresh and varied.

With its stone floors and rough-hewn ceiling beams, this 17th-century palace hotel transports you back in time, but it features thoroughly modern comforts: a terrific on-site tavern and winery, cushy beds, framed prints, and flower-fringed wrought-iron balconies.

This handsome hillside estate is among the province's most exquisite hideaways. It has bare stone walls, beamed ceilings, and windows overlooking lush green pastures, plus an elegant breakfast area and glass-walled reading nook. The on-site restaurant serves refined "kilometer-zero" dishes cooked over coals like grilled Navaz wood pigeon and txuletas de buey. 

You can live like a medieval lord in this 10th-century bastion, home in the 16th century to Spain's founding emperor, Carlos V—hence its alternative name: Parador El Emperador. Replete with suits of armor and other chivalric bric-à-brac, the place feels like a movie set (and has occasionally been used as one). Many rooms have views of the Bidasoa estuary; upgraded digs add canopy beds and baronial appointments and are worth the moderate extra expense. 

This mansion-cum-hotel retains many architectural bones from the original 1898 construction—such as vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, marble floors, and Victorian oak stairs—but virtually everything else, from the bathroom fixtures to the wall art, has been meticulously refurbished.

This clean-cut urban hotel steps from the river and Zurriola Beach is a dependable option for families and business travelers. Rooms are bright and modern with charcoal-gray furniture, large TVs, and (in upgraded digs) balconies and sofa beds.

This sleek art hotel, previously known as Gran Hotel Domine, is across from the Guggenheim and has design highlights including undulating seven-story walls in the lobby, glass elevators, and bathrooms with wood-plank floors. Rooms are minimalist yet well appointed and decorated in calming grays, whites, and earth tones.

Tastefully converted from a private mansion, this 1911 landmark on the shore is a favorite for quick overnight rail getaways from Bilbao, and scenery along the 37-km (23-mile) train ride is spectacular. Guest rooms are charming and comfortable in a grandmotherly kind of way. Those upstairs have balconies with marvelous views. (No. 22 is the best room in the house.)

Sandwiched between the Casco Viejo and the industrial area surrounding the Guggenheim, this corporate hotel soars seven stories over the Nervión, and its best rooms boast semicircular windows that make you feel like you're hovering over it. Cloudlike beds, exceptional breakfasts, and personable service make this hotel a regular choice among business and leisure travelers.

San Sebastián's buzzy new Hotel Arbaso likes to call this luxurious hilltop villa with five rooms its finest "suite," but that's selling this sister property short; after all, most suites don't span 67 acres teeming with goats, sheep, and pampered Basque "Wagyu" cows (a passion project of the owner). Situated 20 minutes from both Hondarribia and San Sebastián, Basalore—with its on-call chef and chauffeur and ample room for events—is one of the most exclusive rentable homes in Spain. For a family looking for the ultimate splurge or for a deep-pocketed company planning a small retreat, this well-appointed getaway is hard to beat.

Welcoming hosts run this no-nonsense, budget-friendly inn in a 13th-century family farmhouse overlooking the Bidasoa estuary. Beneath its quintessentially Basque low, wide roofline, rooms are simply appointed with old-fashioned wooden furniture and patterned linens. The property is situated 5 km (3 miles) away from Hondarribia's tourist fray, west of the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

On a bluff overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the Urdaibai Nature Reserve just outside of Elantxobe, this rustic family-run inn is removed from the harborside bustle, offering a breath of country life on the Basque coast. The cheerful rooms have terraces overlooking the sea, and two suites are available for families.

Across the street from the tourist office, Haro's best hotel is built into a 14th-century monastery with a cloister (now a beautiful covered patio) that's considered one of the finest in La Rioja. Arches, a great hall, and Renaissance tapestries complete the medieval look. The restaurant is known for serving local fare in two comfortable dining rooms; its glassed-in wine cellar holds Haro's greatest treasures. Rooms are cozy and decorated with antique furniture; some are newly renovated.  

Close to—but not within earshot of—the raucous food fight that is Calle del Laurel, this hotel by the cathedral is within walking distance of all the major sights. It recently became a Eurostars property and now has a digital option at check-in and renovated rooms that can be unlocked with your phone. Stash your car in the garage beneath the nearby Plaza del Espolón (€15 per day).

Overlooking the San Mamés soccer stadium (known as "La Catedral") and with views of the Nervión River, this former schoolhouse is just a 15-minute walk through the lush Parque de Doña Casilda gardens from the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Guggenheim. Rooms are contemporary in style. The restaurant, El Botxo, serves carefully prepared Basque and international cuisine.

Amenities at this traditional hotel in a restored stone building include a complimentary glass of wine at check-in, to be taken in a 16th-century wine cave. Guest rooms, organized around an indoor courtyard, are baroquely furnished with heavy woods and flowy drapes. There are two restaurants—one formal, the other more down-home—which makes the Hospedería lively in the evenings.

This magnificent inn, under new management and with renovated public areas, occupies a wing of the historic Monasterio de Yuso. Heavy medieval stone walls conceal old-fashioned guest rooms, and there's a long baronial dining room on the ground floor that serves international fare as well as regional dishes.

On a mountaintop in the heart of Basque country’s “little Switzerland,” 20 minutes north of Vitoria-Gasteiz and 40 minutes south of Bilbao, this relaxing retreat features breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and an excellent restaurant and spa. Etxegana is an ideal base from which to enjoy the region's natural splendor: hiking, fishing, cycling, and more. Rooms are adorned with rustic woodcarvings and furniture imported from Thailand; numbers 25 and 26 are particularly spectacular.

With rooms overlooking Bilbao from the heights of Artxanda, this Basque farmhouse with cheery interiors and eager young owners offers excellent value. It's surrounded by the green hills and meadows you see from the Guggenheim Museum, so what you lose here in big-city ambience you gain in fresh air and solitude. Nearby asadores—including one next door—are good dining options. You'll need a car to get to downtown Bilbao.

Just a few steps from the Plaza de los Fueros in downtown Gernika, the Boliña is a pleasant and modern base camp for exploring the Vizcayan coast. Rooms are simple and small but comfy, and the food is a great value.

Guests are treated like royalty in this castlelike 18th-century manor house. You don't have to choose between city convenience and country views: the property is located five minutes from the city center yet boasts spectacular views of the surrounding wine region. The hotel features an excellent restaurant, stained-glass windows, antique furniture, and a turreted tower whose spiral staircase empties onto a terrace overlooking the valley. Each room is individually styled, and upgraded digs add Jacuzzis and fireplaces.

On the main beachfront promenade overlooking La Concha, this stately hotel has a regal, old-world feel and Belle Époque aesthetic that starts in the marble lobby, with its shimmering chandeliers, and continues throughout the hotel. The gentlemanly bar and restaurant face the bay through large windows, and the classically styled, pastel-tone guest rooms boast gasp-worthy ocean views. Seventh-floor rooms have private terraces with superb vistas.

A prim business crowd fills this modern, centrally located hotel under the Marriott umbrella that's known for streamlined digs and professional service. The Guggenheim is a 10-minute walk away, and there's a busy cocktail bar and well-outfitted gym on the premises.